Numbers 4 commentary

NUMBERS 4 COMMENTARY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
The Kohathites
1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
GILL, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,.... After they had
taken the number of the Levites, and made an exchange of the firstborn of Israel for
them; and now they are ordered to number them a second time, and take out from them
such as were fit for service:
HENRY 1-17, "We have here a second muster of the tribe of Levi. As that tribe was
taken out of all Israel to be God's peculiar, so the middle-aged men of that tribe were
taken from among the rest to be actually employed in the service of the tabernacle. Now
observe,
I. Who were to be taken into this number. All the males from thirty years old to fifty.
Of the other tribes, those that were numbered to go forth to war were from twenty years
old and upward, but of the Levites only from thirty to fifty; for the service of God
requires the best of our strength, and the prime of our time, which cannot be better
spent than to the honour of him who is the first and best. And a man may make a good
soldier much sooner than a good minister. Now,
1. They were not to be employed till they were thirty years old, because till then they
were in danger of retaining something childish and youthful and had not gravity enough
to do the service, and wear the honour, of a Levite. They were entered as probationers at
twenty-five years old, (Num_8:24), and in David's time, when there was more work to
be done, at twenty (1Ch_23:24, and so Ezr_3:8); but they must be five years learning
and waiting, and so fitting themselves for service; nay, in David's time they were ten
years in preparation, from twenty to thirty. John Baptist began his public ministry, and
Christ his, at thirty years old. This is not in the letter of it obligatory on gospel ministers
now, as if they must either not begin their work till thirty years old or must leave off at
fifty; but it gives us two good rules: - (1.) That ministers must not be novices, 1Ti_3:6. It
is a work that requires ripeness of judgment and great steadiness, and therefore those
are very unfit for it who are but babes in knowledge and have not put away childish
things. (2.) That they must learn before they teach, serve before they rule, and must first
be proved, 1Ti_3:10.
2. They were discharged at fifty years old from the toilsome part of the service,
particularly that of carrying the tabernacle; for that is the special service to which they
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are here ordained, and which there was most occasion for while they were in the
wilderness. When they began to enter upon old age, they were dismissed, (1.) In favour
to them, that they might no be over-toiled when their strength began to decay. Twenty
years' good service was thought pretty well for one man. (2.) In honour to the work, that
it might not be done by those who, through the infirmities of age, were slow and heavy.
The service of God should be done when we are in the most lively active frame. Those do
not consider this who put off their repentance to old age, and so leave the best work to
be done in the worst time.
II. How their work is described. They are said to enter into the host, or warfare, to do
the work in the tabernacle. The ministry is a good work (1Ti_3:1): ministers are not
ordained to the honour only, but to the labour, not only to have the wages, but to do the
work. It is also a good warfare, 1Ti_1:18. Those that enter into the ministry must look
upon themselves as entered into the host, and approve themselves good soldiers, 2Ti_
2:3. Now, as to the sons of Kohath in particular, here is,
1. Their service appointed them, in the removes of the tabernacle. Afterwards, when
the tabernacle was fixed, they had other work assigned them; but this was the work of
the day, which was to be done in its day. Observe, Wherever the camp of Israel went, the
tabernacle of the Lord went with them, and care must be taken for the carriage of it.
Note, Wherever we go, we must see to it that we take our religion along with us, and not
forget that or any part of it. Now the Koliathites were to carry all the holy things of the
tabernacle. They were charged with those things before (Num_3:31), but here they have
more particular instructions given them. (1.) Aaron, and his sons the priests, must pack
up the things which the Kohathites were to carry, as here directed, Num_4:5, etc. God
had before appointed that none should come into the most holy place, but only Aaron
once a year with a cloud of incense (Lev_16:2); and yet, the necessity of their unsettled
state requiring it, that law is here dispensed with; for every time they removed Aaron
and his sons went in to take down the ark, and make it up for carriage; for (as the
learned bishop Patrick suggests) the shechinah, or display of the divine majesty, which
was over the mercy-seat, removed for the present in the pillar of cloud, which was taken
up, and then the ark was not dangerous to be approached. (2.) All the holy things must
be covered, the ark and table with three coverings, all the rest with two. Even the ashes
of the altar, in which the holy fire was carefully preserved and raked up, must have a
purple cloth spread over them, Num_4:13. Even the brazen altar, though in the court of
the sanctuary it stood open to the view of all, yet was covered in the carriage of it. All
these coverings were designed, [1.] For safety, that these holy things might not be ruffled
with the wind, sullied with the rain, nor tarnished with the sun, but that they might be
preserved in their beauty; for on all the glory shall be a defence. The coverings of
badgers' skins, being thick and strong, would keep out wet; and, while we are in our
passage through the wilderness of this world, it concerns us to be fenced for all
weathers, Isa_4:5, Isa_4:6. [2.] For decency and ornament. Most of these things had a
cloth of blue, or purple, or scarlet, spread outmost; and the ark was covered with a cloth
wholly of blue (Num_4:6), an emblem (say some) of the azure skies, which are spread
like a curtain between us and the Majesty on high, Job_26:9. Those that are faithful to
God should endeavour likewise to appear beautiful before men, that they may adorn the
doctrine of God our Saviour. [3.] For concealment. It signified the darkness of that
dispensation. That which is now brought to light by the gospel, and revealed to babes,
was then hidden from the wise and prudent. They saw only the coverings, not the holy
things themselves (Heb_10:1); but now Christ has destroyed the face of the covering,
Isa_25:7. (3.) When all the holy things were covered, then the Kohathites were to carry
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them on their shoulders. These things that had staves were carried by their staves
(Num_4:6, Num_4:8, Num_4:11, Num_4:14); those that had not were carried upon a
bar, or bier, or bearing barrow, Num_4:10, Num_4:12. See how the tokens of God's
presence in this world are movable things; but we look for a kingdom that cannot be
moved.
K&D, "Rules of Service, and Numbering of the Levites Qualified for Service. - After
the adoption of the Levites for service at the sanctuary, in the place of the first-born of
Israel, Moses and Aaron mustered the three families of the Levites by the command of
God for the service to be performed by those who were between the ages of 30 and 50.
The particulars of the service are first of all described in detail (vv. 4-33); and then the
men in each family are taken, of the specified age for service (vv. 34-49). The three
families are not arranged according to the relative ages of their founders, but according
to the importance or sacredness of their service. The Kohathites take the lead, because
the holiest parts of the tabernacle were to be carried and kept by this family, which
included the priests, Aaron and his sons. The service to be performed by each of the
three Levitical families is introduced in every case by a command from God to take the
sum of the men from 30 years old to 50 (see Num_4:1-3, Num_4:21-23, Num_4:29 and
Num_4:30).
CALVIN, "1.And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron This census had a
different object from the former one, which we have just been considering, viz., that
an equal distribution of the charges should be made in proportion to the number of
the individuals. First, as regarded age, a distinction must be observed between this
tribe and the others; for we have already seen that all the Israelites above twenty
years of age were numbered, because they were then fit to bear arms. But it was not
without reason that a more mature age was required in the case of the Levites, so
that they should not begin to discharge their ministry before their thirtieth year. For
not only is strength and rigor of body requisite for spiritual warfare, but seriousness
and gravity also. If they had been admitted in their youth, their levity might have
detracted from the reverence due to sacred things, since the young are often led to
act intemperately by their fervor and licentiousness. Access to the sanctuary,
therefore, was not permitted them till they had grown up to be men; for by their
thirtieth year men ought to have become so staid, as that it shall be base and
inexcusable for them to give way to the wantonness of youth.
From their fiftieth year they were released from their duties; since sloth and
inactivity generally accompany old age. The case is different as to war, because we
find many who are vigorous after their fiftieth year. Furthermore, since religion is
more precious than all earthly affairs, diligent care was to be taken lest it should fall
into disesteem on account of the idleness and somnolency of its ministers.
COFFMAN, "This chapter might well be titled "Instructions regarding the Moving
of the Tabernacle." It details the marshalling of the three families of the Levites,
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their organization for the purpose, the appointment of their specific duties, the
enumeration of what each group was detailed to do, and the appointment of
appropriate commanders. The first part of the chapter reveals what had to be done
before the moving process was initiated, the preparatory work to be done by Aaron
and his sons.
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Take the sum of the sons
of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses,
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the
service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. This is the service of the sons of
Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things: when the camp setteth
forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the
screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it, and shall put thereon a covering
of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in the staves
thereof. 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 the cups wherewith to pour
out; and the continual bread shall be thereon: and they shall spread upon them a
cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in the
staves thereof. And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the
light, and its lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels
thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: and they shall put it and all the vessels
thereof within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it upon the frame. And upon the
golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of
sealskin, and shall put in the staves thereof: and they shall take all the vessels of
ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue,
and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame. And
they shall take away the ashes from the altar; and spread a purple cloth thereon:
and they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it,
the fire pans, the flesh-hooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the
altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of sealskin, and put in the staves
thereof. And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary,
and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the
sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they
die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting. And
the charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, and
the sweet incense, and the continual meal-offering, and the anointing oil, the charge
of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, the sanctuary, and the furniture
thereof."
"The sons of Kohath ..." (Numbers 4:2). Despite the fact of Kohath's not being the
oldest of the sons of Levi, he takes precedence here because both Moses and Aaron
were of this branch of the family, and to them went the honor of moving the "most
holy" things (Numbers 4:4).
"To do the work in the tent of meeting ..." (Numbers 4:3). The Hebrew phrase from
which this rendition comes "signifies military service, and is used here with special
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reference to the service of the Levites as the sacred militia ("militia sacra") of
Jehovah."[1] John Marsh thought the terminology here "reflects the change after
the exile from a monarchy to a theocracy,"[2] but, on the contrary, it reflects the
conditions of the theocracy that existed long before the monarchy arose. In fact, the
true theocracy existed only before the monarchy, the monarchy being, de facto, a
rejection of the theocracy. The status of Israel after the exile was not that of God's
wife, but that of God's slave, as evident in Hosea, third chapter.
"From thirty years old and upward ..." (Numbers 4:3). This minimal age of thirty
was reduced to "twenty-five" in Numbers 8:23-26, probably for the purpose of
allowing a five-year apprenticeship. To question the accuracy of this account on the
basis of 1 Chronicles 23:24-27, where the age was reduced to "twenty," is
unacceptable. The Jews of the whole temple era departed in many particulars from
the Word of God.
"A covering of sealskin ..." (Numbers 4:6). The actual meaning of the word here
rendered "sealskin" is not known.[3] Plaut gave "dolphin" as a "reasonable guess."
Orlinsky also preferred "dolphin skins."[4] The KJV has "badger skins," and the
RSV has "goatskins." "Sea-cow" is the rendition favored by Keil and Whitelaw.[5]
The perspective here is of those times of Israel's habitation of the Nile delta and
their wilderness journeys close to the Red Sea. Evidently, some marine creature was
the source of these skins. Certainly, there is not anything here that favors a "date
after the exile,"[6] as suggested by Gray.
"When the camp setteth forward ..." (Numbers 4:5). These words, along with
Numbers 4:15, make it clear that before the Kohathites could even TOUCH any of
the sacred furniture, Aaron and his sons were required to make it ready.
The Ark. This was to be covered by the veil that screened off the Holy of Holies.
This was to be covered with the skin covering, and over that there was to be placed
a cloth of blue, a color that would be exposed during the march, making the ark
easily identified.
The Table. This was to include all the articles usually used in connection with it, and
the whole was to be covered with a cloth of scarlet, with a skin covering over all.
The Candlestick. This was to include snuff dishes, etc., with all vessels pertaining to
it, the whole to be covered with a cloth of blue, with a skin covering over all.
The Golden Altar. A cloth of blue was to be spread over this with a sealskin over all.
The Great Bronze (Copper) Altar. The ashes were to be removed and all of the
shovels, vessels, flesh-hooks, etc., connected with service at the altar were to be
placed around it, the whole to be covered with a purple cloth, with a skin covering
over all.
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"And put in the staves thereof ..." (Numbers 4:6,8,11,14). This recurring instruction
shows that preparatory to wrapping and covering the sacred articles with the
colored cloths and skin coverings, the staves were to be first removed. This is a
variation of the instruction pertaining to the times when the various articles were
properly installed to fulfill their normal function. During those times, the staves
were "not to be taken out" (Exodus 25:15ff). Critical scholars are really hard
pressed for something to criticize when they make a "contradiction" out of this
