^10:10“Also in the time when you rejoice, such as¹⁹ on your appointed festivals or²⁰ at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may²¹ become²² a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

The Journey From Sinai to Kadesh

^10:11²³ On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the testimony.²⁴^10:12So the Israelites set out²⁵ on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran.

Judah Begins the Journey

^10:13This was the first time they set out on their journey according to the commandment²⁶ of the Lord, by the authority²⁷ of Moses.

^10:14The standard²⁸ of the camp of the Judahites set out first according to their companies, and over his company was Nahshon son of Amminadab.

^10:15Over the company of the tribe of Issacharites was Nathanel son of Zuar, ^10:16and over the company of the tribe of the Zebulunites was Elion son of Helon. ^10:17Then the tabernacle was dismantled, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

Journey Arrangements for the Tribes

^10:18The standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their companies; over his company was Elizur son of Shedeur. ^10:19Over the company of the tribe of the Simeonites was Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, ^10:20and over the company of the tribe of the Gadites was Eliasaph son of Deuel. ^10:21And the Kohathites set out, carrying the articles for the sanctuary;²⁹ the tabernacle was to be set up³⁰ before they arrived.³¹^10:22And the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites set out according to their companies; over his company was Elishama son of Ammihud. ^10:23Over the company of the tribe of the Manassehites was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, ^10:24and over the company of the tribe of Benjaminites was Abidan son of Gideoni.

^10:25The standard of the camp of the Danites set out, which was the rear guard³² of all the camps by their companies; over his company was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ^10:26Over the company of the tribe of the Asherites was Pagiel son of Ocran, ^10:27and over the company of the tribe of the Naphtalites was Ahira son of Enan. ^10:28These were the traveling arrangements³³ of the Israelites according to their companies when they traveled.³⁴

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Footnotes

19 The conjunction may be taken as explicative or epexegetical, and so rendered “namely; even; that is,” or it may be taken as emphatic conjunction, and translated “especially.”
20 The vav (ו) is taken here in its alternative use and translated “or.”
21 The form is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. After the instruction imperfects, this form could be given the same nuance, or more likely, subordinated as a purpose or result clause.
22 The verb “to be” (הָיָה, hayah) has the meaning “to become” when followed by the preposition lamed (ל).
23 This section is somewhat mechanical: It begins with an introduction (vv. 11, 12), and then begins with Judah (vv. 13–17), followed by the rest of the tribes (vv. 18–27), and finally closes with a summary (v. 28). The last few verses (vv. 29–36) treat the departure of Hobab.
24 inserts a lengthy portion from Deut 1:6–8, expressing the command for Israel to take the land from the Amorites. The expression is difficult; it is מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת (mishkan ha’edut). The reference is to the sacred shrine that covered the ark with the commandments inside. renders the expression as “tabernacle of the Token”; has “the dwelling of the commandments.”
25 The verb is the same as the noun: “they journeyed on their journeyings.” This underscores the point of their continual traveling.
26 Heb “mouth.”
27 Heb “hand.”
28 The “standard” (דֶּגֶל, degel) was apparently some kind of a symbol put up on a pole to signify the tribal hosts. R. de Vaux thought it simply referred to a pole or a mast, but that would not distinguish tribes (Ancient Israel, 226–27).
29 Heb “carrying the sanctuary,” a metonymy of whole for parts, representing all the holy objects that were located in the sanctuary.
30 The verb is the third person plural form; without an expressed subject it is treated as a passive.
31 Heb “against their coming.”
32 The uses a word that actually means “assembler,” so these three tribes made up a strong rear force recognized as the assembler of all the tribes.
33 Or “journeyings of.”
34 The verb is the preterite with vav (ו) consecutive. But in this sentence it should be subordinated as a temporal clause to the preceding statement, even though it follows it.