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NUMBERS 4

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

 NASB  NKJV  NRSV  TEV   NJB
(MT versing)
Duties of the Kohathites Duties of the Sons of Kohath Another Levitical Census The Duties of the Clan of Kohath The Levite Clans
a. Kohathitites
4:1-4 4:1-3 4:1-4 4:1-4 4:1-3
4:4-16 4:4
4:5-15 4:5-15 4:5-6 4:5-6
4:7-8 4:7-8
4:9-10 4:9-10
4:11-15a 4:11
4:12
4:13-14
4:15-16
4:15b
4:16 4:16 4:16
4:17-20 4:17-20 4:17-20 4:17-20 4:17
Duties of the Gershonites Duties of the Sons of Gershon The Duties of the Clan of Gershon 4:18-20
b. Gershonites
4:21-28 4:21-28 4:21-28 4:21-28 4:21
4:22-23
4:24-26a
4:26b-28
Duties of the Merarites Duties of the Sons of Merari The Duties of the Levite Clan of Merari Merarites
4:29-33 4:29-33 4:29-33 4:29-33 4:29-30
4:31-32
4:33
Census of Levites The Census of the Levites Census of the Levites
4:34-37 4:34-37 4:34-37 4:34-49 4:34-37
4:38-41 4:38-41 4:38-41 4:38-41
4:42-45 4:42-45 4:42-45 4:42-45
4:46-49 4:46-49 4:46-49 4:46-49

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

  1. This is an elaboration of chapter 3. It lists males of the Levite families from the age of one month up, but in chapter 4 it lists males between 20-50 years, which was the time of service in the Tabernacle.

  2. The family of Kohath (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 855-856) has an extensive treatment because they carry the "most holy" things of the inner shrine. They were also the family from which Moses and Aaron came.

  3. Comparison of Numbers 3 and Numbers 4.
    1. Gershon ‒ Num. 3:17-18,21-26

      Num. 4:21-28

    2. Kohath ‒ Num. 3:17,19,27-31

      Num. 4:2-15,17-20

    3. Merari ‒ Num. 3:17,20,33-37

      Num. 4:28-33

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:1-4
  1Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2"Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' households, 3from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things."

4:1 "Take a census" This is a Qal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE (cf. Num. 4:22), functioning as a Qal IMPERATIVE (cf. Num. 1:2; 26:2).

The basic root means "lift up the head" (i.e., so as to count).

4:3 "from thirty years upward, even to fifty years old" This was the designated period of service in the Tabernacle for Levites (cf. Num. 4:43). Numbers 8:24-25 gives the time as 25 years to 50 years old. Some commentators have suggested a five year apprenticeship (NET Bible, p. 183).

Apparently there were so few priests and Levites who returned to Judah after Cyrus II's decree that the age of service for them was expanded to 20 years up to 50 years old (cf. Ezra 3:8; compare 1 Chr. 23:4 with 23:24; 2 Chr. 31:17).

4:4 "the most holy things" This was the furniture of the shrine.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:5-15
  5"When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 6and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles. 7Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and the continual bread shall be on it. 8They shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skin, and they shall insert its poles. 9Then they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, along with its lamps and its snuffers, and its trays and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it; 10and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of porpoise skin, and shall put it on the carrying bars. 11Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles; 12and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of porpoise skin, and put them on the carrying bars. 13Then they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of porpoise skin over it and insert its poles. 15When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry."

4:5 "Aaron and his sons" The priests packed the Tabernacle and the Levites carried the pieces.

▣ "the veil of the screen" This is the veil between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place. See SPECIAL TOPIC: TABERNACLE (chart). Also see note at Num. 3:25, #5.

▣ "the ark of the testimony" One wonders if the High Priest himself covered the ark in several layers of material. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ARK OF THE COVENANT.

4:6
NASB  "porpoise skin"
NKJV, Peshitta  "badger skins"
NRSV, TEV, NJB  "fine leather"
JPSOA (Arabic root)  "dolphin skin"
JPSOA footnote at Ex. 25:5  "dyed sheep or goat skin"
(Akkadian cognate root)
REB  "dugong-hide" (i.e., sea cows)
LXX  --------

The LXX did not know how to translate this term (cf. Num. 4:6,8,10,11,12,14) and simply left it out. I think the NRSV is best guess (cf. Ezek. 16:10, where used of sandals). If so, it comes from an Egyptian process for dyed leather (i.e., Arabic root from Akkadian word for color). See SPECIAL TOPIC: PORPOISE SKINS and NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 287.

▣ "blue" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE SACRED COLORS.

▣ "shall insert the poles" The pieces of the Tabernacle (packed by priests, carried by Levites) were transported in two ways.

  1. by poles
    1. ark, Num. 4:6
    2. table, Num. 4:8
    3. incense altar and its utensils, Num. 4:11
    4. sacrificial altar and its utensils, Num. 4:14
  2. carrying bars
    1. lampstand, Num. 4:10
    2. utensils of tabernacle, Num. 4:12

4:7 "the table of the bread of the Presence" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SHOW BREAD OF THE PRESENCE.

▣ "the jars for the libations" Wine was part of certain sacrificial offerings. See SPECIAL TOPIC: WINE AND STRONG DRINK.

