banner. This is the
consensus of postbiblical Hebrew tradition for understanding the term degel.
But Baruch Levine summons considerable comparative Semitic evidence, seconded
by the Aramaic Targums, to argue that degel actually designates a
“sociomilitary unit” (perhaps something like “regiment”?). It is also possible
that a banner used to identify the military unit then became interchangeable
through metonymy with the unit—roughly, the way “regimentals” in English came
to be the term for the uniform of the regiment. (Robert Alter, The Hebrew
Bible, 3 vols. [New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019], 1:480)
And every man by his own standard:
The Hebrew word translated standard seems to involve something
visible that marked off one group of tribes from another (so Budd, page 18).
This understanding justifies the traditional renderings standard and “banner” (gnt).
Other possible models are “[visible] sign-marker” and “[tribal] flag.” There
are only four banners, one for each three tribes. This becomes clear in chapter
2. (Lénart J. de Regt and Ernst R. Wendland, A Handbook on Numbers [United Bible Societies’ Handbooks; Miami, Fla.:
United Bible Societies, 2016], 31)
Commenting on Num 2:22 where degel is used elsewhere:
2. standard Hebrew degel possibly originally meant a
military banner. This is supported by the Akkadian dagalu, “to look,” and diglu,
“sight.” The meaning “banner” was later extended by association to include the
army division, just as shevet and matteh, the two terms for “tribe,” were
probably derived from the “rod” that served as the official tribal insignia
(cf. 1:45; 14:17–18). The meaning “unit” better fits the context here, as verse
3 shows, and is supported by the Targums and the Septuagint as well as by
Aramaic usage as evidenced from the Persian period by an ostracon from Arad
(no. 12) and the papyri from Elephantine. It comprised a garrison of 1,000 men
that lived together with their families and, as attested by the Aramaic
documents of the Persian period, was an economic and legal unit as well as a
military one. This situation corresponds closely to the makeup and function of
the Israelite tribes in the wilderness, as depicted in the Book of Numbers. The
meaning “military unit” is also present in the War Scroll from Qumran.
banners Hebrew ʾot (cf. Ps. 74:4) is used for a fire
signal in the Lachish letters (4:10). Here it means that each household had its
distinctive insignia. According to Numbers Rabba 2:7, based on Exodus 39:14,
each tribe had a banner bearing the same color as its corresponding stone on
the High Priest’s breastplate, and according to the War Scroll of the Dead Sea
sectarians, each unit of three tribes (cf. also Targ. Jon.), down to the
smallest unit—whether a myriad, thousand, hundred, fifty, or ten—had its own
standard. (Jacob Milgrom, Numbers [The JPS Torah Commentary;
Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1990], 11)
So, even if degel in Num 1:52 and 2:2 is not
about a “banner/standard.” Commenting on how it is coupled with אוֹת ‘oth
in Num 2:2, we read that:
Other synonyms of ʾoth emphasize the divine power and
might which are manifested in the “signs,” especially in connection with the
exodus. This is the case with gedholah,
“great thing” (Josh. 24:17), yadh
chazaqah, “mighty hand” (Dt. 4:34; on 6:22, cf. v. 21; 7:19; on 11:3, cf.
v. 2; 26:8; on 34:11, cf. v. 12; Jer. 32:21), zeroaʿ netuyah, “outstretched arm” (Dt. 4:34; 7:19; on 11:3, cf. v.
