Numbers 4:5

5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron and his sons shall go in, and they shall take down the veil of separation and cover the ark of testimony with it;

Numbers 4:5 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 4:5

And when the camp setteth forward
Upon the cloud's removing and the trumpets blowing:

Aaron shall come, and his sons;
into the holy place:

and they shall take down the covering vail:
the vail that divided between the holy and the most holy place, which covered all in the holy of holies out of sight:

and cover the ark of testimony with it;
together with the mercy seat and cherubim on it, that they might not be seen nor touched by the Levites when they carried them. Now though the high priest himself might not go into the most holy place but once a year, on the day of atonement, yet on this occasion, when the tabernacle was to be taken down, and the things in it to be removed, both he and his sons might enter without danger; since, as Bishop Patrick observes, the divine Majesty was gone from thence in the cloud which gave the signal for the motion of the camp, and the taking down of the tabernacle.

Numbers 4:5 In-Context

3 from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, all that enter into the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: it is most holy.
5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron and his sons shall go in, and they shall take down the veil of separation and cover the ark of testimony with it;
6 and shall put thereon a covering of badgers' skin, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put its staves [to it].
7 And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue; and put thereon the dishes, and the cups, and the bowls, and goblets of the drink-offering; and the continual bread shall be thereon.

Footnotes 1

The Darby Translation is in the public domain.