Numbers 2:3-4

The Tribes on the East

2:3 “Now those who will be camping ¹  on the east, toward the sunrise, ²  are the divisions ³  of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is ⁴  Nahshon son of Amminadab. 2:4 Those numbered in his division ⁵  are 74,600.

Numbers 26:22

26:22 These were the families of Judah according to those numbered of them, 76,500. ⁶ 

Numbers 26:2

26:2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, ⁷  everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” ⁸ 

Numbers 24:9

24:9 They crouch and lie down like a lion,

and as a lioness, ⁹  who can stir him?

Blessed is the one who blesses you,

and cursed is the one who curses you!’”

Numbers 24:2

24:2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; ¹⁰  and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Numbers 17:1

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17:1 ¹¹ The Lord spoke to Moses:

[2:3]  ¹ tn The sentence begins with a vav (ו) on a word that is not a finite verb, indicating a new section begins here. The verbal form is a participle with the article used substantivally, with the meaning “and/now those camping.” Many English versions employ a finite verb; cf. KJV “on the east side…shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch.”

[2:3]  ² tc The two synonyms might seem to be tautological, but this is fairly common and therefore acceptable in Hebrew prose (cf. Exod 26:18; 38:13; etc.).

[2:3]  ³ tn The sentence actually has “[those camping…are] the standard of the camp of Judah according to their divisions.”

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Or “will be.”

[2:4]  ⁵ tc The expression “and his divisions and those numbered of them” is somewhat tautological. The words are synonyms used for statistical purposes, and so neither should be simply deleted.

[26:22]  ⁶ sn The Judahites increased from 74,600 to 76,500.

[26:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “house of their fathers.”

[26:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “everyone who goes out in the army in Israel.”

[24:9]  ⁹ tn On the usage of this word see HALOT 517 s.v. לָבִיא.

[24:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “living according to their tribes.”

[17:1]  ¹¹ sn Num 17:1 in the English Bible is 17:16 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note on 16:36.