Numbers 4:5-15

5 And when the camp moves forward, Aaron shall come and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of Testimony with it,

6 and shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

7 And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes and the spoons and the bowls, and covers for covering; and the continual bread shall be thereon.

8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

9 And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps and his tongs and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it.

10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a carrying pole.

11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministry wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a carrying pole.

13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon;

14 and they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof wherewith they minister about it -- even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar -- and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins and put in the staves of it.

15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to move forward, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Numbers 4:5-15 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.