variation, as did both Gray and Noth.[7] The very commandment to wrap (or cover)
each article with cloth, the staves being conspicuously omitted in each
commandment, inherently carries with it the instruction that the staves were to be
first removed. The commandment to put them in, repeated four times, proves this.
There is no contradiction here, the various instructions applying to different
situations. In their normal placement, the staves were to be left in, when made ready
for travel, they were removed (necessarily) for the wrapping, and replaced for the
purpose of their transportation.
Such things as the holy oil of anointing, the sweet incense, the oil for the light, and
other similar essences, including the meal-offering, were not to be moved even by
the Levites, but were to be transported by Eleazar himself.
When all of these preparations were carefully made, then, and then only were the
Kohathites permitted to enter and remove the sacred furniture.
It is a matter of wonder and amazement that no instructions were here given for the
transporting of the great bronze laver, certainly one of the principal features of the
whole complex, stationed near the door and the great bronze altar. The Septuagint
(LXX) adds the following to Numbers 4:14.
"And they shall take a purple cloth and cover the laver and its foot, and they shall
put it into a blue cover of skin, and put it on bars."[8]
Most of the scholars do not allow the validity of this, but its appearance also in the
Samaritan Version raises some possibility that the passage is authentic. If it is, the
omission from the Masoretic Text would be accounted for, as Carson said, "on the
basis of a scribal accident."[9]
"And the charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest ..." (Numbers 4:16). It is not
specifically stated here that Eleazar was over the Kohathites; but, "it appears from
a comparison of Numbers 4:16,28 and Numbers 4:33 that the ministry of the
Kohathites were superintended by Eleazar, and that of the Gershonites and the
Merarites by Ithamar."[10]
EBC, ". LEVITICAL SERVICE
Numbers 3:14-39; Numbers 4:1-49
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The sacred service of the Levites is described in detail. There are three divisions, the
Gershonites, the Kohathites, the Merarites. The Gershonites, from a month old and
upward, numbered 7,500; the Kohathites, 8,600; the Merarites, 6,200. Eleazar, son
of Aaron, is prince of the princes of the Levites.
The office of the Kohathites is of peculiar sanctity, next to that of Aaron and his
sons. They are not "cut off" or specially separated from among the Levites;
{Numbers 4:18} but they have duties that require great care, and they must not
venture to approach the most holy things till preparation has been made by the
priests. The manner of that preparation is fully described. When order has been
given for the setting forward of the camp, Aaron and his sons cover the ark of the
covenant first with the veil of the screen, then with a covering of sealskin, and lastly
with a cloth of blue; they also insert in the rings the long staves with which the ark is
to be carried. Next the table of shewbread is covered with a blue cloth; the dishes,
spoons, bowls, and cups are placed on the top, over them a scarlet cloth, and above
that a sealskin covering; the staves of the table are also placed in readiness. The
candlestick and its lamps and other appurtenances are wrapped up in like manner
and put on a frame. Then the golden altar by itself, and the vessels used in the
service of the sanctuary by themselves are covered with blue cloth and sealskin and
made ready for carriage. Finally, the great altar is cleansed of ashes, covered up
with purple cloth and sealskin, and its staves set in their rings. When all this is done
the sons of Kohath may advance to bear the holy things, never touching them lest
they die.
The question arises, why so great care is considered necessary that none but the
priests should handle the furniture of the sanctuary. We have learned to think that a
real religion should avoid secrecy, that everything connected with it should be done
in the open light of day. Why, then, is the shrine of Jehovah guarded with such
elaborate precaution? And the answer is that the idea of mystery appears here as
absolutely needful, in order to maintain the solemn feelings of the people and their
sense of the holiness of God. Not only because the Israelites were rude and earthly,
but also because the whole system was symbolic, the holy things were kept from
common sight. In this respect the worship described in these books of Moses
resembled that of other nations of antiquity. The Egyptian temple had its innermost
shrine where the arks of the gods were placed; and into that most holy place with its
silver soil the priests alone went. But even Egyptian worship, with all its mystery,
did not always conceal the arks and statues of the gods. When those gods were
believed to be favourable, the arks were carried in procession, the images so far
unveiled that they could be seen by the people. It was entirely different in the case of
the sacred symbols and instruments of Hebrew worship, according to the ideal of
the law. And the elaborate precautions are to be regarded as indicating the highest
tidemark of symbolised sanctity. Jehovah was not like Egyptian or Assyrian or
Phoenician gods. These might be represented by statues which the people could see.
But everything used in His worship must be kept apart. The worship must be of
faith; and the ark which was the great symbol must remain always invisible. The
effect of this on the popular mind was complex, varying with the changing
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circumstances of the nation; and to trace it would be an interesting piece of study. It
may be remembered that in the time of most ardent Judaism the want of the ark
made no difference to the veneration in which the temple was held and the intense
devotion of the people to their religion. The ark was used as a talisman in Eli’s time;
in the temple erected after the captivity there was no ark; its place in the holy of
holies was occupied by a stone.
The Gershonites had as their charge the screens and curtains of the tabernacle, or
most holy place, and the tent of meeting or holy place, also the curtains of the court
of the tabernacle. The boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the tabernacle and of the
court were to be entrusted to the Merarites.
In the whole careful ordering of the duties to be discharged by these Levites we see a
figure of the service to be rendered to God and men in one aspect of it.
Organisation, attention to details, and subordination of those who carry out schemes
to the appointed officials, and of all, both inferior and superior, to law-these ideas
are here fully represented. Assuming the incapacity of many for spontaneous effort,
the principle that God is not a God of confusion but of order in the churches of the
saints may be held to point to subordination of a similar kind even under
Christianity. But the idea carried to its full limit, implies an inequality between men
which the free spirit of Christianity will not admit. It is an honour for men to be
connected with any spiritual enterprise, even as bearers of burdens. Those who take
such a place may be spiritual men, thoughtful men, as intelligent and earnest as
their official superiors. But the Levites, according to the law, were to be bearers of
burdens, menials of the sanctuary from generation to generation. Here the parallel
absolutely fails. No Christian, however cordially he may fill such a place for a time,
is bound to it in perpetuity. His way is open to the highest duties and honours of a
redeemed son of God. In a sense Judaism even did not prevent the spiritual
advancement of any Levite, or any man. The priesthood was practically closed, but
the office of the prophet, really higher than that of the priest, was not. From the
routine work of the priesthood men like Jeremiah and Ezekiel were called by the
Spirit of God to speak in the name of the Highest. The word of the Lord was put
into their mouths. Elijah, who was apparently of the tribe of Manasseh, Amos and
Daniel, who belonged to Judah, became prophets. The open door for the men of the
tribes was into this calling. Neither in Israel nor in Christendom is priesthood the
highest religious function. The great servants of God might well refuse it or throw
aside its shackles.
PETT, " Chapter 4 The Tasks of the Levites.
In this chapter the special tasks allotted to the priests and to each of the sub-tribes
of Levi are described, and the number of Levites between thirty and fifty (those
special numbers again) who were available for the tasks.
The Priests’ Responsibility for the Dwellingplace (Numbers 4:1-15).
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Numbers 4:1
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,’
It is stressed that what we have are the words of Yahweh as given to Moses and
Aaron. Aaron was included here (and in Numbers 4:17, contrast Numbers 4:21)
because he has a special responsibility in respect of this particular section of what is
being described.
2 “Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the
Levites by their clans and families.
GILL, "Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi,....
They were to begin with them first, and number them:
after their families, by the house of their fathers; as many as were of the age
after mentioned; and the reason why they began with Kohath, and not Gershon, the
eldest son, as in the former numbering, was; not as Aben Ezra suggests, because of
Moses and Aaron, who sprung from him, for that, if it had any strength in it, would have
held good before; but rather, as Chaskuni and others, because the Kohathites carried the
ark and other holy things; though the true reason seems to be, because of the order
observed in taking down the tabernacle, and removing the parts of it, and the things in
it; and it was most proper and reasonable, when they were about to take it down, first to
take out the ark, table, &c. which was the business of the Kohathites to carry; next to
take down the curtains, coverings, and hangings for the tabernacle and court, and the
doors thereof, which were the charge of the Merarites; wherefore, in this order the sum
out of each of them fit for business were ordered to be numbered.
JAMISON 2-3, "sons of Kohath, from thirty years old and upward — This
age was specifically fixed (see on Num_8:24) as the full maturity of bodily energy to
perform the laborious duties assigned them in the wilderness, as well as of mental
activity to assist in the management of the sacred services. And it was the period of life at
which John the Baptist and Christ entered on their respective ministries.
even unto fifty — The term prescribed for active duty was a period of twenty years,
at the end of which they were exempted from the physical labors of the office, though
still expected to attend in the tabernacle (Num_8:26).
all that enter into the host — so called from their number, the order and discipline
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maintained through their ranks, and their special duty as guards of the tabernacle. The
Hebrew word, however, signifies also a station or office; and hence the passage may be
rendered, “All that enter into the sacerdotal office” (Num_4:23).
PETT, "Numbers 4:2-3
“Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families,
by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old,
all that enter upon the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.”
The command is now given to obtain the sum of ‘the sons of Kohath’, which
includes the priests who were ‘sons of Kohath’. The sum is of those who are between
thirty and fifty years old. The priests would have overall responsibility for the
Dwellingplace and perform the priestly service with respect to it. The remainder of
the Kohathites, and the other Levites were the ones who would do the heavy work
with regard to the bearing of the Dwellingplace. Again it is by their families (clans)
by their father’s houses (wider families) Numbering seems always to be done in
terms of these.
This in this context would seem to suggest that priesthood also began at thirty years
old. That was not, however, true for the High Priesthood which began on the death
of the previous High Priest and lasted until death (Numbers 35:25-28).
PULPIT, "TIES OF THE LEVITES (Numbers 4:1-49).
Numbers 4:2
Take the sum of the sons of Kohath. The Levites having been separated from the
other tribes, the Kohathites are now to be separated from amongst the other Levites
for the most honourable and sacred duties. To them the preference was given
presumably because the priests were Kohathites.
3 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of
age who come to serve in the work at the tent of
meeting.
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CLARKE, "From thirty years old - In Num_8:24, the Levites are ordered to enter
on the service of the tabernacle at the age of twenty-five years; and in 1Ch_23:24, they
were ordered to commence that work at twenty years of age. How can these different
times be reconciled?
1. At the time of which Moses speaks here, the Levitical service was exceedingly
severe, and consequently required men full grown, strong, and stout, to perform it;
the age therefore of thirty years was appointed as the period for commencing this
service, the weightier part of which is probably here intended.
2. In Num_8:24, Moses seems to speak of the service in a general way; the severe,
which was to be performed by the full-grown Levites, and the less laborious work
which younger men might assist in: hence the age of twenty-five is fixed.
3. In David’s time and afterwards, in the fixed tabernacle and temple, the
laboriousness of the service no longer existed, and hence twenty years was the age
fixed on for all Levites to enter into the work of the sanctuary. The rabbins say that
the Levites began to learn to do the service at twenty-five, and that having been
instructed five years, they began the public service at thirty, and thus they
reconcile the two periods referred to above. We may well suppose that the sons of
the prophets continued a considerable time under instructions before they were
called fully to exercise themselves in the prophetic office.
Until fifty years old - This was allowing twenty years for public severe service; a
very considerate and merciful ordinance. A preacher who devotes his whole time and
strength to the service of the Church of God from twenty to fifty or sixty years of age,
should be then excused from his severer labor, and maintained at the charge of the
sanctuary. This would not only be a great comfort to a worn-out servant of God, but also
of great use to the work of the ministry, which, to be faithfully and effectually performed,
requires all the powers of the body and mind of man. Old faithful ministers are to be
highly respected for their work’s sake, and to be supplied with all the necessaries and
comforts of life; but how little can they do in the public ministry of the word, however
willing to work, when their eye waxes dim and their bodily strength fails! See Num_
8:25. Both for their own sakes, and for the good of the Church, they should be excused
from a labor to which they must be almost every way inadequate. But notwithstanding
this comparative inactivity, their counsels, advice, and experience will always be
considered as a treasure to the Church of Christ
GILL, "From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old,.... This is
the full time of the Levites service, and the prime season of man's life for business; at
thirty years of age he is at his full strength, and when fifty it begins to decline: it is said in
the Misnah (x),"a son of thirty years for strength,''upon which one of the commentators
(y) makes this remark, that the Levites set up the tabernacle and took it down, and
loaded the wagons, and carried on their shoulders from thirty years and upwards: thus
both John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, and Christ himself, entered into their
ministry at this age:
all that enter into the host; army or warfare; for though the Levites were exempted
from going forth to war, yet their service was a sort of warfare; they were a camp of
themselves about the tabernacle, and part of their work was to watch and guard it, that it
11

