Study notes

Numbers 2

Introducing NumbersWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1–5:4 Section

The people of Israel camped at Mount Sinai for two years. God’s instructions to them while they were there are recorded in Exodus and Leviticus.

God’s instructions that are recorded in Numbers were about preparing to leave Mount Sinai. Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel counted the people.

First they counted the men 20 years old or older. These were men who could fight in battles. Moses counted the Levite males who were 30 to 50 years old. Moses also counted the males one month old or older in Levi’s tribe.

Then he counted the eldest sons in the other tribes. All Israelite males who were born first in their family belonged to God. The reason for this was explained in Exodus 11:1 – 13:16. This didn’t mean that God wanted the Israelites to sacrifice children. Instead, the Levite males took the place of the eldest sons from other tribes. They did this by being set apart to serve God.

Levite males from Aaron’s family line were set apart to serve God as priests. Others were responsible for taking care of the different parts of the holy tent.

The holy tent was in the centre of the Israelite camp. The tribes were arranged in order around it. First were the Levites who camped closest to the holy tent. Then came the tribe of Judah. They were the lead tribe and had the most soldiers. After that were the other Israelite tribes.

People who were considered unclean couldn’t be near the tent. They couldn’t even stay in the camp. This reminded the Israelites that God is holy and was present with them.

2:1–34

Israel organized its camps by tribal groups. This probably addressed social status, water access, and security for the Tent of Meeting. This tent represented the Lord's presence. The Egyptian army from around the same time period used a similar defensive formation to protect holy objects during their battle campaigns.

2:2

  • Each area of the Hebrew camp had family banners, probably flags or streamers (1:52). Modern Bedouins also use tribal symbols or battle flags. This shows the continued importance of tribe, clan, and family divisions.

  • The tribes camped around the holy place at a safe distance (compare Joshua 3:4). This respected the distinction between God's holiness and the non-Levitical tribes.

2:3–9

The tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun camped in the most important spot on the east side of the Tent of Meeting. They led when Israel traveled. This largest tribal group had 186,400 people. It could protect the holy tent and its assistants very well.

2:10–16

The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad camped on the south. They had 151,450 soldiers and marched second in line.

2:18–24

The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin followed the Tent of Meeting and the Levites.

2:25–31

The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali were in the back.

2:34

At first, the Hebrews obeyed God's commands by camping and marching as Moses instructed. Yet, they soon stopped being obedient.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources