Numbers 2:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Once these tribes were established, the tabernacle was likewise set up amid the Levitical order, positioned among the regiments referenced both prior and subsequent to it.

In the center of the encampment, positioned with six tribes leading the way and six tribes following, the Levites march forward, bearing the Ark of the Covenant upon their shoulders, along with other sacred items and the disassembled Tabernacle. It is conceivable that Joshua’s subsequent directive reflects the earlier established guideline concerning the movement of both the Tabernacle and the procession. As stated in Numbers 3:4, "The distance between you (the army) and it (the Ark of the Covenant) shall be two thousand cubits in measure (i.e., 428 saj. 4 ft.)."