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Pentateuch · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Numbers 2

Israel's wilderness journey, rebellion, divine faithfulness, and preparation for the land.

Old Testament

Numbers 2

1The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

2“The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.

3“Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

4His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

5“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar.

6His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7“The tribe of Zebulun: the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon.

8His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9“All who were counted of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.

10“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.

11His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

12“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

13His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14“The tribe of Gad: the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.

15His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

16“All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.

17“Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.

18“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.

19His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred.

20“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

21His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22“The tribe of Benjamin: the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.

23His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

24“All who were counted of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.

25“On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

26His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran.

28His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

29“The tribe of Naphtali: the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.

30His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31“All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”

32These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were counted of the camps according to their armies were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

33But the Levites were not counted among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.

34Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Israel's wilderness journey, rebellion, divine faithfulness, and preparation for the land. Read Numbers 2 within the complete Numbers overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Numbers 2

Numbers 2 contains 34 verses and about 733 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 34 closes: “Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families…” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include hundred, counted, thousand, children, prince, division. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Numbers 2

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Numbers 2:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer