Prior to the arrangement prescribed here, Moses had to go far outside the camp to meet with God (see Exodus 33:7–11). Now that God will move into the very midst of his people, things will change within the camp, so as to make his residence as a holy God in the midst of a sinful people possible. The most striking feature of this arrangement is that God surrounds the tabernacle with the Levites, who now will serve as a protective barrier between himself and Israel. The arrangement of the tents of Israel will thus speak of the sheer glory and holiness of the God who will reside in the midst of his undeserving, sinful nation.
Of great significance is the fact that the tribe of Judah is given the most prominent position in the eastern encampment (Numbers 2:3). To the ancient people, east was regarded as the front
position, because it faces the rising sun. In taking the lead for the eastern encampment, Judah thus takes the lead for the entire armies of Israel. This arrangement thus reiterates the blessing that Jacob had pronounced upon Judah, affirming that “the scepter shall not depart from Judah...until tribute comes” (Genesis 49:10). Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the man whom God appoints leader of the tribe of Judah, is the brother of Aaron’s wife (see Exodus 6:23), thus Aaron’s brother-in-law. The dramatic punishment of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1–20) would have had a close impact on Nahshon, who was surely prompted thereby to fear God. In leading the tribe of Judah, he leads the entire armies of Israel. A great responsibility was placed on Nahshon.
The camps were arranged according to their maternal ancestors namely, the wives of Jacob and their maidservants. Thus, the eastern encampment consisted exclusively of descendants of Leah (Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon). The western encampment consisted of the descendants of Rachel (Joseph [Ephraim, Manasseh], and Benjamin). The southern encampment represented a mixture of Leah and her maidservant (Leah’s first two sons: Ruben and Simeon; Zilpah’s son: Gad). Mirroring the southern encampment, the northern encampment held descendants of both Leah and Rachel’s maidservants: Zilpah’s second son—Asher, who settled between Dan and Naphtali—the descendants of Bilhah, the maidservant of Rachel.
The sons of Leah were given position of prominence over the sons of Rachel, who took a second-to-last position before the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah.
If God had not introduced this order, as one commentator observes, the Israelites would have remained an unruly mob, bound for disaster.
1 With such a glorious order now in place, with the discipline and devotion it implied,
it presented an opportunity for a grand victory.
2 With God now residing in their very midst and the nation camped in the order that God had commanded, almost everything seemed to be in place for them to go and take the Promised Land. The ordering of the Levites, who would surround the tabernacle is what remained (Numbers 3:1–51).
3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab,