Numbers 4:1-9

1 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

2 Take thou the sum, or the number, of the sons of Kohath, from the midst of (the) Levites, by their houses and families,

3 from the thirtieth year and above unto the fiftieth year, of all that enter, that they stand and minister in the tabernacle of the bond of peace. (from thirty years of age up to fifty years old, of all who enter to serve in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.)

4 This is the religion of the sons of Kohath; Aaron and his sons shall enter into the tabernacle of the bond of peace, and into the holy of holy things, (This is the service of the sons of Kohath; Aaron and his sons shall enter into the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and into the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies,)

5 when the tents shall be moved; and they shall do down the veil that hangeth before the gates, and they shall wrap in it the ark of witnessing; (when the tents shall be moved; and they shall take down the Veil that hangeth before the Ark, and they shall wrap the Ark of the Witnessing, that is, the Box containing the tablets of the Law, in it;)

6 and they shall cover it again with a veil of jacinthine skins, and they shall stretch forth above (that) a mantle all of jacinth, and they shall lead in [the] bearing staves. (and they shall wrap it with a leather cover, and put a blue mantle over that, and then put in the carrying bars.)

7 Also they shall wrap the board of proposition, that is, (of) setting forth, in a mantle of jacinth, and they shall put therewith [the] censers, and spoons of gold, little cups, and great cups to flowing sacrifices to be shed (out); loaves shall ever[more] be in the board. (And they shall wrap the table of proposition, that is, the table of setting forth, in a blue mantle, and they shall put the censers, and the gold saucers, and the little cups, and the great cups for the wine offerings upon it; and loaves shall be on the table forevermore.)

8 And they shall stretch forth thereabove a red mantle, which they shall cover again with a covering of jacinthine skins, and they shall lead in the bearing staves. (And they shall spread a red mantle over them, and put a leather cover over that, and then put in the carrying bars.)

9 They shall take also a mantle of jacinth with which they shall cover the candlestick, with his lanterns, and tongs, and snuffers, and all the oil vessels that be needful to the lanterns to be ordained; (And they shall take a blue mantle with which they shall cover the lamp-stand, with its lanterns, and tongs, and snuffers, and all the oil vessels that be needed for the lanterns to be lit;)

Numbers 4:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 4

This chapter relates an order to number the Levites fit for business, and gives an account of the time and age when they should enter into service, and how long they should continue therein, Nu 4:1-3; what their particular service should be; and first of the Kohathites, Nu 4:4-20; next of the Gershonites, Nu 4:21-28; and then of the Merarites, Nu 4:29-33; after which Moses and Aaron, with the chief of the congregation, numbered each of them, even as many as were at the age fit for service, as the Kohathites, Nu 4:34-37; the Gershonites, Nu 4:38-41; the Merarites, Nu 4:42-45; the sum total of which is given, Nu 4:46-49.