This chapter relates an order to number the Levites fit for business, and gives an account of the time and age when they should enter into service, and how long they should continue therein, Num. 4:1–3; what their particular service should be; and first of the Kohathites, Num.

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: saying; as follows.

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…

From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, &c.] 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 [[22]], “a son of thirty…

This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle of the congregation What follows, ; 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…

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…

And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins Not that which covered the tabernacle, for that was committed to the Gershonites, ; 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…

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 Ex.

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 ; that the…

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…

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;…

And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, &c.] The altar of incense, which was overlaid with gold, and therefore called a golden one, to which the allusion is in ; and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins; after the cloth of blue was spread upon it: and shall put to the…

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…

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…

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,…

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 and all “the vessels of the sanctuary”; all appertaining to those…

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;…

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: saying; as follows.

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.

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 to take them up and carry them: Aaron and his sons shall go in; into the holy and most holy places:…

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…

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 ; saying; as follows.

Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon As well as of the sons of Kohath; for though Gershon was Levi’s eldest son, yet his posterity were not excused from the service of the tabernacle, and bearing things of it in journeying: throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; all in their…

From thirty years old and upward, until fifty years old, shalt thou number them Take an account how many there are of that age, and so fit for service [[0]]; (See Gill on Num.

This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens. ] The former of these phrases Aben Ezra interprets of setting up the tabernacle, making the bread (the shewbread), slaying (the sacrifices), and keeping, that is, watching and guarding, the tabernacle; and the latter…

And the hangings of the court Which made the great court that surrounded the tabernacle, ; and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court; the eastern gate that led into the court, an hanging of twenty cubits, ; which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about; that is, which…

At the appointment of Aaron and his sons As they shall order and direct: shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites; everyone of them was to take their share, as Aaron and his sons should appoint them: in all their burdens, and in all their service; what each of them should carry, and…

This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon, &c.] Which they should execute when the camp and tabernacle were in motion: in the tabernacle of the congregation in the court; where they should take up their burdens, or which lie in things respecting the tabernacle; this was the part…

As for the sons of Merari The third and youngest son of Levi: thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; which is the form of expression used of them all; (See Gill on Num. 4:2).

From thirty years old and upward The Septuagint version here, and in (Num. 4:3, Num. 4:23) , renders it, from twenty five years old and upward, agreeable to , at the which age the Levites went into the tabernacle, to wait and to learn their business, but they did not enter upon it till thirty; even…

And this is the charge of their burden What should be committed to their care and charge, and they should bear and carry: according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; which was assigned to them as their part, and which was very heavy and cumbersome, and therefore they had…

And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords These belonged to the court of the tabernacle; the pillars were what the hangings were hung upon, and the sockets, into which the pillars were set, and the and cords, with which the hangings were fastened;…

This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, &c.] The Mahlites and Mushites, namely, the service before observed, the particulars of which are given: according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; agreeably to what was allotted to them in that part of the…

And Moses and Aaron, and the chief of the congregation, numbered the sons of the Kohathites Perhaps these chiefs were the same with those who were concerned with Moses and Aaron in numbering all the tribes whose names were given, ; the Kohathites are begun with, according to the divine direction,…

From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, &c.] (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

And those that were numbered of them by their families (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, &c.] (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

Even those that were numbered of them (See Gill on Num. 4:34);

These are they that were numbered of the families (See Gill on Num. 4:34);

From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, &c.] (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

Even those that were numbered of them after their families, &c.] (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari (See Gill on Num. 4:34);

All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered (See Gill on Num. 3:34).

From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, &c.] (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

Even those that were numbered of them (See Gill on Num. 4:34).

According to the commandment of the Lord, they were numbered by the hand of Moses Aaron and the chief of the congregation of Israel assisting it: everyone according to his service; called in “the service of the ministry”, or “service of service”, which Jarchi interprets of that part of the service…