ויהי בנסע הארן. עָשָֹה לוֹ סִימָנִיּוֹת מִלְּפָנָיו וּמִלְּאַחֲרָיו לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין זֶה מְקוֹמוֹ, וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּאן? כְּדֵי לְהַפְסִיק בֵּין פֻּרְעָנוּת לְפֻרְעָנוּת וְכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְּכָל כִּתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ (שבת קט"ו): ויהי בנסע הארן AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN THE ARK PROCEEDED [THAT MOSES SAID etc.] — He (the Lord; cf. Shabbat 115a) made for it (for this section) dividing marks (inverted “Nuns”), in front and behind it, in order to indicate that this is not its proper place (it would more fittingly find a place in the section dealing with the march of the people in chapter Numbers II. after v. 17). But why, then, is it written here? In order to make a break between the narrative of one punishment and that of another punishment etc., as is stated in the Talmudic chapter commencing with כל כתבי (Shabbat 115b, cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 84:1).
קומה ה'. לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מַקְדִּים לִפְנֵיהֶם מַהֲלַךְ שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים, הָיָה מֹשֶׁה אוֹמֵר עֲמֹד וְהַמְתֵּן לָנוּ וְאַל תִּתְרַחֵק יוֹתֵר. תַּנְחוּמָא בְּוַיַּקְהֵל: ‘קומה ה RISE UP O LORD — Because it (the Ark) was in front of them a distance of three days’ march, Moses exclaimed, “Stay and wait for us, and do not travel further away from us; this is to be found in Tanchuma 2:10:7 on Sedra ויקהל.
ויפצו איביך. הַמְכֻנָּסִין: ויפצו איביך [RISE UP, O LORD] AND LET THINE ENEMIES BE SCATTERED — i.e. those who massed for battle.
וינסו משנאיך. אֵלּוּ הָרוֹדְפִים: וינסו משנאיך AND LET THOSE THAT HATE THEE FLEE BEFORE THEE, — this refers to the pursuing enemies (those actually engaged in battle) (Sifrei Bamidbar 84:3).
משנאיך. אֵלּוּ שׂוֹנְאֵי יִשְׂרָאל, שֶׁכָּל הַשּׂוֹנֵא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שׂוֹנֵא אֶת מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּמְשַׂנְאֶיךָ נָשְׂאוּ רֹאשׁ" (תהלים פ"ג), וּמִי הֵם? "עַל עַמְּךָ יַעֲרִימוּ סוֹד": משנאיך THOSE THAT HATE THEE — These are those who hate Israel, because whoever hates Israel, hates “Him who spoke and the world came into existence”, as it is said, (Psalms 83:3, 4) “[For lo, thine enemies are in an uproar] and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head” — and who are these that hate Thee? The next verse states this (v. 4): “They who have taken crafty counsel against thy people” (Sifrei Bamidbar 84:4).