🔢WEB · Numbers 2:4
What does Numbers 2:4 mean?
"His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred."
— Numbers 2:4 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
“The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses: at a distance from the Tent of Meeting shall they encamp around it.”
Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions: and the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and the prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar.
His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
The tribe of Zebulun: and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon.
Explanation
Numbers 2:4 gives a simple statistic: the tribe of Judah, under its leader Nahshon son of Amminadab, numbered 74,600 fighting men when Israel was counted in the wilderness. On its own the verse is just a number, but it makes sense only within the fuller passage of Numbers 2, which describes how the twelve tribes were to camp around the tabernacle during Israel's wilderness journey. Judah was assigned the place of honor on the east side, nearest the entrance to the tabernacle, and this verse records the size of that specific division.
The book of Numbers was written to record Israel's organization and journey from Sinai to the plains of Moab, traditionally attributed to Moses. This census took place shortly after the Israelites left Egypt and received the law at Sinai, as God was preparing the nation to march as an organized army toward the Promised Land. The numbering wasn't for taxation or mere curiosity; it was military and administrative, ensuring that each tribe knew its place, its leader, and its role in the larger community. Judah's number of 74,600 matches the figure already given in Numbers 1:27, confirming that Numbers 2
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Biblical perspective
What does 2:48 mean in the Bible?
If you've been seeing this time and wondering about its significance, Luke 2:48 and Daniel 2:48 are both real verses worth reading.
Luke 2:48 is the moment Mary finds the young Jesus in the temple and asks where he's been — his answer reveals something important about purpose and calling.
Luke 2:48
"When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.'"
Daniel 2:48
"Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon."
ScriptureCompanion serves verses directly from a verified Bible database — no paraphrasing or AI-generated scripture. All quotes above are from the World English Bible (WEB).