was neither defiled nor robbed; in allusion to this, the ministry of the word is called a
warfare, and ministers of the Gospel good soldiers of Christ, and their doctrines
weapons of warfare, 1Ti_1:18; some interpret this of the troop, company, or
congregation of the Levites, which a man of thirty years of age was admitted into for
business:
to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation; not in the sanctuary, either
in the holy place or in the most holy place, where they were never allowed to enter, or do
any business in, such as sacrificing, burning incense, &c. but in that part of it which was
called "the tabernacle of the congregation", or where the people assembled on occasion,
and that was the court, which was so called, as Jarchi observes on Exo_29:32.
POOLE, " From thirty years old: this age was prescribed, as the age of full strength
of body, and therefore most proper for their present laborious work of carrying the
parts and vessels of the tabernacle; and of maturity of judgment, which is necessary
for the right management of holy services; whence even John and Christ entered not
upon their ministry till that age. And it may still seem to be the fittest season for
men’s undertaking the ministry of the gospel, except in case of extraordinary
abilities, or the church’s pressing necessity.
Object. They might enter upon this work at their twenty-fifth year, Numbers 8:24,
and in David’s time and afterward at their twentieth year.
Answ. 1. Their first entrance upon their work was at their twenty-fifth year, when
they began as learners, and acted only under the inspection and direction of their
brethren; but in their thirtieth year they were completely admitted to a full
discharge of their whole office.
2. David, being a prophet, and particularly directed by God in the affairs of the
temple, might and did make a change in this matter, which he might the better do,
both because it was but a change in a circumstance, and because the magnificence of
the temple, and the great multitude of sacred utensils and sacrifices, required a
greater number of attendants than formerly was necessary.
Until fifty years old, when they were exempted from the toilsome work of carrying
burdens, but not discharged from the honourable and easy work done within the
tabernacle, Numbers 8:26.
All that enter, i.e. that do and may enter, having no defect, Leviticus 21:17, nor
other impediment. The society of sacred ministers he calls a host, because of that
excellent order which was among them, as to persons, place, time, the matter and
manner of their services.
BENSON, "Numbers 4:3. From thirty — This age was prescribed, as the age of full
strength of body, and therefore most proper for their laborious work of carrying the
parts and vessels of the tabernacle, and of maturity of judgment, which is necessary
12

