Numbers 4:16

16 super quos erit Eleazar filius Aaron sacerdotis ad cuius pertinet curam oleum ad concinnandas lucernas et conpositionis incensum et sacrificium quod semper offertur et oleum unctionis et quicquid ad cultum tabernaculi pertinet omniumque vasorum quae in sanctuario sunt

Numbers 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 So Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator.

Numbers 4:16 In-Context

14 ponentque cum eo omnia vasa quibus in ministerio eius utuntur id est ignium receptacula fuscinulas ac tridentes uncinos et vatilla cuncta vasa altaris operient simul velamine ianthinarum pellium et inducent vectes
15 cumque involverint Aaron et filii eius sanctuarium et omnia vasa eius in commotione castrorum tunc intrabunt filii Caath ut portent involuta et non tangant vasa sanctuarii ne moriantur ista sunt onera filiorum Caath in tabernaculo foederis
16 super quos erit Eleazar filius Aaron sacerdotis ad cuius pertinet curam oleum ad concinnandas lucernas et conpositionis incensum et sacrificium quod semper offertur et oleum unctionis et quicquid ad cultum tabernaculi pertinet omniumque vasorum quae in sanctuario sunt
17 locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen et Aaron dicens
18 nolite perdere populum Caath de medio Levitarum
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.