Numbers 4:16-26

16 And Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the preast shall haue the charge to prepare oyle for the lightes and swete cens and the dayly meatofferynge and the anoyntinge oyle and the ouersyghte of all the dwellynge and of all that therein is: both ouer the sanctuary and ouer all that pertayneth thereto.

17 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses and Aaron sayenge:

18 destroye not the trybe of the kynredes of the Cahathites from amonge the leuites.

19 But thus doo vnto them that they maye lyve and not dye whe they goo vnto ye most holy place. Aaron and his sonnes shall goo in and put them euery man vnto his seruyce and vnto his burthen.

20 But let them not goo in to se when they couer the sanctuarye lest they dye.

21 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge

22 Take the summe of the childern of Gerson in the houses of their fathers ad in their kynredes:

23 from .xxx. yere and aboue vntyll .l. all that are able to goo forth in warre for to doo seruyce in the tabernacle of witnesse.

24 And this is the seruyce of the kynred of the Gersonites to serue and to beare.

25 They shall bere the curtaynes of the dwellynge and the roffe of ye tabernacle of witnesse and his couerynge ad the coueryng of taxus skynnes that is an hye aboue apon it and the hangynge of the dore of the tabernacle of witnesse:

26 and the hanginge of the courte and the hangynge of the gate of the courte that is rounde aboute the dwellynge and the altare and the cordes of them and all the instrumentes that serue vnto them and all that is made for them.

Numbers 4:16-26 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.