In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

And in the first place the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

The sons of Juda by their troops: whose prince was Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward first according to their hosts, and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah journeyeth in the first place, by their hosts, and over its host is Nahshon son of Amminadab.

First the flag of the children of Judah went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

were the sons of Judah by their companies, whose leader was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

Et profectum est vexilium castrorum filiorum Jehuda primo loco per exercitus suos: et super exercitum ejus erat Nahason filius Amminadab.

In the first place went the standard of the camp The actual order of march is here described. The whole people, with the exception of the Levites, is divided into four hosts, or parts, since four of the tribes were set over the others, so as to have two under the command of each. And this was the mode of proceeding, that whenever they halted anywhere, the four standards encompassed the sanctuary and the Ark of the Covenant from the four quarters of the world; whilst on the march, the Levites carrying the tabernacle, according to the burdens respectively imposed upon them, were mixed with the several bands. The Ark, borne upon the shoulders of the Levites, preceded the whole army, in order that all might more confidently follow, God thus manifestly shewing them the way. Nahshon, of the tribe of Judah, led the first host; Elizur, of the tribe of Reuben, the second; Elishama, of the tribe of Ephraim, the third; and Ahiezer, of the tribe of Dan, the fourth. It is obvious that in the precedency given to the tribe of Judah, God in some degree afforded an anticipation of the prophecy of Jacob; for the Reubenites, being descended from the first-born, would not have willingly abandoned their position, unless that right had been transferred to the tribe of Judah by God's decree, pronounced through the mouth of Jacob. Not that the sovereignty and royal power was actually his before the time of David, but because God would have a single spark to shine in the midst of the thick darkness, whereby He might cherish the hope of the promised salvation in every heart; and that thus the dignity of this tribe might at length more readily reduce all to obedience. Herein, however, it appeared how perverse and intractable was the spirit of that greater portion of them who strove against the divine decree in their rejection of David. Reuben occupied the second place, as an alleviation of his disgrace. Again, by the subjection of the tribe of Manasseh to the posterity of Ephraim, in this respect, too, the prophecy of the same patriarch was fulfilled. Nor does there seem to be any other reason why the fourth standard should have been given to the tribe of Dan, except because Jacob had declared, "Dan shall judge his people." (Genesis 49:16,) by which expression his pre-eminence was denoted. Although it may be that the four standard-bearing tribes were chosen from their strength and the numbers of their people, still, unless the children of Reuben and Manasseh had been thoroughly persuaded that their degradation was in accordance with the command of God, their jealousy would never have suffered them calmly to submit themselves to others, whose superiors they were by the ordinary rules of nature. Their self-restraint, therefore, was praiseworthy, in that voluntary subjection kept them within bounds, without the application of any power of compulsion; and at the end, Moses records that it was not once only that they thus advanced, but that they observed the same order and regulations during the whole course of their travel, and that their camp was always so arranged that no contention arose to disturb them.

According to their armies - Compare Numbers 1:3. There were three tribal hosts in each camp; and each tribe had of course its subdivisions.

The standard - of Judah - See this order of marching explained at large on Numbers 2 (note). The following is the order in which this vast company proceeded in their march: -
Judah Issachar Zebulun Gershonites, and Merarites carrying the tabernacle.
Reuben Simeon Gad The Kohathites with the sanctuary.
Ephraim Manasseh Benjamin
Daniel Asher Naphtali.

In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah,.... Which tribe had the honour to go foremost and lead the van, the chief ruler, the Messiah being to come of it, as he did; who is King of Israel, and has gone forth at the head of them, fighting their battles for them:
according to their armies: having, besides the army of the tribe of Judah, the armies of the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun under his standard:
and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab; he was captain general of the army of the tribe of Judah, as Nethaneel was over the host of the tribe of Issachar, Numbers 10:15; and Eliab over the host of the tribe of Zebulun, Numbers 10:16; the same commanders as were fixed at the time of settling the order of their encampment, Numbers 2:3.