Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 3:23
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
23. behind ] The usual expression for ‘westward,’ because the Hebrew faced eastward when thinking of the points of the compass; cf. Exo 3:1, Deu 11:30, Jdg 18:12, Isa 9:12. With the characteristic tautology of the priestly style another word for ‘westward’ is added; cf. Num 3:38, Exo 27:9. The latter denotes literally ‘towards the sea,’ shewing that the narrator was in Palestine when he wrote, the Mediterranean being the sea referred to.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The families of the Gershonites,…. The two before mentioned, the Libnites and Shimites:
shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward; this was their situation when encamped; they were placed in the rear of the camp of the Levites, between the tabernacle and the camp of Ephraim, which was westward also, Nu 1:18.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(23) Behind the tabernacle westward.As the position of the twelve tribes in respect of the tent of meeting had been already determined, so in this and the following verses the position of the priests and Levites is fixed. On the east side of the tent Moses and Aaron and Aarons sons were to encamp, on the south the Kohathites, on the west the Gershonites, on the north the Merarites.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Num 3:23. The families of the Gershonites The camp of the priests and Levites is appointed to be of a square form, like that of the other Israelites. The description in the following verses is very full and plain.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Num 1:53, Num 2:17
Reciprocal: Num 1:50 – shall encamp Num 3:29 – General Num 3:38 – toward Num 8:15 – go in