Camp around tent = circle God; march order mirrors gift order; Judah east first

Palladius: You have spoken uprightly; for very thin is the observation.

Cyril: And indeed that the matter has not been falsified, you will know somehow also very easily. For the word also confirms us at once from other thoughts; for in the fitting order God was typing that both the departures, and indeed also seatings, or campings-together of the sons of Israel must be practiced, and he has ordered very well to go in a circle of the tent, according at least to what, I think, is hymned gracefully by blessed David: ‘And I will circle your altar, Lord, to hear me voice of your praise,’ or the, ‘I circled and sacrificed in his tent a sacrifice of shout.’ And something else is also hinted, the having been ordered to do as in a type. For we must not be put away from God, but as it were near and in a circle appear having stood around, with sin not intervening, with worldly pleasure not distancing us, but with an upright stand of mind gathering unto the spiritual unity and readiness toward every one of the things marveled. For it would be most fitting for those who have chosen to be well-reputed thus that one must fruit-bear. For it has been written that ‘All who circle him will bring gifts.’ So then he was ordering them to depart-together with the tent, and to walk in a circle, and as in order again, not fitting the ages and going unconfused toward the last from the first, and having been joined thus, and part by part, just as in the bringing-forward of the gifts. And it has been written thus in the Numbers, ‘And Lord spoke toward Moses and Aaron saying: A human holding according to his rank and according to signs according to houses of their families, let the sons of Israel camp opposite Lord, in a circle of the tent of the testimony the sons of Israel will camp.’ Then he shows the place distributed to each; where and how and who are the ones camping. For he adds thus: ‘And the ones camping first, according to easts, a rank of camp of Judah with their power, and the ones camping holding tribe of Issachar, and the ones camping holding tribe of Zebulun.’ Then he makes mention of a second company and says: ‘A rank of camp of Reuben toward south with their power… and the ones camping holding him, tribe of Simeon, and the ones camping holding him, tribe of Gad.’ And he joins a third at once saying: ‘A rank of camp of Ephraim beside sea with their power, and the ones camping holding tribe of Benjamin.’ And indeed also of a fourth company at once he makes mention saying, ‘A rank of camp of Dan toward north with their power; and the ones camping holding him tribe of Asher, and the ones camping holding him tribe of Naphtali, all the having been visited,’ he says, ‘of the camp of Dan, one hundred fifty-seven thousand and six hundred, last will lift