Numbers 4

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said:

1And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

2Take a count of the Kohathites among the Levites. Count them by their clans and by their family lines.

2Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

NoteThe Levites were the tribe of Levi, set apart to care for the portable sanctuary instead of holding farmland or serving in the army. Levi had three sons (Gershon, Kohath and Merari) and their descendants formed the three Levite clans whose duties this chapter divides up. Aaron's priestly line descended from Kohath.

3Count every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who joins the work force to do the work at the tent of meeting, the tent where God met with his people.

3From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Note"Joins the work force" (KJV "enter into the host") translates a Hebrew phrase normally used of enlisting for military service. The Levites' sanctuary duty is described in army language throughout, with a fixed age of entry and a fixed age of discharge.

4This is the work the Kohathites will do at the tent of meeting: they will handle the most holy things.

4This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

Note"The most holy things" is a technical term for the objects inside the tent itself (the ark, the lampstand, the incense altar, the table) as distinct from the outer fittings, curtains and framework handled by the other clans.

5Whenever the camp moves out, Aaron and his sons are to go in. They shall take down the curtain that screens off the most holy place, and cover the ark of the testimony with it.

5And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:

NoteThe tabernacle had two rooms, divided by a heavy embroidered curtain; behind it stood the ark. "Ark" here simply means a chest, a gold-plated wooden box, not a boat. "The testimony" is the pair of stone tablets kept inside it.

6Over that they shall put a covering of fine leather. Then they shall spread a cloth of solid blue over that, and slide the carrying poles into place.

6And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

Note"Fine leather" (KJV "badgers' skins") renders a Hebrew word, tachash, whose meaning is genuinely uncertain: suggestions range from dolphin or dugong hide to a particular kind of tanned or dyed leather. Whatever it was, it formed the weatherproof outer layer. The carrying poles ran through rings fixed to the sides, so the objects could be lifted and moved without anyone laying a hand on them.

7Over the table that holds the bread set before God they shall spread a blue cloth. On it they shall put the plates, the small dishes, the bowls, and the pitchers for the drink offering. The bread that is always there shall stay on the table.

7And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:

NoteThe table held twelve loaves, "the bread of the Presence," set out fresh before God each week. A drink offering was wine poured out alongside a sacrifice, hence the pitchers listed with the plates and dishes.

8They shall spread a scarlet cloth over all of it, cover that with fine leather, and slide the carrying poles into place.

8And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

9They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that gives light, along with its lamps, its wick trimmers, its trays, and all the oil jars used to keep it burning.

9And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:

NoteThe lampstand was the seven-branched gold lamp standing in the outer room, burning olive oil. The wick trimmers were tongs for pinching off charred wick, and the trays were for carrying the burnt ends away.

10Then they shall wrap the lampstand and all its tools inside a covering of fine leather and set it on a carrying frame.

10And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.

11Over the gold altar they shall spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and slide its carrying poles into place.

11And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

NoteThe gold altar stood inside the tent and was used only for burning incense. It is a different object from the bronze altar of verse 13, which stood outside in the open courtyard.

12They shall take all the tools used for serving in the holy place, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine leather, and set them on a carrying frame.

12And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar:

13They shall clear the ashes off the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

13And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:

NoteThe bronze altar in the courtyard was where animal sacrifices were burned, so the ash had to be shovelled out before it could be packed and carried.

14On that cloth they shall lay all the tools used at the altar: the firepans, the meat forks, the shovels, and the sprinkling bowls, every tool that belongs to the altar. Then they shall spread a covering of fine leather over it and slide its carrying poles into place.

14And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it.

NoteFirepans (KJV "censers") held live coals; the meat forks lifted portions of the sacrifice off the fire; the sprinkling bowls caught blood and threw it against the sides of the altar.

15When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and all the holy tools, and the camp is ready to move, then the Kohathites shall come and carry them. But they must not touch any holy thing, or they will die. These are the things the Kohathites carry from the tent of meeting.

15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

NoteThe wrapping is done by Aaron and his sons, who are priests; the Kohathites, though Levites of the same descent, are not priests, and their job begins only once everything is covered.

16Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is in charge of the oil for the light, the sweet-smelling incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He oversees the whole tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy things and their tools.

