Numbers 2:2

Numbers 2:2

Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.

a. NLT: “When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses: over against the tent of meeting shall they encamp round about. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: 'Each by his standard, with ensigns of the house of their fathers, do the sons of Israel encamp; over-against round about the tent of meeting they encamp.' [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: The Israelites shall encamp, each by his own [tribal] standard or banner with the ensign of his father’s house, opposite the Tent of Meeting and facing it on every side. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: Let the children of Israel encamp fronting [each other], every man keeping his own rank, according to [their] standards, according to the houses of their families; the children of Israel shall encamp round about the tabernacle of witness.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: “The Children of Isrel shall encamp, each man by his banner according to the insignias of their fathers household, at a distance surrounding the Tent of meeting shall they encamp. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house…”

a. Every man [Strong: 376 'iysh eesh contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

b. [of the] children [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

c. [of] israel [Strong: 3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale' from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

d. [shall] pitch [Strong: 2583 chanah khaw-naw' a primitive root (Compare 2603); properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.]

e. by [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

f. [his own] standard [Strong: 1714 degel deh'-gel from 1713; a flag:--banner, standard.]

g. [with the] ensign [Strong: 226 'owth oth probably from 225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:--mark, miracle, (en-)sign, token.]

h. [of their] father’s [Strong: 1 'ab awb a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application):--chief, (fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal.]

i. house [Strong: 1004 bayith bah'-yith probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

1). Chumash, Rabbinic Commentary, Numbers 2:2: Each three-tribe formation had a distinctively colored banner [according to the Targum Yonasan , each banner included all the colors of its three tribes], and each individual tribe had its own flag with an insigne representative of its distinctive characteristic. Eacj tribal flag was the same color as its stone on the Kohen Gadol’s Breastplate (Rashi). According to the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:6), the tribal flags were as follows: Reuben’s was red and its insigne was duda’im, a representation of the flowers he brought his mother (Genesis 30:14, 15); Simeon’s was green, with an embroidered representation of the city of Sechem (Genesis 34:25); Levi’s was white, black and red with an Urim v’ Tumim (Genesis 28:30); Judah’s was sky-blue with a lion (Genesis 49:9); Issachar’s was blue-black, with a sun and moon, since Issachar was famous for its many scholars who calculated the orbits of the heavenly bodies to fix the calendar (1 Chronicles 12:32); Zebulon’s was white, with a ship (Genesis 49:13); Dan’s was sapphire, with a snake (Genesis 49:17); Gad’s was gray, with a battalion of soldiers (Genesis 49:19); Naftali’s was pale red, with a doe (Genesis 49:21); Asher’s was the color of flaming olive oil (R’Bachya), with an olive tree (Genesis 49:20); both flags of Joseph’s tribes were jet black, Ephraim’s had an ox and Manasseh’s re’em (Deuteronomy 33:17); Benjamin’s was a mixture of all the other colors, with a wolf (Genesis 49:27).  

2. “...far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.”

a. far off [Strong: 5048 neged neh'-ghed from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against, X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side, sight, X to view.]

b. about [Strong: 5439 cabiyb saw-beeb' or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about, circuit, compass, on every side.]

c. [the] tabernacle [Strong: 168 'ohel o'-hel from 166; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance):--covering, (dwelling)(place), home, tabernacle, tent.]

d. [of the] congregation [Strong: 4150 mow`ed mo-ade' or moled {mo-ade'}; or (feminine) moweadah (2Chronicles 8:13) {mo-aw-daw'}; from 3259; properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand):--appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn(-ity), synogogue, (set) time (appointed).]

e. [shall they] pitch [Strong: 2583 chanah khaw-naw' a primitive root (Compare 2603); properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.]