for the right management of holy services. Whence even John and Christ entered
not upon their ministry till that age. Indeed, their first entrance upon their work
was at their twenty-fifth year, when they began as learners, and acted under the
inspection and direction of their brethren; but in their thirtieth year they were
completely admitted to a full discharge of their whole office. But David, being a
prophet, and particularly directed by God in the affairs of the temple, made a
change in this matter, because the magnificence of the temple, and the great
multitude of the sacred utensils and sacrifices, required a greater number of
attendants than formerly was necessary. Until fifty — When they were exempted
from the toilsome work of carrying burdens, but not discharged from the
honourable and easy work done within the tabernacle. Numbers 8:26. All that
enter — That is, that do and may enter, having no defect, nor other impediment.
COKE, "Numbers 4:3. From thirty years old and upward— In chap. Numbers 8:24
the age of twenty-five years is appointed for the admission of the Levites to the
service of the tabernacle; agreeably to which the LXX. read twenty-five years here,
which reconciles the passages. Some, however, suppose, that though the Levites in
general were admitted to wait upon the tabernacle, and to administer to the priests
at five and twenty, yet they were not put upon the laborious work of carrying the
ark and other sacred things upon their shoulders, for which the selection is made in
this place, (see Numbers 4:15.) till they were thirty years of age. Hence, in David's
time, when the ark was settled, and consequently the work of the Levites less
laborious, they were appointed to enter upon their office at twenty years. See 1
Chronicles 23:27 and 2 Chronicles 31:17.
COKE, " (3) From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old.—The
previous census of the Levites was from a month old. The present census was with a
view to the discharge of duties requiring a considerable amount of physical strength,
and hence the prescribed age for entering upon these duties was fixed at this time at
thirty, and limited to fifty. It has been supposed by some that five years were spent
in preparation for the service, and that it is in this way that the apparent
discrepancy between this verse and Numbers 8:24, where the age for entering upon
the service is fixed at twenty-five, is to be reconciled. (See Note on Numbers 8:24.) In
Eastern countries the strength fails at an earlier period than in colder and more
temperate climates. Thirty was the age at which John the Baptist and our Lord
entered upon their public ministry.
All that enter into the host.—Or, every one who enters upon the service. The word
zaba, commonly rendered host, and used elsewhere to denote military service, is
here used to denote the service of the sanctuary.
PULPIT. "From thirty years old and upward. The age at which they became liable
for service was shortly after reduced to twenty-five (Numbers 8:24), and at a later
period to twenty (1 Chronicles 23:27). In the wilderness a larger number of the men
13

might be required to attend to their own camps, and their own families; but the
explanation may probably be found in the unusually large proportion who were at
this time between the ages of thirty and fifty. The Septuagint has altered thirty into
twenty-five to make it agree with Numbers 8:24. Thirty years became among the
Jews the perfect age at which a man attained to full maturity, and entered upon all
his fights and duties (cf. Luke 3:23). Into the host. Not the military ranks, but the
militia sacra of the Lord. To do the work. Literally, "to war the warfare."
4 “This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of
meeting: the care of the most holy things.
BARNES, "About the most holy things - Omit “about.” The sense is, “this is the
charge of the sons of Kohath, the most holy things:” i. e. the ark of the covenant, the
table of showbread, the candlestick, and the golden altar, together with the furniture
pertaining thereto. It appears, from a comparison of Num_4:16, Num_4:28, Num_4:33,
that the ministry of the Kohathites was superintended by Eleazar, the older of the two
surviving sons of Aaron; and that of the two other families by Ithamar.
GILL, "This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle of
the congregation,.... What follows, Num_4:4,
about the most holy things; which Aben Ezra interprets only of the ark, which was
indeed a most holy thing, and stood in the most holy place; but there were other holy
things, in the care of which the service of the Kohathites lay; as the shewbread table, the
candlestick, and the altars of incense and burnt offering, and the vail, and the
ministering: vessels, which Jarchi reckons with it, as more holy than all other things.
JAMISON 4-15, "This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath, etc. — They
are mentioned first, from their close connection with Aaron; and the special department
of duty assigned to them during the journeyings of Israel accorded with the charge they
had received of the precious contents of the tabernacle. But these were to be previously
covered by the common priests, who, as well as the high priest, were admitted on such
necessary occasions into the holy place. This was an exception to the general rule, which
prohibited the entrance of any but the high priest. But when the cloud removed from the
tabernacle, the sanctuary might be entered by the common priests, as to them was
reserved the exclusive privilege of packing the sacred utensils; and it was not till the holy
things were thus ready for carriage, that the Kohathites were allowed to approach.
14

K&D 4-6, "The service of the Kohathites at the tabernacle is (relates to) “the most
holy” (see at Exo_30:10). This term includes, as is afterwards explained, the most holy
things in the tabernacle, viz., the ark of the covenant, the table of shew-bread, the
candlestick, the altar of incense and altar of burnt-offering, together with all the other
things belonging to these. When the camp was broken up, the priests were to roll them
up in wrappers, and hand them over in this state to the Kohathites, for them to carry
(Num_4:5-15). First of all (Num_4:5, Num_4:6), Aaron and his sons were to take down
the curtain between the holy place and the most holy (see Exo_26:31), and to cover the
ark of testimony with it (Exo_25:10). Over this they were to place a wrapper of sea-cow
skin (tachash, see Exo_25:5), and over this again another covering of cloth made entirely
of hyacinth-coloured purple (as in Exo_28:31). The sea-cow skin as to protect the inner
curtain, which was covered over the ark, from storm and rain; the hyacinth purple, to
distinguish the ark of the covenant as the throne of the glory of Jehovah. Lastly, they
were to place the staves into the rings again, that is to say, the bearing poles, which were
always left in their places on the ark (Exo_25:15), but had necessarily to be taken out
while it was being covered and wrapped up.
CALVIN, "4.This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath. He assigns their various
offices to the Levites: firstly, lest their promiscuous sedulity should beget confusion;
secondly, lest ambition should stimulate certain of them, (203) from whence disputes
and contentions might arise. We know how confusedly men work unless a certain
rule is prescribed to them, lest they should run about in an aimless hurry; and
whilst each individual desires to anticipate others, an unworthy emulation ensues,
which afterwards vents itself in quarrels. If, therefore, this had not been prevented,
the Levites would soon have made disturbances in their duty, and contentions would
have taken place between them. God, then, comes forward, and by His own
authority confines them all within their proper bounds, and restrains their foolish
passions. That a more honorable office is assigned to the sons of Kohath than to the
others, proceeds from God’s gratuitous favor; and thus all pride was suppressed,
lest any should boast of his dexterity, or industry, or other gifts. The charge of the
Holy of holies is, therefore, entrusted to the sons of Kohath; not that they should
handle any part of it, but only that they should carry on the march its vessels, when
packed by the priests; for God commands the sons of Aaron to come and take down
the sanctuary, and carefully cover the veil, the altar, and other sacred vessels with
their proper covers, before the sons of Kohath laid a finger upon them, that thus the
reverence of the people for holy things might be increased; and besides, that when
the other tribes should see even the Levites forbidden from touching the sanctuary,
they might be reminded of their unworthiness and humbled the more. Moreover, all
cause of envy was removed when the other Levites heard that a perilous duty was
entrusted to the sons of Kohath, for God threatens them with death if they touch
any forbidden thing: and lastly, admonishes the priests, the sons of Aaron, lest by
their carelessness they should destroy their brethren; for, if they should leave
anything uncovered, they would be the cause of their destruction.
15

5 When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons
are to go in and take down the shielding curtain
and put it over the ark of the covenant law.
GILL, "And when the camp setteth forward,.... Upon the cloud's removing and
the trumpets blowing:
Aaron shall come, and his sons; into the holy place:
and they shall take down the covering vail: the vail that divided between the holy
and the most holy place, which covered all in the holy of holies out of sight:
and cover the ark of testimony with it; together with the mercy seat and cherubim
on it, that they might not be seen nor touched by the Levites when they carried them.
Now though the high priest himself might not go into the most holy place but once a
year, on the day of atonement, yet on this occasion, when the tabernacle was to be taken
down, and the things in it to be removed, both he and his sons might enter without
danger; since, as Bishop Patrick observes, the divine Majesty was gone from thence in
the cloud which gave the signal for the motion of the camp, and the taking down of the
tabernacle.
POOLE, " For upon this necessary occasion the inferior priests are allowed to come
into the holy of holies, which otherwise was peculiar to the high priest, Hebrews 9:7.
The covering veil; the second veil; of which see Exodus 26:31, &c. Leviticus 4:6
Hebrews 9:3; where, with the ark was covered while the tabernacle stood, Exodus
40:3. And
cover the ark; because the Levites, who were to carry the ark, might neither see nor
immediately touch it.
BENSON, "Verse 5-6
Numbers 4:5-6. They shall take down — For upon this necessary occasion the
inferior priests were allowed to come into the holy of holies, which otherwise was
peculiar to the high-priest. The covering veil — The second veil, wherewith the ark
16

was covered while the tabernacle stood, Exodus 40:3. Cover the ark — Because the
Levites, who were to carry the ark, might neither see, nor immediately touch it.
Badgers’ skins — Whereby the ark was secured from the injuries of the weather.
COKE, " (5) Aaron shall come, and his sons . . . —Under ordinary circumstances
the high priest himself might only enter the most holy place on one day in the year.
At the time of the moving of the camp, however, the Divine Presence seems to have
departed from the Holy of Holies, and to have ascended in the cloud which gave the
signal for the removal.
The covering vail.—Better, the vail of the hanging or curtain—viz., that which
separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. (Comp. Numbers 3:31.)
6 Then they are to cover the curtain with a
durable leather,[a] spread a cloth of solid blue
over that and put the poles in place.
BARNES, "wholly of blue - Compare Exo_25:4 note. The third and external
covering of the ark only was to be of this color. The table of showbread had Num_4:8 an
outer wrapping of scarlet; the altar Num_4:13 one of purple.
Put in the staves - Probably, “put the staves in order.” These were never taken out of
the golden rings by which the ark was to be borne (see Exo_25:14-15), but would need
adjustment.
GILL, "And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins,.... Not that which
covered the tabernacle, for that was committed to the Gershonites, Num_4:25; but a
covering made of these on purpose for the present use, to preserve the ark from rain and
dust; and this covering was put not immediately upon the ark, but upon the other
coverings that were over the ark, and so preserved the vail as well as the ark:
and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue; it is a matter of question, whether
this was over the covering of badgers' skins also; if over the latter, as one would think it
should be, by the order of the text, how could that be a shelter from the rain and dust,
which seems to be the use of it, and therefore should be the outermost, as one of the
same kind was the outermost covering of the tabernacle? Aben Ezra observes, there were
17

