## Ibn Ezra on Numbers Chapter 2

###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:1:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:1:1)

וטעם **אל משה ואל אהרן.** בעבור כי אהרן ובניו ישימו משא הקהתים בכתף:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
[AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON.] Scripture reads, *unto Moses and unto Aaron*¹ because Aaron and his sons were to command the Kohathites as to which burdens they were to carry upon their shoulders.²

footnotes:
¹ In most cases, only Moses is mentioned when God addresses commands. Hence I.E.’s comment.
² For the burden of the Kohathites, see Num. 4:4-19.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:2:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:2:1)

**באתת.** סימנים היו בכל דגל ודגל וקדמונינו אמרו שהיה בדגל ראובן צורת אדם מכח דרש דודאים ובדגל יהודה צורת אריה כי בו המשילו יעקב ובדגל אפרים צורת שור מטעם בכור שור ובדגל דן צורת נשר עד שידמו לכרובים שראה יחזקאל הנביא:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
ACCORDING TO THE ENSIGNS. There were signs upon each and every standard. The ancients³ said that the banner of Reuben had the form of a person on it.⁴ 2:6. Their statement is based on a midrashic interpretation concerning the mandrakes found by Reuben.⁵ The ancients also tell us that there was an image of a lion on the standard of Judah, for Jacob had compared Judah to a lion.⁶ They also tell us that the banner of Ephraim⁷ had the image of an ox upon it, in keeping with the verse, *His firstling bullock* (Deut. 33:17). The flag of Dan had the image of an eagle. Thus the banners were similar to the cherubim which the prophet Ezekiel saw.⁸

footnotes:
³ The Talmudic sages.
⁴ See Ba-Midbar Rabbah
⁵ The mandrakes have the appearance of a person. See I.E. on Gen. 30:14.
⁶ See Gen. 49:9.
⁷ The son of Joseph.
⁸ Each one of the cherubim seen by Ezekiel had four faces, the face of a man, an ox, an eagle, and a lion. See Ezek. 1:10. The camp of Israel similarly carried each one of these four images. In Ezekiel’s vision these cherubim supported the divine throne. Similarly, according to the sages, God’s spirit rested upon the camp of Israel.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:2:2
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:2:2)

**מנגד.** רחוק:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
A GOOD WAY OFF. The word *mi-neged* means a good way off.⁹ literally means opposite. Hence I.E.’s comment.

footnotes:
⁹ The word neged


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:3:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:3:1)

**קדמה מזרחה.** תחלת מזרח:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
ON THE EAST SIDE TOWARD THE SUNRISING. The beginning of the east.¹⁰. This literally means toward the east. According to I.E., *kedemah mizrachah* is a technical term for the beginning of the east, i.e., northeast. See I.E. on Ex. 27:9 and the notes thereto (Vol. 2, pp. 581-2).

footnotes:
¹⁰ Our verse reads, kedemah mizrachah


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:4:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:4:1)

**ופקודיהם.** או ופקודיו. אין הפרש ביניהם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND HIS HOST (*U-FEKUDEHEM*). Scripture could have read *u-fekudav* (and his host).¹¹ There is no difference between the two terms.¹² literally means and their host. *U-fekudav* means and his host. I.E. indicates that Scripture employs the singular for the plural, as the Bible uses collective nouns.

footnotes:
¹¹ As it does in verse 8.
¹² U-fekudehem


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:5:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:5:1)

**והחונים עליו.** כמו עמו והם אחריו וקודם השלישי:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AND THOSE THAT PITCH NEXT UNTO HIM. *Ve-hachonim alav* means those that pitch with him.¹³ literally means on him. Thus the literal meaning of *ve-hachonim alav* (and those that pitch next unto him) is, and those that pitch upon him. Hence I.E.’s comment that *alav* means with him. Issachar was behind Judah and in front of Zebulun who was third.

footnotes:
¹³ Alav


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:9:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:9:1)

**ראשונה יסעו.** הם יסעו בתחלה:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THEY SHALL SET FORTH FIRST. The meaning of *rishonah yissa’u* is, they shall set forth first.¹⁴ should be read as if written *ba-rishonah yissa’u*. (Krinsky).