2; 26:8; Jer. 32:21), moraʾ gadhol,
“great terror” (Dt. 4:34; 26:8; on 34:11, cf. v. 12; Jer. 32:21), milchamah, “war” (Dt. 4:34), kabhodh, “glory” (Nu. 14:22), shephatim gedholim, “great acts of
judgment” (on Ex. 7:3, cf. v. 4), maʿasim,
“deeds” (Dt. 11:3). “The synonymity of ʾoth
with deghel, ‘standard,’ that which
may be seen and observed, is particularly instructive” (deghel appears in conjunction with ʾoth in Nu. 2:2). (F. J. Helfmeyer, “אוֹת,” TDOT
1:169)
While disagreeing with the passive meaning of degel,
Baruch Levine agrees that ‘oth in Num 2:2 does refer to an
insignia/banner/standard:
In the immediate context, it is
the Hebrew term ʾôtôt ‘signs’ that
refers specifically to the insignia of the tribes. The tribes encamp “alongside
standards” (beʾôtôt) but are not
themselves the ʾôtôt. The tribes are
grouped according to degel units. As
a matter of fact, these definitions also apply in the War Scroll from Qumran,
whose descriptions closely mirror the plan of encampment and the order of
battle as set forth in the priestly traditions of Numbers. Y. Yadin (1962:
168–181) has demonstrated this correlation, independently of the evidence for
the meaning of degel to be presented
here. (Baruch A. Levine, Numbers
1–20: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary [AYB 4; New Haven:
Yale University Press, 2008], 146; see pp. 146-48 for Levine’s critique of the passive
and defense of the active meaning of degel)
Lexical Sources on
דֶּגֶל:
HALOT:
דֶּגֶל:
I דגל; MHb.2; Akk. diglu eyesight, view (what is looked at)
(Volterra AANL 1963:131ff, → ZAW 76:202); i) banner, (cf. Arb. raʾyat from rʾy to see), and ii) “row of flags”, army, EgArm. (DISO 55), Eg. dgr, dgryr (Burchardt 1197f = דגל(אל); :: alt. Arb. dajjālat,
large crowd, Tigr. Wb. 541b dagal
crowd): = דִּגְלוֹ, דִּגְלֵיהֶם: —1. banners, standards (BRL 160ff; Reicke-R. 194; BA 20:43f) Nu 1:52
and 2:2 (|| אֹתֹת); —2. division of a tribe (דֶּ׳ מַחֲנֵה)
Nu 2:3, 10, 17f, 25, 31, 34 10:14, 18, 22, 25; —3. sign (?) of an inn ?, Song 2:4 (→ Gesenius-B., Rudolph:. Zolli
Bibl. 21:273f: look, cf. diglu v.s.).
†
DCH:
*דגל
III vb. lie—Qal Impf. Si תדגל—ובלשונך אל תדגל and do not lie with your tongue Si 5:14
(if em. תרגל slander).
דֶּ֫גֶל I 14.0.26 n.m. standard—cstr. דֶּנֶל; sf. דִּגְלֹו;
pl. Q רגלים; cstr. Q דגלי;
sf. Sam דגליו, דִּגְלֵיהֶם (Q דגליהמה)—1. standard, banner (except Nm 1:52;
2:2; Ca 2:4, perh. with ref. to division of tribe; cf. §2), <subj> נסע set
out Nm 10:14, 18, 22, 25. <nom cl> דֶּגֶל … תֵּימָנָה the standard of …
shall be to the south Nm 2:10, sim. 2:18, 25, דִּגְלֹו … אַהֲבָה his banner … is
love Ca 2:4 (or em. דִּגְלוּ they raised love as a banner).
<cstr> דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה standard of the
camp of Judah Nm 2:3; 10:14, Reuben Nm 2:10; 10:18, Ephraim Nm 2:18; 10:22,
Dan Nm 2:25; 10:25.
<prep> לְ according to, by,
+ נסע set out Nm 2:17, 31 (or em. לְצִבְאֹתָם by their hosts), חנה encamp Nm
2:34.
עַל according to, by,
+ חנה encamp Nm 1:52 (Sam ידו in his
position; ‖ מַחֲנֶה camp) 2:2 (Sam דגליו; ‖ אוֹת ensign) (Dictionary
of Classical Hebrew, ed. David J. A. Clines, 8 vols. [Sheffield: Sheffield
Academic Press, 1995], 2:414-15)
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament:
402a דֶּגֶל (degel) standard, banner (e.g. Num 1:52;
2:3, etc.). (TWOT, p. 182)
