Numbers, Chapter 4

Numbers Chapter 4

Verses 1-49: The Duties of the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites

1. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2. “Take a census of the Kohathites among the Levites, by their clans and families,
3. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
4. This is the service of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the most holy things.
5. When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the Testimony with it;
6. then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.
7. Over the table of the Presence they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular showbread also shall be on it.
8. Then they shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles.
9. And they shall take a blue cloth, and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its snuffers, and its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied;
10. and they shall put it and all its utensils inside a covering of goatskin, and put it on the carrying frame.
11. And over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles;
12. and they shall take all the utensils of service that are used in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, and cover them with a covering of goatskin, and put them on the carrying frame.
13. They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
14. And they shall put on it all the utensils of the altar, the firepans, the forks, the shovels, the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of goatskin, and put in its poles.
15. And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things in the Tent of Meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16. Responsibility shall rest with Eleazar son of Aaron the priest for the lighting oil, the aromatic incense, the regular meal offering, and the anointing oil—responsibility for the whole Tabernacle and for everything consecrated that is in it or in its vessels.
17. The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
18. “Do not let the clan of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites;
19. but do this for them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden,
20. but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.”
21. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
22. “Take also a census of the Gershonites, by their fathers’ houses and by their clans;
23. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
24. This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens:
25. They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the goatskin covering that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,
26. and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, and all the equipment for their service; and they shall do all that needs to be done with these things.
27. All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do; and you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry.
28. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
29. “Take a census of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
30. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, list them, all who enter the service to do the work of the Tent of Meeting.
31. This is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its bases,
32. and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and service; and you shall assign by name the objects that they are required to carry.
33. This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
34. And Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation listed the sons of the Kohathites by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
35. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the Tent of Meeting;
36. and those listed by their clans were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
37. This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.
38. The Gershonites were listed by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
39. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the Tent of Meeting;
40. and those listed by their clans and their fathers’ houses were two thousand six hundred and thirty.
41. This is the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD.
42. The sons of Merari were listed by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
43. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the Tent of Meeting;
44. and those listed by their clans were three thousand and two hundred.
45. This is the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.
46. All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,
47. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the service of carrying and the work in the Tent of Meeting,
48. those listed were eight thousand five hundred and eighty.
49. According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses, they were counted, each assigned to his service and to his burden, and listed as the LORD commanded Moses.

Interpretation: This chapter outlines the specific duties assigned to the Levitical families of Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites in the service of the Tabernacle. These duties were distributed based on the sacred objects each group was responsible for transporting. The precise organization and division of labor emphasize the sanctity of the Tabernacle, the care required to handle its holy contents, and the overall structure and order within the Israelite camp. The age range for those eligible for service highlights the physical demands of the tasks and the importance of having able-bodied individuals perform them. This detailed enumeration and assignment underscore the idea that every aspect of worship and community life was underpinned by divine command and guidance.