Numbers 4:16

16 "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise the oil of the light source, the incense, {the regular grain offering}, the oil of anointment, the supervision of all the tabernacle and all that [is] in it, in the sanctuary and in its vessels."

Numbers 4:16 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 4:16

And to the office of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,
[pertaineth] the oil for the light
The following things, to bear them, according to some Jewish writers; but rather it was to give the oil for the light, that is, the vessels, and so the vessels of the oil to the sons of the Kohathites; agreeably to which are the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, who paraphrase the words,

``and that which was delivered to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, the oil for the light''

And indeed the words, as they are in the Hebrew text, may be rendered,

``and the oversight of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be, or "let it be", the oil for the light F26;''

the same word being so rendered in a latter clause of this same text: he had the inspection of these, and on him lay to see to it, that these were carried by the Kohathites, the oil for the light of the lamps in the candlestick; of which see ( Exodus 27:20 ) ;

and the sweet incense:
to burn on the altar of incense, ( Exodus 30:34-38 ) ;

and the daily meat offering;
offered with the lambs morning and evening, ( Exodus 29:40 Exodus 29:44 ) ;

and the anointing oil;
with which Aaron and his sons were anointed, the tabernacle and all its vessels, ( Exodus 30:23-33 ) ;

[and] the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is,
in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof:
the former, the oil for the light were his immediate oversight and care; but the oversight of these by his brother Ithamar, according to the Jewish writers.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 So Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator.

Numbers 4:16 In-Context

14 they will put on it all the vessels with which they serve, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and bowls--all the vessels of the altar. They will spread on it a covering of {fine leather}; and they will place its poles.
15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp sets out, the descendants of Kohath will come after to carry [these], but they must not touch the sanctuary, or they will die. These [are] the load of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of assembly.
16 "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise the oil of the light source, the incense, {the regular grain offering}, the oil of anointment, the supervision of all the tabernacle and all that [is] in it, in the sanctuary and in its vessels."
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
18 "You must not cut off the tribe of the clan of the Kohathites from the midst of the Levites.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Literally "the grain offering of continuity"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.