Numbers 10:6

When ye blow an alarm the second time,.... Another "tara-tan-tara": then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey; the camps of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, which were encamped on

When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. No JFB commentary on these verses.

As a sign for them to march forward, and consequently for the rest to follow them, which is easily understood out of these words.

Verse 6. When ye blow an alarm the second time] A single alarm, as above stated, was a signal for the eastward division to march; two such alarms, the signal for the south division; and probably three for the west division, and four for the north. It is more likely that this was the case, than that a single alarm served for each, with a small interval between them. The camps, or grand divisions of this great army, always lay, as we have already seen, to the east, south, west, and north: and here the east and south camps alone are mentioned; the first containing Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; the second, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. The west and north divisions are not named, and yet we are sure they marched in consequence of express orders or signals, as well as the other two. There appears therefore a deficiency here in the Hebrew text, which is thus supplied by the Septuagint: Καισαλπιειτεσημασιαντριτην, καιεξαρουσιναἱπαρεμβολαιαἱπαρεμβαλλουσαιπαραθαλασσαν·καισαλπιειτεσημασιαντεταρτην, καιεξαρουσιναἱπαρεμβολαιαἱπαρεμβαλλουσαιπροςβορῥαν. "And when ye blow a third alarm or signal, the camps on the west shall march: and when ye blow a fourth alarm or signal, the camps on the north shall march." This addition, however, is not acknowledged by the Samaritan, nor by any of the other versions but the Coptic. Nor are there any various readings in the collections of Kennicott and De Rossi, which countenance the addition in the above versions. Houbigant thinks this addition so evidently necessary, that he has inserted the Latin in his text, and in a note supplied the Hebrew words, and thinks that these words were originally in the Hebrew text, but happened to be omitted in consequence of so many similar words occurring so often in the same verse, which might dazzle and deceive the eye of a transcriber.

6. they shall blow an alarm for their journeys] i.e. for their startings. This is apparently intended as a brief way of saying that for each of the four groups of tribes a separate alarm shall be blown as a signal to start. It might be expected that the priestly writer, with his love of repetition, would continue his statement in similar language for the other three groups. In the LXX. this is actually done, the order being East, South, West, North. This statement has very possibly dropped out of the Heb. text. In the Vulg. there is the short sentence ‘and according to this manner shall the rest do.’

PART SECOND.THE SILVER SIGNAL , Numbers 10:1-10.The necessity of some system of signals is manifest when we consider the vastness of an assemblage of more than two millions of people.