And when Aaron and his sons had made an end of covering the
sanctuary
Not the holy place, nor the most holy place, for these were not covered by them; but "the holy things" in them, as the Septuagint version, the ark, shewbread table and all "the vessels of the sanctuary"; all appertaining to those holy things, which are before mentioned. Jarchi interprets the "sanctuary", or the "holiness", of the ark and altar,
and all the vessels of the sanctuary;
of the candlestick and the instruments of ministry:
as the camp is to set forward;
which made the covering of them necessary, in order to their being carried as that moved:
after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear [it];
or rather them, all the holy things, and their vessels, and that upon their shoulders:
but they shall not touch [any] holy thing;
even in bearing them, neither the ark nor any other, only the staves and bar, on which they were carried: lest they die; by the immediate hand of God:
these [things are] the burden of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle
of the congregation;
the above things, the ark which they were to bear on their shoulders, and not make use of wagons to carry them.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.