Numbers 2:10

Num 2:10 On the south side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben [shall be] Elizur the son of Shedeur.

Ver. 10. And on the south side.] The order proceeded from east to south, and so to the west and north; according to the course of the sun, and climates of the world, saith one. I may add, according to the course and progress of the gospel; which went out of Judea, lying east, into Greece, which lieth south; and from thence passed to the western parts, the Latin Church, and so to us of the north: and because

“ Vespera nunc venit, nobiscum Christe maneto:

Extingui lucem nec patiare tuam. ”

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:10-16 The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad camped on the south. With their 151,450 warriors, they took second place in the line of march.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Reuben and Simeon, the sons of Leah, and Gad the son of Zilpah her maid, were of the second standard.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

On the south side the standard of the camp of Reuben--The description given of the position of Reuben and his attendant tribes on the south, of Ephraim and his associates on the west, of Dan and his confederates on the north, with that of Judah on the east, suggests the idea of a square or quadrangle, which, allowing one square cubit to each soldier while remaining close in the ranks, has been computed to extend over an area of somewhat more than twelve square miles. But into our calculations of the occupied space must be taken not only the fighting men, whose numbers are here given, but also the families, tents, and baggage. The tabernacle or sacred tent of their Divine King, with the camp of the Levites around it (see on Num 3:38), formed the center, as does the chief's in the encampment of all nomad people. In marching, this order was adhered to, with some necessary variations. Judah led the way, followed, it is most probable, by Issachar and Zebulun [Num 10:14-16]. Reuben, Simeon, and Gad formed the second great division [Num 10:18-20]. They were followed by the central company, composed of the Levites, bearing the tabernacle [Num 10:21]. Then the third and posterior squadron consisted of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin [Num 10:22-24], while the hindmost place was assigned to Dan, Asher, and Naphtali [Num 10:25-27]. Thus Judah's, which was the most numerous, formed the van: and Dan's, which was the next in force, brought up the rear; while Reuben's and Ephraim's, with the tribes associated with them respectively, being the smallest and weakest, were placed in the center. (See on Num 10:13).

Next: Numbers Chapter 3

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies,.... This camp consisted of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, which was divided into lesser bodies, regiments, or companies, called armies; and this was placed to the south of the tabernacle, or to the right hand, as Aben Ezra interprets it; this was the right wing of the whole army. Reuben's stone, according to the Jewish writers (h), was the "sardius", and his flag was coloured red, and there were figured upon it mandrakes. Simeon's stone was the topaz, and his flag was coloured green, and on it was figured "shechem". Gad's stone was the agate, and his flag was coloured neither black nor white, but mixed, and there was figured upon it a camp or host, on account of what is said, Gen 49:19,

and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur; see Num 1:5.

(h) Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 2. fol. 178. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Reuben being the first-born, was the leader of the second camp.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Camp of Reuben — Or, host of Reuben. This tribe was the head of the second army corps, situated on the south of the tabernacle. Simeon, his own brother, son of Leah, and Gad, son of Zilpah, her handmaid, are members of this division. Reference to relationship was had in the entire arrangement of the camp, and finally, in some degree, in the allotment of the Promised Land.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses where each tribe and its army will camp around the tent of meeting. (See: Numbers)

under their standard

The "standards" were four larger groups that the tribes were divided into. Each standard was commanded to camp together. The standards were represented by a banner. See how you translated "standards" in Numbers 2:2.

Elizur son of Shedeur

See how you translated this man's name in Numbers 1:5.

46,500

"forty-six thousand five hundred." This refers to the number of men. AT: "46,500 men" (See: Numbers and Ellipsis)

translationWords

Reuben

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.