16And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

NoteEleazar was Aaron's eldest surviving son. The anointing oil was a perfumed olive oil used to set objects and people apart for sacred use; the daily grain offering was flour and oil presented morning and evening.

17The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said:

17And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

18Do not let the Kohathite clans be wiped out from among the Levites.

18Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:

Note"Wiped out" (KJV "cut off") means destroyed or eliminated, the warning is that mishandling the holy objects could cost the whole clan its existence.

19Do this for them, so that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each man his job and tell him what to carry.

19But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:

20But the Kohathites must not go in and look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.

20But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Note"Even for a moment" renders an unusual Hebrew phrase, literally something like "as a swallowing." It may mean "for an instant," or it may mean "while the holy things are being covered over"; translators are divided.

21The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

21And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

22Take a count of the Gershonites as well, by their family lines and by their clans.

22Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;

NoteGershon was Levi's eldest son. His clan drew the fabric of the sanctuary: curtains, coverings and door screens.

23Count every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who comes to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

23From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

24This is the work of the Gershonite clans, both the serving and the carrying:

24This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:

25They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting itself with its covering, the covering of fine leather that lies over the top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting;

25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

NoteThe structure had layers, and the Hebrew distinguishes them: "the tabernacle" proper was the set of decorated linen curtains, "the tent" was the goat-hair covering stretched over them, and further hides went over that. A "screen" was a curtain hung across a doorway in place of a door.

26also the curtains of the courtyard, the screen for the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, their ropes, and all the tools used in their work. They shall do everything that needs to be done with these things.

26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.

NoteThe courtyard was a rectangular enclosure fenced by linen hangings on posts, surrounding the tent and the bronze altar. The ropes were guy lines, as on any large tent.

27All the work of the Gershonites, everything they carry and every other duty, shall be done as Aaron and his sons direct. You shall put each man in charge of what he is to carry.

27At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.

28This is the work of the Gershonite clans at the tent of meeting. Their duties shall be under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

28This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

NoteIthamar was Aaron's youngest son. He and Eleazar were the two who remained after Aaron's other two sons died.

29As for the sons of Merari, count them by their clans and by their family lines.

29As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

NoteMerari was Levi's youngest son. His clan drew the heavy structural work, the timber frame of the tabernacle and the posts of the courtyard.

30Count every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who comes to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

30From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

31This is what they are responsible to carry as they do all their work at the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;

31And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,

NoteThe walls were made of upright acacia-wood frames; crossbars slid through rings to lock the frames together, and each frame stood in heavy silver bases, or sockets, resting on the ground.

32also the posts that stand around the courtyard, with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, along with all their tools and everything used with them. You shall list by name the items each man is responsible to carry.

32And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.

NoteTent pegs driven into the ground, with ropes running to the tops of the posts, held the courtyard hangings upright.

33This is the work of the Merarite clans, all the work they do at the tent of meeting, under Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

34So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the people counted the Kohathites by their clans and by their family lines.

34And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

35They counted every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

35From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:

36The men counted, clan by clan, came to 2,750.

36And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

37These were the men counted from the Kohathite clans, all who could serve at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

37These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

38The Gershonites were counted too, by their clans and by their family lines.

38And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

39They counted every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

39From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

40The men counted, by their clans and family lines, came to 2,630.

40Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.

41These were the men counted from the Gershonite clans, all who could serve at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them at the LORD's command.

41These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD.

42The Merarite clans were counted too, by their clans and by their family lines.

42And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,

43They counted every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

43From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

44The men counted, clan by clan, came to 3,200.

44Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.

45These were the men counted from the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them at the LORD's command, given through Moses.

45These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

46So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and by their family lines.

46All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

47They counted every man from thirty years old up to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving and the work of carrying at the tent of meeting.

47From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,

48The men counted came to 8,580.

48Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.

NoteThis figure counts only men aged thirty to fifty who were fit for carrying duty. The earlier count of the Levites, which came to twenty-two thousand, included every male from a month old upward, so the two numbers are measuring different things.

49They were counted at the LORD's command, given through Moses. Each man was given his own work and his own load to carry. That is how Moses counted them, just as the LORD had commanded him.

49According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Note"Load" (KJV "burden") translates a Hebrew word that covers both the physical thing a man carried and the responsibility assigned to him for it.