2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, according to their fathers' houses,
3 from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, all that enter into the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: it is most holy.
5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron and his sons shall go in, and they shall take down the veil of separation and cover the ark of testimony with it;
6 and shall put thereon a covering of badgers' skin, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put its staves [to it].
7 And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue; and put thereon the dishes, and the cups, and the bowls, and goblets of the drink-offering; and the continual bread shall be thereon.
8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skin, and shall put its staves [to it].
9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff-trays, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they perform its service;
10 and they shall put it and all the utensils thereof within a covering of badgers' skin, and shall put it upon a pole.
11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skin, and shall put its staves [to it].
12 And they shall take all the instruments of service, wherewith they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skin, and shall put them upon a pole.
13 And they shall cleanse the altar of the ashes, and spread a purple cloth thereon;
14 and they shall put upon it all the utensils thereof, wherewith they perform service about it: the firepans, the forks, and the shovels, and the bowls, -- all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skin, and put its staves [to it].
15 And when Aaron and his sons have ended covering the sanctuary, and all the utensils of the sanctuary, when the camp setteth forward, then afterwards the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die. This is what the sons of Kohath have to carry in the tent of meeting.
16 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall have the oversight of the oil for the light, and the fragrant incense, and the continual oblation, and the anointing oil, -- the oversight of the whole tabernacle, and of all that is therein, over the sanctuary, and over its furniture.
17 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
18 Ye shall not cut off the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites,
19 but this shall ye do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they draw near unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden;
20 but they shall not go in and see for a moment the holy things, lest they die.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 4
Commentary on Numbers 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
In the former chapter an account was taken of the whole tribe of Levi, in this we have an account of those of that tribe who were in the prime of their time for service, betwixt thirty and fifty years old.
Num 4:1-20
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,
Num 4:21-33
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.
Num 4:34-49
We have here a particular account of the numbers of the three families of the Levites respectively, that is, of the effective men, between thirty years old and fifty. Observe,