First day of the second month, called after the captivity, Jiar, which party corresponds with our April. These injunctions were given from the tabernacle, (Calmet) in the desert, the 12th station, (Haydock) at the foot of Mount Sinai. Houses. The families consisted of the immediate descendants of the 12 patriarchs; the houses were from the subdivisions of these. The same plan of numbering the people was adopted on other occasions, Josue viii. 16., and 1 Kings x. 20. --- Sex, between 20 and 60 years of age. All the subjects of the Eastern kings may be called upon, if they be able to bear arms; and hence we find such immense armies in the Scripture, and in profane history. Moses numbered the people once before, (Exodus xxx. 2,) and found exactly the same number of warriors, the dead being replaced by others, during the space of seven months. Perhaps the odd numbers might not be specified, as all the totals consist of so many exact hundreds, except that of the tribe of Gad, ver. 25. On the former occasion, the people were not perhaps ranged according to their tribes, which was now deemed necessary, as they army was going to begin its march under its respective leaders. (Calmet) Arms, . "Strong or brave." The psalmist (civ. 37,) says, there was not one feeble. (Menochius) --- Troops. Hebrew, "army." Septuagint, "force." Their officers shall be at their head, and shall assist you in the work. Some might command 1000, others 100, and some only 50. See Exodus xiii. 18., and xviii. 21. --- [ Ver. 4. ] Princes; the first-born, or most ancient, (Lyranus,) the lineal descendants of the patriarchs; (Jansen) or, in fine, such as were chosen for their merit, as all were equally noble; and hence Nahasson, prince of Juda, is mentioned, though he was not a descendant of the eldest son of Juda, but of Phares; and those who were at the head of those who were numbered a little before the death of Moses, were not the descendants of these, chap. xxvi. 64. In effect, we find that Moses chose for his council, able men out of all Israel, Exodus xviii. 25. (Bonfrere) (Calmet) Duel. Hebrew Dehuel. But (chap. ii. 14,) we find the word begins R, as the Septuagint have read, Ragouel. (Haydock) Army. Hebrew, "of a thousand." The Vulgate commonly styles them tribunes. They were "people of name in the assembly," as the Hebrew indicates. (Calmet) Juda. This tribe was the most numerous. But it is not here placed first, because the order of birth in Lia's children is observed. Then come those of Rachel; and last of all, the children of the two handmaids, Bala and Zelpha. (Haydock) CHAPTER I. Levites. As they attended the tabernacle, like God's peculiar servants, and were not obliged to go forth to battle, it was not necessary to number them with the rest. (Calmet) --- They might, however, fight if they thought proper, as the Machabees did. See Josephus, Antiquities iii. 11., and iv. 4. (Tirinus) Stranger, even of any other tribe. (St. Augustine, q. 3.) (Worthington) Army. Hebrew, "they shall have their respective camp, and follow their own standards, with their army." They were drawn up in four large bodies, chap. ii. 2, &c. (Calmet) --- The first contained 151,450, the second 186,400, the third 108,100, and the fourth 157,600, under Reuben, Juda, Ephraim, and Dan. Watch. Lest any thing should offer any indecency to the tabernacle, and thus provoke God's indignation. (Haydock) By, &c. Hebrew, "by his own standard, in the ensigns of their father's house, far off, about," &c. Perhaps a general standard, belonging to the chief tribe, was set up for each of the four great bodies; while the two inferior tribes had their peculiar ensign, as well as the different companies. It is supposed, that these standards were distinguished either by their colour, or by the representation of some animals. Jonathan says, each of the great standards, made of silk, were of three colours, similar to those precious stones, on which the names of the patriarchs were engraven on the rational; and also exhibited the figure or emblem of the principal tribe, with some text of Scripture, and the names of the three tribes. Thus the tribe of Juda, with those of Issachar and Zabulon, occupying the space of 4000 paces, had a lion's whelp on their standard, with this inscription, Let God arise, and his enemies be put to fight; Juda, Issachar, Zabulon. The tribes of Ruben, Simeon, and Gad, bore the figure of a stag, Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God. The standard of Ephraim, Manasses, and Benjamin, had a child embroidered, The cloud also of the Lord was over them by day, when they marched . Some give to the tribes of Dan, Aser, and Nephtali, the figure of a basilisk; others, that of an eagle; with these words, Return, O Lord, and dwell with thy glory in the midst of the host of Israel. See chap. x. 34-36., and Deuteronomy vi. 4. Some imagine that the standard of Juda was green, with a lion's whelp embroidered upon it; Ruben's red, with the head of a man. That of Ephraim, yellowish, the colour of the chrysolite, and represented an ox, or a calf's head. The standard of Dan had a mixture of white and red, like the jasper, with an eagle grasping a serpent in its talons; all in allusion to various passages of Scripture, and to the cherubim of Ezechiel. We cannot, however, vouch for the accuracy of these Rabinnical accounts. The custom of bearing the figures of animals on armour and standards, is very ancient. Anubis and Macedo had a dog and a wolf engraven on their arms, when they accompanied their father Osiris. (Diodorus ii. 2. The heroes at Troy had similar emblems on their bucklers. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxv. 3.) Others adorned their helmets with them. Hence some derive the custom of armour-hearing. --- Covenant, at the distance of 2000 cubits, as at the passage of the Jordan, Josue iii. 4. The tabernacle in the middle formed the camp of the Lord, the Levites were round it; the third camp was for the army, (Calmet) occupying a large square. The nearest soldiers were a mile distant from the centre. First. The gate of the tabernacle looked towards the east. (Haydock) --- Juda marched therefore in the first ranks. Then followed Ruben, the Levites, with the camp of the Lord. (Calmet) --- (Yet see chap x. 17.; Haydock) --- Afterwards came Ephraim; and last of all, Gad, ver. 16, 17, 24, 31. But in the camp, Juda, Issachar and Zabulon, Moses and Aaron, dwelt on the eastern side of the tabernacle; Ruben, Simeon and Gad, with the Caathites, to the west; and Dan, Aser and Nephtali, with the Merarites, on the north. (Calmet) And. Hebrew, "when the tabernacle of the assembly, shall depart, the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp, they shall depart in the same order as they encamp, each in his rank, and his ensigns." The Levites shall always be in the middle. (Calmet) --- So the Romans made their camps, of a square form, and placed the sacred things in the centre. (Grotius) --- Down. The same officers who took it down, shall set it up again. (Menochius) Five, is omitted in the Samaritan copy. Eight. Onkelos has 180,000 (Calmet) --- But both these are incorrect, chap. i. 37, 52. (Haydock)