Numbers 4:8

8 They will spread over it a scarlet cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of {fine leather}, and they will place its poles.

Numbers 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 4:8

And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet
Upon the dishes and other vessels belonging to the shewbread table, and on the shewbread itself:

and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins;
this was clearly the outward covering, and seems to confirm the observation made in ( Numbers 4:6 ) ; that the same sort of covering was the outermost covering of the ark:

and shall put in the staves thereof;
which belonged to the table, and were made to carry it with on occasion, from place to place; see ( Exodus 25:27 Exodus 25:28 ) ; and the same phrase being used as here of the staves of the ark in ( Numbers 4:6 ) ; seems to confirm the sense of them there, that they were taken out and put in upon this occasion, though otherwise fixed.

Numbers 4:8 In-Context

6 They will put on it a covering of {fine leather}, and they will spread a cloth of perfect blue over it, and they will place its poles.

7 And over the table of the presence they will spread [out] a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes, and libation bowls, and the pitchers of the libation; and the bread of continuity will be on it.

8 They will spread over it a scarlet cloth, and they will cover it with a covering of {fine leather}, and they will place its poles.

9 They will take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light source, its lamps, a pair of its tongs, its small pans, and all the vessels of its oil with which they attend to it.

10 They will put it and all its vessels inside a covering of {fine leather} and put it on the carrying frame.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "the hide of a sea cow"