footnotes:
¹⁴ In other words, rishonah yissa’u


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:10:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:10:1)

**תימנה.** מגזרת ימין:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
ON THE SOUTH SIDE. The word *temanah* (on the south side) comes from the same root as the word *yemin* (right).¹⁵

footnotes:
¹⁵ When a person faces east, the south is at his right.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:16:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:16:1)

**ושנים.** תאר השם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
SECOND. *Sheniyyim* (second) is an adjective.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:17:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:17:1)

**ונסע אהל מועד בתוך המחנות.** הנזכרות כי הגרשונים והמררים נוסעים בין דגל יהודה ובין דגל ראובן והקהתים נוסעים ועמהם אהרן ובניו בין דגל יהודה ובין דגל אפרים:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THEN THE TENT OF MEETING, WITH THE CAMP OF THE LEVITES, SHALL SET FORWARD IN THE MIDST OF THE CAMPS. In the midst of the above-mentioned camps,¹⁶ for the Gershonites and Merarites journeyed between the banner of Judah and the banner of Reuben.¹⁷ And the Kohathites, and with them Aaron and his sons, journeyed between the banner of Reuben and the banner of Ephraim.¹⁸

footnotes:
¹⁶ The camps of Judah and Reuben.
¹⁷ Num. 10:14-20.
¹⁸ Num. 10: 21-24.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:17:2
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:17:2)

**כאשר יחנו כן יסעו.** שב אל המחנות שהם ישראל לא אל מחנה הלוים כי יחנה דגל יהודה למזרח כי הגרשוני שהוא למערב המקדש ומררי בצפון יחדו יסעו:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
AS THEY ENCAMP, SO SHALL THEY SET FORWARD. The reference is to *the camps*, which refers to the camp of the Israelites. It¹⁹. does not refer to the camp of the Levites. The Gershonites, who pitched on the west²⁰ of the sanctuary, and the Merarites on the north²¹ journeyed together,²² after the camp of Judah who pitched on the east.²³

footnotes:
¹⁹ As they set encamp, so shall they set forward
²⁰ Num. 3:23.
²¹ Num. 3:35.
²² Num. 10:17. Unlike the way they camped.
²³ Judah who pitched on the east marched first, followed by Reuben who pitched on the south, followed by Ephraim who pitched on the west, followed by Dan who pitched on the north. However, the Levites who camped on all four sides of the tabernacle did not follow this order.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:17:3
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:17:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:17:3)

**על ידו.** פאה ומקום וכן יד הירדן ויד תהיה לך:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE. The meaning of *al yado* (in his place) is, in his corner and place.²⁴ literally means his hand. Hence I.E.’s comment. The same applies to *yad ha-yarden* (by the side of the Jordan) (Num. 13:29) and *ve-yad tiheyah lekha* (and thou shalt have a paddle) (Deut. 23:13).²⁵, literally hand, is to be rendered as place in both of these verses.

footnotes:
²⁴ The word yado
²⁵ The word yad


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:32:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:32:1)

**אלה פקודי בני ישראל.** **וכן נסעו.** כאשר היו ביום שהתפקדו והנה בעשרים יום לא מת אחד מהם וזה דבר פלא:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THESE ARE THEY THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. When they journeyed,²⁶ they were the same number as on the day that they were counted.²⁷ Thus not one of them died in twenty days. This is a great wonder.

footnotes:
²⁶ On the twentieth day of the second month (Num. 10:11).
²⁷ On the first day of the second month (Num. 1:1).


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:33:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:33:1)

**והלוים לא התפקדו.** לבאר שלא נחשוב אחד מהם עם הפקודים בנסעם:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
BUT THE LEVITES WERE NOT NUMBERED AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. Scripture makes it clear that we should not count even one Levite among those who were counted when they journeyed.²⁸

footnotes:
²⁸ Scripture repeats in verse 33 what it said in Num. 1:47 to emphasize this point.


###### Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:34:1
[Ibn Ezra on Numbers 2:34:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ibn%20Ezra%20on%20Numbers/r/2:34:1)

**ויעשו בני ישראל.** כל ימי המדבר:

**Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004:**
THUS DID THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. All the days that they spent in the desert.