Bamidbar 4:16

16 And to the pekuddat (oversight, office) of Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen pertaineth the Shemen HaMa’ohr (Oil of Illumination), and the incense spices, and the Minchat HaTamid (Continual Grain Offering), and the Shemen HaMishchah (Anointing Oil), and the Pekuddat Kol HaMishkan, and of all that therein is, in HaKodesh, and in the vessels thereof.

Bamidbar 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 So Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator.

Bamidbar 4:16 In-Context

14 And they shall put upon it all the utensils thereof, wherewith they minister upon it, even the fire pans, the meathooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the Klei HaMizbe’ach; and they shall spread upon it a tachash hide covering, and put in place its poles.

15 And when Aharon and his banim have made an end of covering HaKodesh, and all the Klei HaKodesh, as the machaneh (camp) is to set forward, after that, the Bnei Kehat shall come to bear it; but they shall not touch any kodesh, lest they die. These things are the massa (burden) of the Bnei Kehat in the Ohel Mo’ed.

16 And to the pekuddat (oversight, office) of Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen pertaineth the Shemen HaMa’ohr (Oil of Illumination), and the incense spices, and the Minchat HaTamid (Continual Grain Offering), and the Shemen HaMishchah (Anointing Oil), and the Pekuddat Kol HaMishkan, and of all that therein is, in HaKodesh, and in the vessels thereof.

17 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe and unto Aharon saying,

18 Cut ye not off the shevet (tribe) of the mishpekhot of the Kehati from among the Levi’im;