some that say it was over the covering of badger's skin, but it is right in mine eyes, says
he, that it was spread over the covering vail; if indeed it was for the sake of honour and
dignity, the first is right, but the badger's skin was on account of rain and dust:
and shall put in the staves thereof: having been removed while the ark was
covering, as Aben Ezra observes, or otherwise they always remained in their rings, and
were never taken out, Exo_25:14; but on this occasion they might, and then be put in
again for the carrying of the ark, which was the use of them; though he also remarks,
that there are some that say the sense is, they put the staves on the shoulders of them
that carried it, which is not a despicable sense; unless rather it is to be understood of
putting the staves through holes made in the coverings of the ark, and disposing and
fitting them in them, for the better carriage of it.
JAMISON, "covering of badgers’ skins — (See on Exo_25:5). The covering,
however, referred to was not that of the tabernacle, but one made for the special purpose
of protecting the ark.
put in the staves — These golden staves were now taken out. (See on Exo_25:15,
compared with 1Ki_8:8). The Hebrew word rendered “put in,” signifies also “dispose,”
and probably refers here to their insertion through the openings in the coverings made
for receiving them, to preserve them from the touch of the carriers as well as from the
influence of the weather. It is worthy of notice that the coverings did not consist of
canvas or coarse tarpaulin, but of a kind which united beauty with decency.
POOLE, "Verse 6
Bythecovering of badgers’ skins the ark was secured from the injuries of the
weather:.
Object. How could these staves be put in, when they were never to be taken out,
Exodus 25:15, compared with 1 Kings 8:8.
Answ. 1. These places may speak of the staves while the ark and tabernacle stood,
but when they were to be removed the posture of all things was altered.
2. The Hebrew verb doth not signify putting in, but barely putting, or placing, or
disposing, and may be understood not of putting the staves into the rings, wherein
they constantly remained, but of the putting of them either upon their shoulders to
try and fit them for carriage, or into the holes or receptacles which probably were
made in these coverings for the receiving and covering of these gilded staves, to keep
them both from the touch of the Levites, and from the inconveniences of bad
weather.
COKE, "(6) And shall put in the staves thereof.—The staves had been removed
whilst the Ark was being covered; otherwise they remained in their places (Exodus
25:15). (Comp. 2 Chronicles 5:9.)
PULPIT, "The covering of badgers' skins. Probably of sea-cow skins (tachash), but
18

see Exodus 25:5. The Targum of Palestine, and the Septuagint, both render it "a
covering of hyacinthine skin." The later Jews would have no knowledge of the
marine animals common on the shores of the Red Sea. A cloth wholly of blue. This
was the distinctive outer, and therefore Visible, covering of the most sacred thing,
the ark.
7 “Over the table of the Presence they are to
spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes
and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the
bread that is continually there is to remain on it.
GILL, "And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue,....
That that also might not be seen nor touched by the Levites:
and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and the covers to
cover withal: all which belonged to the shewbread table; the use of which; see Gill on
Exo_25:29; these seem to be put not immediately upon the table, but upon the blue
cloth spread over the table:
and the continual bread shall be thereon: the shewbread is called "continual",
because it was always on the table; for while the one was removing by a set of priests,
which had stood a week, new loaves were placed by another set of priests: this bread
seems at this time to be placed also upon the table, spread with the blue cloth; and from
hence it appears, that the Israelites had the shewbread in the wilderness; for the making
of which they might be supplied with corn from the neighbouring countries, though they
themselves needed not any, being daily fed with manna.
JAMISON, "continual showbread — Though the people were in the wilderness
fed upon manna, the sacred loaves were constantly made of corn, which was probably
raised in small quantities from the verdant patches of the desert.
K&D 7-8, "Over the table of shew-bread (Exo_25:23) they were to spread a hyacinth
cloth, to place the plates, bowls, wine-pitchers, and drink-offering bowls (Exo_25:29)
upon the top of this, and to lay shew-bread thereon; and then to spread a crimson cloth
over these vessels and the shew-bread, and cover this with a sea-cow skin, and lastly to
19

put the bearing poles in their places.
POOLE, " Of shew-bread, Heb. of faces or presence, for of the bread of faces or
presence, i.e. of the bread which was continually standing in the presence of the
Lord.
The dishes, upon which the shew-bread was put.
The continual bread, i.e. shew-bread; so called because it was continually to be
there, even in the wilderness; where though they had only manna for themselves, yet
they reserved corn for the weekly making of these loaves, which they might with no
great difficulty procure from some of the people bordering upon the wilderness in
the innermost parts whereof they were.
BENSON, "Numbers 4:7. The dishes — Upon which the show-bread was put.
Continual bread — So called because it was continually to be there, even in the
wilderness; where, though they had only manna for themselves, yet they reserved
corn for the weekly making of these loaves.
COKE, " (7) And covers to cover withal.—Better, and the cups for the drink-
offering (or libation).
And the continual bread.—The shew-bread is so called because it was renewed
every Sabbath day, and was continually before the face of the Lord even (as it
appears from this verse) during the marches of the Israelites through the desert
(Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:5).
PULPIT, "The dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal.
Rather, "the plates, the bowls, the wine pitchers, and the chalices for pouring out,"
i.e; the drink offerings. The two first seem to have been used in the meat offering,
the two last in the drink offering.
8 They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them,
cover that with the durable leather and put the
poles in place.
20

GILL, "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 Num_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 Exo_25:27; and the same phrase being
used as here of the staves of the ark in Num_4:6; seems to confirm the sense of them
there, that they were taken out and put in upon this occasion, though otherwise fixed.
PULPIT, "Shall put in the staves thereof. This formula is repeated alike with
reference to the ark, the table, and the two altars. It would therefore be natural to
suppose that the staves had all been taken out while the various coverings were put
on. On the other hand, it is expressly directed in Exodus 25:15 that the staves of the
ark shall "not be taken from it." Two explanations are possible. Either the former
command does not contemplate the necessity of wrapping up the ark, and only
applies to all times when it was at rest, or in movement; or else the latter direction
only means, in the ease of the ark, that the staves should be adjusted for the purpose
of bearing.
9 “They are to take a blue cloth and cover the
stand that is for light, together with its lamps, its
wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the
olive oil used to supply it.
GILL, "And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the
light, and his lamps,.... Which had lamps in it, and were continually lighted, and gave
light in the holy place:
and his tongs, and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof,
wherewith they minister unto it; by supplying the lamps with oil, and snuffing and
trimming them.
21

K&D 9-10, "The candlestick, with its lamps, snuffers, extinguishers (Exo_25:31-37),
and all its oil-vessels (oil-cans), “wherewith they serve it,” i.e., prepare it for the holy
service, were to be covered with a hyacinth cloth, and then with a wrapper of sea-cow
skin, and laid upon the carriage. ‫ת‬ ‫מ‬ (Num_4:10 and Num_4:12), bearing frame, in
Num_13:23 bearing poles.
PULPIT, "Snuff-dishes. Some render this word "extinguishers," but it could hardly
bear that meaning, since it also signifies censers in Numbers 16:6, and fire-pans in
Exodus 27:3. They were evidently shallow metal pans available for many different
purposes.
10 Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories
in a covering of the durable leather and put it on a
carrying frame.
GILL, "And they shall put it, and all the vessels thereof, within a covering of
badgers' skins,.... Which here also was the outermost covering; the ark and the
shewbread table had three coverings, but the candlestick only two, they being more
sacred than that, especially the ark:
and shall put it upon a bar; the word "mot" perhaps signifies a kind of mat or
mattress, on which the candlestick and its vessels, bundled together in the covering of
the badgers' skins, were laid and carried between men on staves; and so the Septuagint
render the word "staves"; as does the Targum of Onkelos.
JAMISON, "a bar — or bier, formed of two poles fastened by two cross pieces and
borne by two men, after the fashion of a sedan chair.
22

11 “Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue
cloth and cover that with the durable leather and
put the poles in place.
GILL, "And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue,.... The
altar of incense, which was overlaid with gold, and therefore called a golden one, to
which the allusion is in Rev_8:3,
and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins; after the cloth of blue was spread
upon it:
and shall put to the staves thereof; into the rings, both made to bear and carry it,
upon occasion, from place to place.
K&D 11-12, "So again they were to wrap up the altar of incense (Exo_30:1), to adjust
its bearing poles; and having wrapped it up in such coverings, along with the vessels
belonging to it, to lay it upon the frame.
BENSON, "Verse 11-12
Numbers 4:11-12. The golden altar — All covered with plates of gold. The
instruments of ministry — The sacred garments used by the priests in their holy
ministrations. Cover them — All these coverings were designed, 1st, For safety, that
these holy things might not be sullied by rain, or tarnished by the sun. 2d, For
decency, most of them had a cloth of blue, or purple, or scarlet over them; the ark, a
cloth wholly of blue, perhaps an emblem of the azure skies, which are spread
between us and the Majesty on high. 3d, For concealment. It was a fit sign of the
darkness of that dispensation. The holy things were then covered. But Christ hath
now destroyed the face of the covering.
COKE, "(11) And shall put to the staves thereof.—Better, And shall put in the
staves thereof, as in Numbers 4:6; Numbers 4:8; so also in Numbers 4:14.
12 “They are to take all the articles used for
ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue
23

