1 The age at which the Levites were to begin to serve, and the duration of the service
4 The duty of the Kohathites
16 The charge of Eleazar
17 The office of the priests
21 The duty of the Gershonites
29 Of the Merarites
34 The number of the Kohathites
38 Of the Gershonites
42 And of the Merarites

2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

Nu 3:19,27

3 From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

thirty years Nu 8:24-26 Ge 41:46 1Ch 23:3,24-27 28:12,13 Lu 3:23 1Ti 3:6

enter 2Ki 11:4-12 2Ch 23:1-11 2Co 10:3,4 Eph 6:10-18 1Ti 1:18

to do Nu 3:7,8 16:9 1Ch 6:48 23:4,5,28-32 1Ti 3:1

4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

Nu 4:15,19,24,30 3:30,31 Mr 13:34

5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:

and when Nu 2:16,17 10:14

Aaron shall come. The law prohibiting any person, except the high priest on one day in the year, to enter into the most holy place, must have admitted an exception while the Israelites were in the wilderness; that exception, therefore, is here expressly made; and the directions given respecting it must be religiously observed, or the service could not be safely performed. While the cloud rested on the tabernacle, the general rule was in force; but when it was removed, then the priests might enter to prepare the sacred vessels for removal. Nu 4:15 3:27-32

they shall Ex 26:31-33 36:35 40:3 Isa 25:7 Mt 27:51 Heb 9:3 10:20

and cover Ex 25:10-22 37:1-9 2Sa 6:2-9

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

badgers' skins. This was not the covering of badgers' skins made for the tabernacle, which was carried by the Gershonites, but one made for the purpose of concealing and sheltering the ark when it was to be carried. a cloth. Nu 4:7,8,11-13 Ex 35:19 39:1,41

and shall put, Wesamoo baddaiv, rather, 'and adjust the staves thereof;' i.e. dispose them rightly under the covering, that they might be laid on their shoulders; for the staves were never taken out of the rings. the staves Ex 25:13-15 1Ki 8:7,8

7 And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:

the table Ex 25:23-30 37:10-16 Le 24:5-8

cover withal, or, pour out withal. the continual. The Israelites, without doubt, were able to procure corn enough from the adjacent countries, even when in the wilderness, to make the shewbread, and to present the daily meat offerings.

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

Nu 4:6,7,9,11-13

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

Ex 25:31-39 37:17-24 Ps 119:105 Re 1:20 2:1

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

Nu 4:6,12

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

Ex 30:1-19 37:25-28 39:38 40:5,26,27

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

Nu 4:7,9 3:8 Ex 25:9 31:10 2Ki 25:14,15 1Ch 9:29 1Ch 4:11,16,19,22

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

The embers of the sacred fire seem to have been removed in the grate, which was carried apart from the brazen altar; both being covered from view by purple cloths. Nu 4:6-9,11,12 Ex 27:3-5 39:1,41 Le 6:12,13

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

all the vessels thereof Ex 38:1-7 2Ch 4:19

basons, or bowls

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

after that Nu 7:9 10:21 De 31:9 Jos 4:10 2Sa 6:13 1Ch 15:2,15

they shall Nu 3:38 Ex 19:12 1Sa 6:19 2Sa 6:6,7 1Ch 13:9,10 Heb 12:18-29

these things Nu 3:30,31

16 And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

the office. Eleazar himself, perhaps with the other priests, was required to carry the oil for the light, the incense, and the flour for the daily meat offering, and the holy ointment; besides superintending the Levites. It may be supposed, that he himself carried no more of the oil than for present use Nu 3:32

the oil Ex 25:6 27:20,21 Le 24:2

the sweet Ex 30:34-38

the daily Ex 29:39-41

the anointing Ex 30:23-33

the oversight Lu 4:18 Ac 20:28 1Co 4:1 1Ti 2:5 Heb 3:1,6 1Pe 2:25 5:1

17 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying,

no reference

18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:

Eleazar and the priests would be chargeable with the death of the Kohathites, if they failed to give them proper cautions and directions; or permitted them to gaze with irreverence or curiosity upon the holy things, which they might carry, but not see. Nu 16:32 17:10 18:5 Ex 19:21 Le 10:1,2 1Sa 6:19 2Sa 6:6,7 Jer 38:23

