17. Midst of the camp. If the order of mention in this chapter indicates the order of march, the Levites with the sanctuary followed the camps of Judah and Reuben. The account of their actual march, however ( 10:14-21), places the tabernacle, that is, the tent and the court hangings, between the first two divisions, Judah and Reuben. It was sent on ahead so that it could be set up and ready to receive the “sanctuary,” that is, the holy things—the ark, altars, etc.—that followed Reuben in the center of the marching host. It is not possible to determine whether the Levites and the sanctuary preceded Reuben and his group, or followed them. In marching as in camping, the various divisions under their respective banners proceeded strictly in formation.
In his place. Literally, “each individual upon his hand.” The expression, “upon the hand of the Jordan” ( 13:29, ), is translated in the , “by the coast of Jordan.” See also Deut. 23:12 and Jer. 6:3, where the word for “hand” is in both instances translated “place.”