cloth, cover that with the durable leather and put
them on a carrying frame.
GILL, "And they shall take all the instruments of ministry,
wherewith they minister in the sanctuary,.... The garments in which the priests,
ministered in the sanctuary, which were laid up in proper places, and which they only
wore when in service:
and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers'
skins; all wrapped up in one bundle:
and shall put them on a bar; the same sort of carriage on which the candlestick and
its vessels were borne; see Gill on Num_4:10.
JAMISON, "instruments of ministry — the official dress of the priests (Exo_
31:10).
PULPIT, "All the instruments of ministry. These do not seem to be, at any rate
exclusively, the vessels pertaining to the golden altar. They are not packed up with
it, but separately, in a blue cloth and a skin covering of their own. Probably they
include all the vessels and utensils used inside the tabernacle which have not been
previously mentioned.
13 “They are to remove the ashes from the bronze
altar and spread a purple cloth over it.
GILL, "And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a
purple cloth thereon. Having cleared the holy of holies, and the holy place, they were
to come forth from thence into the court of the tabernacle, where stood the altar of burnt
offering, which is here meant, and on which sacrifices being daily burnt, there were
always ashes to be removed; and which at this time was highly necessary to be done,
24

when the tabernacle was taken down, and all belonging to it to be carried away; and
though no mention is made of the fire, which was always burning on it, it was doubtless
preserved, and care was taken for the carrying it along with the altar, or in a separate
vessel from it. Bishop Patrick supposes it might be carried upon the grate.
JAMISON, "shall take away the ashes from the altar, etc. — The necessity of
removing ashes from the altar plainly implies that sacrifices were offered in the
wilderness (compare Exo_18:12; Exo_24:4), though that rebellious race seems
frequently to have neglected the duty (Amo_5:25). No mention is made of the sacred
fire; but as, by divine command, it was to be kept constantly burning, it must have been
transferred to some pan or brazier under the covering, and borne by the appointed
carriers.
K&D 13-14, "The altar of burnt-offering was first of all to be cleansed from the ashes;
a crimson cloth was then to be covered over it, and the whole of the furniture belonging
to it to be placed upon the top; and lastly, the whole was to be covered with a sea-cow
skin. The only thing not mentioned is the copper laver (Exo_30:18), probably because it
was carried without any cover at all. The statement in the Septuagint and the Samaritan
text, which follows Num_4:14. respecting its covering and conveyance upon a frame, is
no doubt a spurious interpolation.
POOLE, "From the altar of burnt-offerings; whereby it may seem probable, though
it be denied by most, that they did offer some sacrifices in the wilderness, though it
may not be so frequently nor orderly as afterwards they did. Whence else were these
ashes? And there are some undeniable instances of their sacrificing there, as Exodus
18:12 24:4 Num 7, &c.; from which it seems rational to conclude that they did offer
sacrifices at other times, though not so constantly and diligently as they did in
Canaan. And for the argument against it from Amos 5:25, that may be easily
dissolved, as we shall there see, if the Lord please. Moreover the taking away of the
ashes only doth sufficiently imply that the fire was preserved, which as it came down
from heaven, Le 9, so it was by God’s command to be continually fed and kept
burning, and therefore doubtless was put into some vessel, which might be either
fastened to the altar and put within this covering, or carried by some person
appointed thereunto.
BENSON, "Numbers 4:13. Shall take away the ashes from the altar — Hence we
may conclude, that they did offer sacrifices at other times, though not so constantly
and diligently as they did in Canaan. Moreover the taking away of the ashes only
doth sufficiently imply that the fire was preserved, which, as it came down from
heaven, (Leviticus 9.,) so it was by God’s command to be continually fed and kept
burning, and therefore doubtless was put into some vessel, which might be either
fastened to the altar, and put within this covering, or carried by some person
appointed thereunto.
25

COKE, "(13) And they shall take away the ashes from the altar.—In Exodus 27:3
we find a direction to make pans for removing the ashes from the brazen altar, and
also to make all the brazen vessels mentioned in the next verse.
PULPIT, "Take away the ashes. This is omitted by the Septuagint. The Hebrew
word for "ashes is of somewhat doubtful meaning, being only used here and in
Exodus 27:3; Psalms 20:3. Being connected with the word "fat," it may perhaps
mean the grease or dripping from the burnt offerings. The Targum of Palestine
renders it "cinders." As the altar was hollow, and was filled with earth or stones
when used, there would be no need to cleanse it from ashes; if this be the meaning of
the word, the command would rather have been to collect the living embers before
the altar was removed, in order to keep alive the sacred fire. That this fire was never
allowed to go out may be looked upon as certain.
14 Then they are to place on it all the utensils used
for ministering at the altar, including the firepans,
meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it
they are to spread a covering of the durable
leather and put the poles in place.
GILL, "And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof,.... Upon the altar
covered with a blue cloth; on that were to be put everything belonging to the altar:
wherewith they minister about it; the priests, when they offered sacrifice on it:
even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basins,
all the vessels of the altar; of which see Exo_27:3,
POOLE, "Amongst all these vessels here and above named there is no mention of
the brazen laver though that be elsewhere. reckoned among the holy things, as
Exodus 35:16 38:8 39:39 40:30, whereof possibly the reason may be because it was
not covered, as not being capable of much hurt by the weather; though some ancient
26

translations of the Bible do here add these words, They shall take a purple covering,
and cover the laver, &c.
15 “After Aaron and his sons have finished
articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only
then are the Kohathites to come and do the
carrying. But they must not touch the holy things
or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those
things that are in the tent of meeting.
GILL, "And when Aaron and his sons had made an end of covering the
sanctuary,.... Not the holy place, nor the most holy place, for these were not covered by
them; but "the holy things" in them, as the Septuagint version, the ark, shewbread table,
&c. and all "the vessels of the sanctuary"; all appertaining to those holy things, which are
before mentioned. Jarchi interprets the "sanctuary", or the "holiness", of the ark and
altar:
and all the vessels of the sanctuary; of the candlestick and the instruments of
ministry:
as the camp is to set forward; which made the covering of them necessary, in order
to their being carried as that moved:
after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it; or rather them, all the holy
things, and their vessels, and that upon their shoulders:
but they shall not touch any holy thing; even in bearing them, neither the ark nor
any other, only the staves and bar, on which they were carried: lest they die; by the
immediate hand of God:
these things are the burden of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle of the
congregation; the above things, the ark, &c. which they were to bear on their
shoulders, and not make use of wagons to carry them.
JAMISON, "the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it, but they shall not
27

touch any holy thing, lest they die — The mode of transport was upon the shoulders
of the Levites (see on Num_7:9), although afterwards wheeled vehicles were employed
(2Sa_6:3; 1Ch_15:12). And it was allowed to touch the covering, but not the things
covered, on the penalty of death, which was inflicted more than once (1Sa_6:19; 2Sa_
6:6, 2Sa_6:7). This stern denunciation was designed to inspire a sentiment of deep and
habitual reverence in the minds of those who were officially engaged about holy things.
K&D, "After the priests had completed the wrapping up of all these things, the
Kohathites were to come up to carry them; but they were not to touch “the holy” (the
holy things), lest they should die (see Num_1:53; Num_18:3, and comp. 2Sa_6:6-7).
POOLE, " The sons of Kohath shall bear it, to wit upon their shoulders, not upon
carts or waggons, as appears from Numbers 7:9, the neglect of which order did
provoke the Lord, 2 Samuel 6:6,7 1 Chronicles 13:7 15:12, &c. Afterward the priests
themselves, being multiplied, carried these things, as appears from Deuteronomy
31:9 Joshua 3:6 8:33 1 Samuel 4:4, though the Levites also were not excluded, 2
Chronicles 5:5. They shall not to any holy thing; immediately, or before they be
covered. Lest they die, as some did for that sin. See 1 Samuel 6:19 2 Samuel 6:6,7.
BENSON, "Numbers 4:15. Bear it — Upon their shoulders. Afterward the priests
themselves, being multiplied, carried these things, though the Levites were not
excluded. They shall not touch — Before they are covered.
COKE, " (15) And all the vessels of the sanctuary.—No mention is here made of the
laver (Exodus 30:18). The LXX. and the Samaritan text supply a statement
respecting the covering and conveyance of the brazen laver. The clause in the LXX.
is as follows :—“And they shall take a purple cloth, and cover the laver and its foot
(or base), and they shall put it into a blue cover of skin, and put it on bars.” There is
no sufficient ground. however, for supposing that the present Hebrew text is
deficient in this place; and it seems more probable to suppose that the laver was not
to be covered during its transport.
After that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it.—Better, to bear, or carry—viz.,
the whole of the vessels of ministry which had been previously enumerated. The
distinction between the service of the priests and that of the Levites in regard to the
removal of the Tabernacle and its furniture is here clearly marked.
But they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.—The word which is rendered
“any holy thing” may here, as elsewhere, denote the sanctuary. This injunction is
repeated in Numbers 18:3. We find in 2 Samuel 6:6-7 an instance of the fatal result
of the violation of this command by Uzzah, who being, as is most probable, a Levite,
and of the family of Kohath, ought to have been acquainted with the law respecting
the removal of the Ark. It is obvious that the Kohathites, as the immediate assistants
of the priests, in regard to the vessels of the Sanctuary, were specially exposed to the
28

