Reference: Encampment
Fausets
Below is represented the Israelite order of march and encampment (Numbers 2). This would be varied according to local requirements; but the ideal was reproduced in the square court with which the temple was surrounded, and in the heavenly city of Eze 48:20; Re 21:16; 20:9. The earthly camp exhibited the perfect symmetry of the church; the tabernacle in the middle denoted the dependence of all on Jehovah and the access of all to Him. The area of the camp was about three square miles. Living in families they did not occupy so much room as the same number of soldiers would occupy. The "standard" (degel, a glittering emblem on a pole) marked the division or camp, the "ensign" ('ot) the family.
Thus there were four standards, one for each "camp" of three tribes: according to tradition the four cherubic forms, the lion (Judah, Ge 49:9; Re 5:5), the ox (Ephraim, De 33:17), the man, and the eagle (Eze 1:26; 10:1; Re 4:4, etc.). Judah had the post of honor in front of the curtain of the tabernacle, along with Issachar and Zebulun, all three Leah's children, and led the van on march. Reuben, Leah's oldest son, with Simeon, Leah's second, and Gad, oldest of Leah's handmaid Zilpah's sous, formed the second camp. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, Rachel's descendants, formed the third camp. Dan, oldest of the handmaids' children, with Asher and Naphtali, handmaids' children, formed the fourth camp.
In coincidence with this arrangement, Nu 10:14, etc., represents Judah taking the lead in the march out of the wilderness of Sinai, Reuben was next, Ephraim was next, and Dan was rearward. The signal for march was given by a blast of two silver trumpets. The sanctity of the camp was maintained even in time of war. Among other nations ordinary rules of morality and propriety were then relaxed, as Lucan x. 407, observes: "no faith or regard for religion exists among men in camp" (nulla fides pietasque viris qui castra sequuntur). But in war especially Israel was to "keep from every wicked thing," and even from any breach of decorum or cleanliness, "for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee, therefore shall thy camp be holy, that He see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee" (De 23:9-14).
All refuse was to be carried outside the camp. There the dead were to be buried (Le 10:4; 6:11). Contact with the dead, until purification, and leprosy excluded from it (Nu 5:2; 31:19). Ashes from the sacrifices were poured out in an appointed place outside the camp, where the entrails, skin, and horns, and all that was not offered in sacrifice, were burnt (Le 4:11-12; 6:11; 8:17; 24:14). There criminals were executed, and the sin offering bullock was burnt.
(compare as to the antitype Joh 19:17,20; Heb 13:12). So late as Hezekiah the temple was called "the tents of Jehovah" (2Ch 31:2; Ps 78:28; compare "a great host like the host of God" applied to David's adherents, 1Ch 12:22). The military camp was generally fixed on a hill and near water (1Sa 13:2-3,16,23; 17:3; 28:4; 29:1). The baggage wagons or else an earthwork formed a barrier round the camp. The machineh were movable camps as distinguished from the matsab, or netsib, standing camps (2Ch 17:2).
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Judah is a lion's whelp. My son, you have gone up from the prey. He stooped, he crouched like a lion; and like a lioness, who shall rouse him?
And the skin of the young bull, and all its flesh, with its head, and with its legs, and its inward parts, and its dung, even the whole bull shall he carry forth outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on the wood with fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.
And he shall strip off his garments and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
And he shall strip off his garments and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
But the young bull and its hide, its flesh and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, even as Jehovah commanded Moses.
And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, Come near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
Bring forth the despiser outside the camp. And let all that heard lay their hands on his head. Let all the congregation stone him.
Command the sons of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper and everyone that has an issue, and whoever is defiled by a dead body.
And at the front the sons of Judah pulled up the standard of the camp by their armies. And over his army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
And stay outside the camp seven days. Whosoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any dead one, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.
When the army goes forth against your enemies, then keep yourself from every wicked thing. If there is among you any man who is not clean because of an accident at night, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp. read more. And it shall be as evening turns, he shall wash with water. And when the sun is down, he shall come into the the middle of the camp. You shall also have a place outside the camp where you shall go forth. And you shall have a paddle on your weapon. And it shall be, when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover that which comes from you. For Jehovah your God walks in the middle of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you. Therefore your camp shall be holy, so that He may see no unclean thing in you and turn away from you.
His glory is like the first-born of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
then Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And of the rest of the people he sent each man to his tent. And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines in Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew the ram's horn throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people present with them, stayed in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines camped in Michmash.
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side. And there was a valley between them.
And the Philistines gathered themselves and came and pitched in Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel and they pitched in Gilboa.
And the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek. And the Israelites pitched by a fountain in Jezreel.
For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like an army of God.
And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set troops in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken.
And Hezekiah set the courses of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of Jehovah.
and He let them fall in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.
And from above the expanse that was over their heads was a likeness like a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne. And on the likeness of the throne was a likeness looking like a man on it from above.
And I looked, and behold! In the expanse over the head of the cherubs was seen the appearance of the form of a throne, like a sapphire stone, above them.
All the heave offering shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand, four-square. You shall offer the holy heave offering to the possession of the city.
And bearing His cross, He went out to a place called, The Place of a Skull (which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha)
Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
Therefore Jesus also, so that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
And around the throne I saw twenty-four thrones. And on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white clothing. And they had crowns of gold on their heads.
And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals of it.
And they went up over the breadth of the earth and circled around the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them.
And the city lies four-square, and the length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand stadia. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
Smith
primarily denoted the resting-place of an army or company of travellers at night,
and was hence applied to the army or caravan when on its march.
Ge 32:7-8; Ex 14:19; Jos 10:5; 11:4
The description of the camp of the Israelites, on their march from Egypt, Numb 2,3, supplies the greatest amount of information on the subject. The tabernacle, corresponding to the chieftains tent of an ordinary encampment, was placed in the centre, and around and facing it,
arranged in four grand divisions, corresponding to the four points of the compass, lay the host of Israel, according to their standards.
In the centre, round the tabernacle, and with no standard but the cloudy or fiery pillar which rested over it, were the tents of the priests and Levites. The former, with Moses and Aaron at their head, were encamped on the eastern side. The order of encampment was preserved on the march.
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Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people with him, and the flocks and herds, and the camels, into two bands. And he said, If Esau comes to the one company and strikes it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
And the present went over before him. And he himself lodged that night in the camp.
And the Angel of God, the one who went before the camp of Israel, moved. And he went to the rear of them. And the pillar of the cloud went from in front of their face and it stood behind them.
And it happened at evening, the quails came up and covered the camp. And in the morning the dew lay all around the host.
And the sons of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own banner, throughout their armies.
And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, Every man of the sons of Israel shall pitch by his own banner, with the banner of their father's house. They shall pitch far off, around the tabernacle of the congregation.
And the tabernacle of the congregation shall go forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp. As they camp, so they shall go forward, each man in his place, by their banners.
And the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves. And they went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
And they went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.