Comentários de Citação sobre Números 2:4

פנו לכם צפונה, “turn northward!” this commandment was not meant to be carried out immediately. It went into effect only after the detour around the territory of Edom and Moav had been completed. The people appear to have misunderstood this part of the instructions. This may be why in verse 4, Moses spelled this out in greater detail. If there had had not been some misunderstanding it is not clear why they asked the King of Edom for permission to cross his territory.

AND OVER HIS HOST WAS NACHSHON THE SON OF AMMINADAB. I do not know why He mentioned here the names of the princes of the standards, since He has already mentioned them.¹²¹Above, 2:3, 10, 18, 25. And if you answer that this was to hint that [on the twentieth of Iyar when they set out on the first journey from the wilderness] these princes were alive — this has already been alluded to in the section of the standards,¹²¹Above, 2:3, 10, 18, 25. since from the day of the census [on the first of Iyar] till the time of the journey [on the twentieth of that month] not one of all those who were counted died. Perhaps the verse comes to tell us that even when they travel on the way the prince is to go at the head of his host, who are to follow his command, and he is to dwell as a king in the army,¹²²Job 29:25. and they are not to travel as sheep which have no shepherd,¹²³Further, 27:17. nor are they to appoint someone else for this purpose, as they do in the case of the priest who was anointed for war purposes.¹²⁴See Deuteronomy 20:2-4.