risk of violating the law by touching the most holy things.
PULPIT, "These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath. One thing which the
Kohathites almost certainly had to carry is omitted here, possibly because it was
carried without any cover at all, and was not regarded as of equal sanctity with the
rest. Anyhow, the omission is very remarkable, and may have been accidental. It is
supplied by the Septuagint and the Samaritan text in the following addition to
Numbers 4:14 : "And they shall take a purple cloth, and cover the laver and its foot,
and they shall put it into a hyacinthine cover of skin, and put it on bars." The
burdens of the Kohathites were six, not counting the laver and its foot:
16 “Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have
charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense,
the regular grain offering and the anointing oil.
He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and
everything in it, including its holy furnishings and
articles.”
GILL, "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, &c.''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, &c. (z);''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 Exo_27:20,
and the sweet incense: to burn on the altar of incense, Exo_30:34,
and the daily meat offering; offered with the lambs morning and evening, Exo_
29:40,
and the anointing oil; with which Aaron and his sons were anointed, the tabernacle
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and all its vessels, Exo_30:23,
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, &c.
were his immediate oversight and care; but the oversight of these by his brother
Ithamar, according to the Jewish writers.
HENRY, "2. Eleazar, now the eldest son of Aaron, is appointed overseer of the
Kohathites in this service (Num_4:16); he must take care that nothing was forgotten, left
behind, or displaced. As a priest he had more honour than the Levites, but then he had
more care; and that care was a heavier burden, no doubt, upon his heart, than all the
burdens that were laid upon their shoulders. It is much easier to do the work of the
tabernacle than to discharge the trusts of it, to obey than to rule.
JAMISON, "to the office of Eleazar ... pertaineth the oil for the light, and
the sweet incense, etc. — He was charged with the special duty of superintending the
squadron who were employed in the carrying of the sacred furniture; besides, to his
personal care were committed the materials requisite for the daily service, and which it
was necessary he should have easily at his command (Exo_29:38).
K&D, "The oversight of the oil for the candlestick (Exo_27:20), the incense (Exo_
30:34), the continual meat-offering (Exo_29:40), and the anointing oil (Exo_30:23),
belonged to Eleazar as the head of all the Levites (Num_3:32). He had also the oversight
of the dwelling and all the holy things and furniture belonging to it; and, as a
comparison of Num_4:28 and Num_4:33 clearly shows, of the services of the
Kohathites also.
POOLE, " i.e. He himself is to carry these things, and not to commit them to the
sons of Kohath. The daily meat-offering of fine flour, which was to be offered every
morning and evening with the daily burnt-offering. See Exodus 29:38,39.
The oversight of all the tabernacle, i.e. the care that all the things above mentioned
be carried by the persons and in the manner expressed.
BENSON, "Numbers 4:16. Eleazar — He himself is to carry these things, and not to
commit them to the sons of Kohath. The oversight — The care that all the things
above mentioned be carried by the persons and in the manner expressed.
COKE, " (16) The oil for the light.—Or, for the candlestick (Exodus 25:6).
The sweet incense.—Or, the incense of spices (Exodus 25:6).
The daily meat offering.—Better, the continual meat offering—i.e., the morning and
30

evening minchah (Exodus 29:38-42).
The anointing oil.—i.e., “the oil of holy ointment” with which the tent of meeting,
the vessels of the Sanctuary, and the priests were to be anointed (Exodus 30:23-31).
PULPIT, "To the office of Eleazar,… oversight. Septuagint, ἐπίσκοπος ελεάζαρ …:
ἡ ἑπισκοπὴ. On him was laid the oversight of and the responsibility for all the
material appliances of Divine worship, and in especial it devolved upon him to see to
the oil, the incense, and the chrism, and the materials for the daily meat offering. No
doubt it is intended, although not precisely expressed, that the Kohathites were
specially under his orders.
17 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
GILL, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,.... And gave them a
very solemn and awful charge about this affair of the Kohathites, it being a very
hazardous one they were employed in:
JAMISON 17-20, "Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites
from among the Levites, etc. — a solemn admonition to Moses and Aaron to beware,
lest, by any negligence on their part, disorder and improprieties should creep in, and to
take the greatest care that all the parts of this important service be apportioned to the
proper parties, lest the Kohathites should be disqualified for their high and honorable
duties. The guilt of their death would be incurred by the superintending priest, if he
failed to give proper directions or allowed any irreverent familiarity with sacred things.
K&D, "In order to prevent as far as possible any calamity from befalling the Levites
while carrying the most holy things, the priests are again urged by the command of God
to do what has already been described in detail in Num_4:5-15, lest through any
carelessness on their part they should cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites,
i.e., should cause their destruction; viz., if they should approach the holy things before
they had been wrapped up by Aaron and his sons in the manner prescribed and handed
over to them to carry. If the Kohathites should come for only a single moment to look at
the holy things, they would die. ‫יתוּ‬ ִ‫ר‬ ְ‫כ‬ ַ‫ל־תּ‬ ַ‫,א‬ “cut ye not off,” i.e., “take care that the
Kohathites are not cut off through your mistake and negligence” (Ros.). “The tribe of the
31

families of the Kohathites:” shebet, the tribe, is not used here, as it frequently is, in its
derivative sense of tribe (Tribus), but in the original literal sense of stirps.
COFFMAN, ""And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Cut ye not
off the tribe of the families of Kohathites from among the Levites; but thus do unto
them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy
things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and
to his burden; but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest
they die."
The meaning of this somewhat ambiguous passage was given thus by Keil:
"In order to prevent as far as possible any calamity from falling upon the Levites
while carrying the most holy things, the priests are again urged by the command of
God to do all that has already been prescribed (Numbers 4:5-15), lest through any
carelessness on their part they should cut off the tribes of the families of the
Kohathites, cause their destruction through their approaching the holy things
before they had been properly wrapped by Aaron's sons."[11]
18 “See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not
destroyed from among the Levites.
GILL, "Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among
the Levites. Or give no occasion, as the Targum of Jonathan; or be not the cause of
their cutting off, as Jarchi, through negligence or inadvertency of theirs, in packing up
the above things, and delivering them to them.
HENRY 18-20, "3. Great care must be taken to preserve the lives of these Levites, by
preventing their unseasonable irreverent approach to the most holy things: Cut you not
off the Kohathites, Num_4:18. Note, Those who do not what they can to keep others
from sin do what they can to cut them off. [1.] The Kohathites must not see the holy
things till the priests had covered them, Num_4:20. Even those that bore the vessels of
the Lord saw not what they bore, so much were even those in the dark concerning the
gospel whose office it was to expound the law. And, [2.] When the holy things were
covered, they might not touch them, at least not the ark, called here the holy thing, upon
pain of death, Num_4:15. Uzza was struck dead for the breach of this law. Thus were the
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Lord's ministers themselves then kept in fear, and that was a dispensation of terror, as
well as darkness; but now, through Christ, the case is altered; we have seen with our
eyes, and our hands have handles, the word of life (1Jo_1:1), and we are encouraged to
come boldly to the throne of grace.
BENSON, "Verse 18-19
Numbers 4:18-19. Cut not off — Do not by your neglect, provoke God to cut them
off for touching the holy things. Every one to his service — To that which is
peculiarly allotted to him, the services and burdens being equally distributed among
them.
COKE, "Numbers 4:18. Cut ye not off the tribe, &c.— The meaning of this, as
explained in the following verses, is, "Do not, by omitting to instruct the Kohathites
what they are to do in the service to which they are appointed, occasion them to be
cut off and to perish by a neglectful and irreverent performance of their ministry."
REFLECTIONS.—Since no Levite was capable of ministering till twenty-five or
thirty years of age, nor longer than fifty, a new review is made to select these from
their brethren. Ministers have need of much wisdom and solidity: youthful novices,
it is to be feared, will discredit their holy calling. They are to enter the host, and do
the work of the tabernacle: the ministry is not a calling of ease, but labour; they who
take it upon them, need approve themselves hardy and good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
As in all our removes we must take God and his worship with us, charge is given
about the tabernacle; the carriage of the noblest part of it is committed to the sons
of Kohath. Aaron and his sons must take down and cover all the holy things; the
Levites may not touch nor see them: this dispensation was dark, a vail covered it,
which vail is done away in Christ. Eleazar must take care both of their burdens and
persons, lest by transgressing they should be cut off. The charge of men's lives is
great; but how much greater the charge of immortal souls! Ithamar had the charge
of the other families; Gershon took care of the drapery, and Merari of the more
heavy carriage of the tabernacle. Every pin must be produced, and nothing be lost.
Note; (1.) Every tittle of God's word is precious, and to be preserved with sacred
reverence. (2.) When this earthly tabernacle of our bodies shall be dissolved, as our
souls under the conduct of the divine Eleazar go before, our bodies shall follow, and
on the Resurrection-day a glorious tabernacle be raised up again, which never more
shall be taken down or removed.
COKE, "(18) Cut ye not off the tribe . . . —The word shebet (tribe) is here used in a
very peculiar sense, and denotes one division only of the tribe of Levi. In this and
the following verses the injunction already given (Numbers 5:15) is renewed, and
Moses and Aaron are charged not to be guilty of such negligence in respect of it as
might expose the Kohathites to death in consequence of their unlawful treatment of
the holy things. Moses and Aaron might be said to do that which would be the result
of their negligence. In like manner St. Paul enjoins the Roman Christians in these
33