▣ "the continual bread" See Exod. 25:30; Lev. 24:5-9.

4:8 "scarlet" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE SACRED COLORS.

▣ "dolphin skin" This same word (BDB 1065, cf. Num. 4:10,11,12) is translated by NASB as "porpoise skin" in Num. 4:6,14. See SPECIAL TOPIC: PORPOISE SKINS.

4:9 "the lampstand" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LAMPSTAND (Menorah).

▣ "snuffers" This term (BDB 544) is used in two senses.

  1. tool used to replace or extinguish the wicks on the lampstand ‒ Exod. 25:38; 37:23; Num. 4:9
  2. tongs for moving coals ‒ Isa. 6:6; NASB translates 1 Kgs. 7:49 and 2 Chr. 4:21 as "tongs of gold"

▣ "tray" This term (BDB 367) has several connotations.

  1. snuffer-holder of gold for the lampstand ‒ Exod. 25:38; 37:23; Num. 4:9
  2. fire pan of bronze for the altar of sacrifice ‒ Exod. 27:3; 38:3; Num. 4:14
  3. censer of bronze ‒ Lev. 10:1; 16:12; Num. 16:6,17,18

The utensils of gold were for the holy place, while bronze is associated with the alter of sacrifice in the courtyard.

4:11 "the golden altar" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF INCENSE.

4:13 "ashes from the altar" This refers to the altar of sacrifice. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF SACRIFICE.

These ashes were from the items sacrificed to YHWH. They became holy. There was a need to carry some of the "holy" ashes (i.e., fire) to the next location.

4:15 "they will not touch the holy objects and die" The Tabernacle was YHWH's temple and home. It was, therefore, holy and could not be touched by anyone except priests (cf. Num. 4:19-20; 2 Sam. 6:7).

▣ "carry" This is the same root as "take a census" in Num. 4:2,22 (INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of BDB 669, KB 724, cf. Num. 4:25).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:16
  16"The responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light and the fragrant incense and the continual grain offering and the anointing oil—the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings."

4:16 Eleazar, Aaron's son, is again given a special task (cf. Num. 3:32).

▣ "the continual grain offering" This was part of a daily offering, morning and evening, of several sacrifices (cf. Lev. 6:20).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:17-20
  17Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18"Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites. 19But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; 20but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die."

4:18 "Do not let. . .be cut off" This is an IMPERFECT VERB (BDB 503, KB 500, Hiphil) used in a JUSSIVE sense.

4:19 "do this to them that they may live" This is a Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 793, KB 889). For my full discussion of this subject see SPECIAL TOPIC: CAN HUMANS SEE GOD AND LIVE?

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:21-28
  21Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22"Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' households, by their families; 23from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. 24This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: 25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform. 27All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be performed at the command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. 28This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."

4:23 "to do the work" This is a COGNATE ACCUSATIVE of BDB 712, KB 773 (i.e., Qal VERB and Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT). This same VERB appears several times.

  1. Num. 4:26 ‒ Qal PERFECT with waw
  2. Num. 4:30 ‒ Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT
  3. Num. 4:37 ‒ Qal PARTICIPLE

It denotes service to the Tabernacle.

4:25 "screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting" See full note at Num. 3:25, #5.

4:28 "shall be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron" Another of Aaron's sons (cf. Eleazar, cf. Num. 3:32; 4:16) is put in a position of leadership (cf. Num. 4:33).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:29-33
  29"As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers' households; 30from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets, 32and the pillars around the court and their sockets and their pegs and their cords, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign each man by name the items he is to carry. 33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."

4:31
NASB, NKJV, Peshitta  "boards"
NRSV, TEV  "frames"
NJB  "framework"
JPSOA, REB  "planks"
LXX  "the capitals of the tent"

The MT has the rare word "boards," which comes from a root "to be solid" or "to be firm." In Ezek. 27:6 it refers to the decking of a ship.

The basic meaning here is the wooden structure that supports the heavy skins that cover the shrine of the Tabernacle (cf. Exod. 26:15-19; 35:11; 36:20-34; 40:18; Num. 3:36). This wood was overlaid with gold (cf. Exod. 26:29; 36:34). They must have been very thick and strong to support this weight!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:34-37
  34So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers' households, 35from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. 36Their numbered men by their families were 2,750. 37These are the numbered men of the Kohathite families, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord through Moses.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:38-41
  38The numbered men of the sons of Gershon by their families and by their fathers' households, 39from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. 40Their numbered men by their families, by their fathers' households, were 2,630. 41These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:42-45
  42The numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari by their families, by their fathers' households, 43from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. 44Their numbered men by their families were 3,200. 45These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord through Moses.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:46-49
  46All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers' households, 47from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting. 48Their numbered men were 8,580. 49According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses, they were numbered, everyone by his serving or carrying; thus these were his numbered men, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. Why is there a second census of the Levites in this chapter?
  2. Why is the time of Levites' service different in the Pentateuch?
  3. Who packed the Tabernacle for transport? Why?
  4. Why does NASB have "porpoise skins" in Num. 4:6,14,25, but "dolphin skins" in 4:8,10,11?

    What kind of coverings do these represent?

  5. How is Num. 3:32 like Num. 4:16?
  6. How many "screens" were there in the Tabernacle?

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