19 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:

the most holy Nu 4:4

20 But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

they shall Nu 4:15,19 Ex 19:21 Le 10:2 1Sa 6:19 Heb 10:19,20 Re 11:19

the holy things. Haakkodesh, 'the holy' or 'sanctuary' i.e. the ark, as the Jews generally understand it; and with good reason, as any one may be convinced, who compared 1Ki 8:8 with 2Ch 5:9, where that which is called the holy in the former, is called the ark in the latter.

21 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

no reference

22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;

Nu 3:18,21,24

23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

thirty years Nu 4:3

to perform the service. Heb. to war the warfare Nu 4:3 Isa 63:1-4 Ro 7:14-24 1Co 9:7 2Co 6:7 10:3-5 Eph 6:10-19 Ga 5:17,24 1Ti 1:18 2Ti 2:3,4 4:7

24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:

burdens, or carriage

25 And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

the curtains Nu 3:25,26 7:5-7

the covering Ex 26:14

26 And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.

the hangings Ex 27:9

and their cords Ex 35:18

27 At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.

appointment. Heb. mouth. The Levites were under the command of the priests. Eleazar exercised this authority in general, as next in succession to Aaron; and he in particular was placed over the Kohathites; while Ithamar, his younger brother, commanded the Gershonites and Merarites. Lu 1:70 1Co 11:2

28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Nu 4:33 1Co 12:5,6

29 As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

Nu 3:33-35

30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

service. Heb. warfare Nu 4:3,23 Ps 110:1-7 1Ti 6:11,12 2Ti 2:4 4:7,8

31 And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,

the charge Nu 3:36,37 7:8,9

the boards Ex 26:15

32 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.

and by name. An inventory was taken of every particular, even to the very pins belonging to each part, that nothing might be wanting when the tabernacle was set up. the instruments Nu 3:8 7:1 Ex 25:9 38:17,21 1Ch 9:29

33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

under the hand Nu 4:28 Jos 3:6 Isa 3:6

34 And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

Nu 4:2

35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:

Nu 4:3,23,30,39,43,47 8:24-26 1Ch 23:3,24,26,27 28:13 Lu 3:23 1Ti 3:6

36 And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

In the third chapter we have an account of the whole number of the Levites; and here of those only who were able to serve the Lord in the sanctuary. We find that the whole number of the Levites amounted to 22,300; of whom 8580 were fit for service and 13,720 unfit, being either too old or too young. What an astonishing number of men, all performing some service by which God was glorified, and the congregation at large benefited!

37 These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

no reference

38 And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

no reference

39 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

no reference

40 Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.

Nu 3:32

41 These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD.

Nu 4:22

42 And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,

no reference

43 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

no reference

44 Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.

The family of Merari, though smaller than either of the other families of Levi, yet had a greater number of able men than any of them; for out of 6200 males of a month old and upwards, we find 3200 who were neither too young nor too old for the service of the sanctuary; which was more than one-half of their whole number. In this the wisdom and providence of God appear most conspicuously; for the Merarites were charged with the heaviest part of the sanctuary, as the boards, bars, sockets, etc; and though waggons were afterwards provided for them, yet the loading and unloading of the sockets, and other things of great weight, would require much strength, both bodily and numerical. Thus God ever manifests his wisdom, in fitting men for the work to which they are appointed, whether with respect to number or gifts; for to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Nu 3:34 De 33:25 1Co 10:13 12:8-12 2Co 12:9,10

45 These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Nu 4:29

46 All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

no reference

47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.

from thirty Nu 4:3,23,30 1Ch 23:3,27

every one Nu 4:15,24,37 Ro 12:6-8 1Co 12:4-31

48 Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore,

Nu 3:39 Mt 7:14 20:16 22:15

49 According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

according to the Nu 4:37,41,45 1:54 2:33 3:51

every one Nu 4:16,24,31 Isa 11:2-4 42:1-7 49:1-8 Ro 12:4-8

and the Lord Nu 4:1,21