words: “Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died” (Romans 14:15).
PULPIT, "Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites. The word tribe
(shebet) is used in an unusual way here, not in the sense of tribus, but of stirps.
Perhaps as Levi was himself a microcosm of all Israel, so his families ranked as
tribes; and no doubt they remained more distinct than the families of any other
tribe. The meaning of the command is plainly this, "Take care that the Kohathites
are not cut off through any negligence or want of consideration on your part; and
the form of the command, "cut ye not off," conveyed most emphatically the
warning, that if any mischief befell the Kohathites which the priests could have
prevented, they would be responsible for it in the sight of God. No doubt, as a fact,
the Kohathites would take their cue from the conduct of the priests: if they were
irreverent and careless, the Levites would be the same, and would sooner or later
presume, and, presuming, would die.
19 So that they may live and not die when they
come near the most holy things, do this for them:
Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary
and assign to each man his work and what he is to
carry.
GILL, "But thus do unto them,.... As after directed:
that they may live and not die; live long, and not die a sudden and violent death:
when they approach unto the most holy things; the ark, the shewbread table, &c.
to take them up and carry them:
Aaron and his sons shall go in; into the holy and most holy places:
and appoint them in everyone to his service, and to his burden; what everyone
shall do, and how they shall take them up, and bear them.
K&D, "“This do to them:” sc., what is prescribed in Num_4:5-15 with reference to
their service.
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PARKER, ""Every one to his service and to his burden."— Numbers 4:19
Another aspect of individuality.—This is the individuality of endurance as the
former was the individuality of service.—As a matter of fact every man has a
burden of his own.—"Bear ye one another"s burdens."—The burden is adapted to
the man who bears it.—It is easy to exhort another man to carry his burden, but
here as everywhere example is better than precept.—There is no limit to the
influence of example in this matter.—People are looking on and drawing their
conclusions as to what can be done under circumstances of distress, and sometimes
they are shamed into greater resoluteness by the bravery which they note in
others.—A difference is always to be marked between the burdens which we make
for ourselves, and the burdens which are appointed by God. It is profane to create a
burden by our own wickedness and then to speak of the mysteries of divine
providence.—Let a man examine himself carefully: to live is to endure trial; to be in
the world is to feel somewhat of its cruel pressure; but besides this there may be the
special burden of infirmity, temper, appetite, or some form of selfishness.—How
jealous are some hearts! how peevish are some spirits! how narrow in conception
are some minds! how resentful are some tempers! Every man must examine himself
in the light of such suggestions and determine the magnitude and weight of his own
burden.—But the text speaks not only of burden but of service.—Every man has his
own gift of God.—The service is one, although the servants have different work to
do.—Each man must find out what he can do best.—For want of this definiteness of
conception much energy is misspent or utterly wasted.—Infinite mischief arises
from the supposition that all men should serve alike.—"Every one of us shall give
account of himself to God."—The doorkeeper will not be blamed because he was
not high-priest; the least of the brethren will not be overlooked because he did not
hold high office.—The spirit of the Bible is thus just to human nature in all its
variety of gifts and opportunity.—There is no indiscriminateness or confusion in
Bible judgments.—Of one it was said, "She hath done what she could."—This is the
spirit by which the judgment of all workers will be determined.
MEYER, "Numbers 4:19
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer
Every one to his service and to his burden.
Is this what the Apostle referred to when he said that every man should bear his
own burden? There are burdens which we cannot share or depute, to bear which we
need special grace, and must continually seek the aid of the Divine Spirit.
The burden of our own existence. — Each of us must give an account of himself to
God. We were created for a specific purpose; and our failure to fulfil it cannot be
35

settled on another. God will require each man’s soul of himself. “Every one of us
shall give account of himself to God” (see note Romans 14:12). You have a charge to
keep, a soul to save, and a God to glorify.
The burden of our life-work. — What makest thou in the world? The Maker of all
waits for thee to enter his great workshop and become his apprentice and co-
worker. To be an idler, or an absentee, will land thee in inevitable disgrace. The
appointed place cannot be left vacant, and thy tools untouched, save at thy grave
peril.
The burden of the souls of others. — We are our brothers’ keepers, liable at any
moment to be called upon to give an account of how they fare; and we cannot rid
ourselves of this responsibility by annual donations or subscriptions to charitable or
missionary institutions.
The burden of daily intercession. — Jesus bears the burdens of his people as He
intercedes for them in heaven; and there is a sense in which we are called to bear up
his hands in this holy service. We must consider the work of daily prayer for his
Church, for sufferers, and for the world, as part of the burden of the Lord, allotted
to us because we are members of his body.
20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the
holy things, even for a moment, or they will
die.”
GILL, "But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered,....
They were not to be present while they were packing up, test they should see any of them
with their eyes; they were not to go in until they were quite covered out of sight; which
may signify the hiding of the mysteries of grace in those things under the former
dispensation, when even the Levites themselves were not admitted to a sight of them;
see Eph_3:4,
lest they die; by the immediate hand of God.
K&D, "‫ע‬ַ‫לּ‬ ַ‫ב‬ ְ‫,כּ‬ “like a swallow, a gulp,” is probably a proverbial expression, according
to the analogy of Job_7:19, for “a single instant,” of which the Arabic also furnishes
36

examples (see A. Schultens on Job_7:19). The Sept. rendering, ἐξάπινα, conveys the
actual sense. A historical illustration of Num_4:20 is furnished by 1Sa_6:19.
(Note: According to Knobel, Num_4:17-20 have been interpolated by the Jehovist
into the Elohistic text. But the reasons for this assumption are weak throughout.
Neither the peculiar use of the word shebet, to which there is no corresponding
parallel in the whole of the Old Testament, nor the construction of ‫ַשׁ‬‫ג‬ָ‫נ‬ with ‫ת‬ ֵ‫,א‬
which is only met with in 1Sa_9:18 and 1Sa_30:21, nor the Hiphil ‫ית‬ ִ‫ר‬ ְ‫כ‬ ִ‫,ה‬ can be
regarded as criteria of a Jehovistic usage. And the assertion, that the Elohist lays the
emphasis upon approaching and touching the holy things (Num_4:15; Num_8:19;
Num_18:3, Num_18:22), and not upon seeing or looking at them, rests upon an
antithesis which is arbitrarily forced upon the text, since not only seeing (Num_4:20),
but touching also (Num_4:19), is described as causing death; so that seeing and
touching form no antithesis at all.)
COKE, "(20) But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered.—
Better, But they shall not go in to see the holy things (or, the sanctuary) for a
moment. The Levites were not per-mitted to enter the holy place in which the priests
ministered, much less the Holy of Holies. Whether this rule was or was not relaxed
at the time of the removal of the Tabernacle, as the prohibition against entrance into
the Holy of Holies must have been in regard to the priests, the Levites were not
permitted in any case to look upon the Ark and the other holy things until they were
covered.
PULPIT, "They shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered. This
translation is disputed. The word rendered "are covered" is the Piel infinitive from
bala, to swallow, and so to destroy. It may signify the extreme rapidity with which
the most holy things were hidden from sight and removed from touch, so as to
become, as it were, non-existent for the time. So the Syriac, Arabic, Samaritan, and
the Targums of Onkelos and Palestine. On the other hand, it may be a proverbial
expression, "in a swallow, at a gulp," i.e; "for an instant,'' as in Job 7:19. And so the
Septuagint, ἐξάπινα, and most modern scholars. Whichever way, however, we take
it, the phrase, "they shall not go in to see," seems to limit the prohibition under pain
of death to the deliberate act of entering the tabernacle out of curiosity during the
process of packing up the holy things. The case of the men of Bethshemesh,
therefore (1 Samuel 6:19), does not fall within the letter of this law, although it does
within its spirit. The command, thus limited, is no doubt an addition to the previous
command not to touch, but it is altogether in keeping with it. If it was the will of
God to hedge about these sacred symbols of his presence and his worship with an
awful sanctity, it is obvious that he was as much bound to defend them against the
irreverent prying of the eye as against the irreverent touch of the hand; and the
prying here prohibited would have been distinctly willful and inexcusable.
37

The Gershonites
21 The Lord said to Moses,
BARNES, "And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... Though Aaron is not mentioned
here, he was concerned in taking the sum of the Gershonites, as well as of the
Kohathites, as appears from Num_4:41,
GILL, "The service of the Gershonites is introduced in Num_4:21-23 in the same
manner as that of the Kohathites in Num_4:1-3; and in Num_4:24-26 it is described in
accordance with the brief notice and explanation already given in Num_3:24-26.
HENRY 21-33, "We have here the charge of the other two families of the Levites,
which, though not so honourable as the first, yet was necessary, and was to be done
regularly. 1. The Gershonites were charged with all the drapery of the tabernacle, the
curtains, and hangings, and the coverings of badgers' skins, Num_4:22-26. These they
were to take down when the cloud removed, and the ark and the rest of the holy things
were carried away, to pack up and bring with them, and then to set up again, where the
cloud rested. Aaron and his sons allotted to them their respective charge: “You shall take
care of such a curtain, and you of such a hanging, that every one may know his work, and
there may be no confusion,” Num_4:27. Ithamar particularly was to take the oversight of
them, Num_4:28. 2. The Merarites were charged with the heavy carriage, the boards
and bars, the pillars and sockets, the pins and cords, and these were delivered to them by
name, Num_4:31, Num_4:32. An inventory was given them of every particular, that it
might be forthcoming, and nothing to seek, when the tabernacle was to be set up again.
Though these seemed of less importance than the other things pertaining to the
sanctuary, yet there was this care taken of them, to teach us with the greatest exactness
to preserve pure and entire all divine institutions, and to take care that nothing be lost. It
also intimates the care God takes of his church, and every member of it; the good
Shepherd calls his own sheep by name, Joh_10:3. Here were thousands of men
employed about these services, though a much less number would have served for the
bearing of those burdens; but it was requisite that the tabernacle should be taken down,
and set up, with great expedition, and many hands would make quick work, especially
when every one knew his work. They had tents of their own to take care of, and to take
along with them, but the young men under thirty, and the old men above fifty, might
serve for them; nor is there any mention of them, for God's house must always be
preferred before our own. Their care was preposterous who built and ceiled their own
houses while God's house lay waste, Hag_1:4, Hag_1:9. The death of the saints is
represented as the taking down of the tabernacle (2Co_5:1), and the putting of it off,
2Pe_1:14. The immortal soul, like the most holy things, is first covered and taken away,
38

Numbers 4 commentary

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Numbers 4 commentary