Numbers 4

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 4

1¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

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

3From 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.

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

5And 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:

6And 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.

7And upon the table of shewbread 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:

8And 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.

9And 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:

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

11And 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:

12And 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:

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

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

15And 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.

16And 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.

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

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

19But 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:

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

21¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

23From 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.

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

25And 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,

26And 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.

27At 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.

28This [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.

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

30From 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.

31And 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,

32And 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.

33This [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.

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,

35From 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:

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

37These [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.

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

39From 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,

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

41These [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.

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

43From 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,

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

45These [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.

46All 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,

47From 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,

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

49According 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Numbers 4 details the specific duties and census of the three Levitical families—Kohath, Gershon, and Merari—responsible for the service and transport of the Tabernacle. Men aged thirty to fifty years were counted for their assigned tasks. The Kohathites carried the holy vessels, the Gershonites the coverings and curtains, and the Merarites the structural components, all under priestly oversight to prevent death from improper handling.

Medium Summary

This chapter outlines the precise responsibilities of the three Levitical clans—Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites—for the dismantling, transport, and reassembly of the Tabernacle. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to number all males from thirty to fifty years old fit for service. The Kohathites were charged with bearing the most holy items, such as the Ark, table of shewbread, and candlestick, after Aaron and his sons carefully covered them with specific cloths, emphasizing that the Kohathites must not touch or look upon the uncovered holy things, lest they die. The Gershonites were assigned the lighter burdens, including the tabernacle curtains, coverings, and hangings. The Merarites were responsible for the heavier structural components like the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets. Each family's duties were meticulously defined, with Eleazar overseeing the Kohathites' sacred oil and incense, and Ithamar supervising the Gershonites and Merarites. Finally, the chapter records the census results for each family and the total number of Levites qualified for Tabernacle service.

Long Summary

Numbers chapter 4 meticulously details the specific duties and census of the three principal Levitical families—the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites—who were consecrated for service in the Tabernacle of the Congregation. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to number all males from these families aged thirty to fifty years, who were fit to perform the work. The Kohathites were assigned the most sacred and dangerous task: bearing the holy vessels of the sanctuary. Before transport, Aaron and his sons were required to carefully cover the Ark of the Testimony, the table of shewbread, the candlestick, the golden altar, and other instruments with specific cloths—blue, scarlet, and purple—and then with badger skins, ensuring the Kohathites would not directly touch or even see the uncovered holy things, lest they die. Eleazar, Aaron's son, was given oversight of the oil for the light, sweet incense, daily meat offering, anointing oil, and the general care of the sanctuary's vessels. Following this, the Gershonites were enumerated and assigned the responsibility of carrying the lighter components of the Tabernacle. Their duties included bearing the curtains of the Tabernacle, its coverings, the hanging for the door, the hangings of the court, and their cords. Their service was to be under the hand of Ithamar, Aaron's son. Lastly, the Merarites were counted and tasked with transporting the heavier, structural elements of the Tabernacle. This included the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the Tabernacle, as well as the pillars of the court, their sockets, pins, and cords. Their charge was also placed under the supervision of Ithamar. The chapter concludes with the actual census results for each family: 2,750 Kohathites, 2,630 Gershonites, and 3,200 Merarites. The total number of Levites aged thirty to fifty years, qualified for the ministry and burden of the Tabernacle, amounted to 8,580. This precise organization ensured the reverent and orderly transport of God's dwelling place in the wilderness, according to the Lord's commandment to Moses.

Core Concepts

  • Levitical Service AgeOnly Levite males between thirty and fifty years old were qualified to perform the specific duties of the Tabernacle, ensuring mature and capable individuals handled sacred tasks.
  • Kohathite ResponsibilitiesThe Kohathites were uniquely tasked with carrying the most holy vessels of the Tabernacle, such as the Ark and the altars, but only after they had been carefully covered by Aaron and his sons to prevent direct contact and death.
  • Gershonite DutiesThe Gershonites were responsible for transporting the lighter, textile components of the Tabernacle, including the curtains, coverings, and hangings of the sanctuary and its court.
  • Merarite BurdensThe Merarites were assigned the heavy structural elements of the Tabernacle, such as the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets, which formed the framework of the sanctuary and the court.
  • Priestly OversightAaron and his sons, particularly Eleazar and Ithamar, were crucial in overseeing the Levites' duties, ensuring proper handling of holy items and assigning specific burdens to prevent transgression and death.
  • Holiness and DangerThe chapter repeatedly emphasizes the extreme holiness of the Tabernacle's contents, warning that improper handling or viewing of the uncovered holy things by unauthorized individuals would result in death.
  • Tabernacle TransportThe detailed instructions for covering and carrying each part of the Tabernacle highlight the organized and reverent manner in which the portable sanctuary was moved during Israel's wilderness journeys.