but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”
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Numbers 1:50-53 sits inside this longer paragraph.
These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, and the twelve men who were princes of Israel, each one for his fathers’ house. So all those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel— all those who were counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them. For Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel; but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”
Parallel Translations
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but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.
When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions.
But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”
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But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
Show all 3 translations
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but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongeth to it; they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.
And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard, according to their hosts.
But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.'
Cross-references (54)
- Exodus 38:21 (v50) These are the amounts of materials used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the…
- Numbers 3:38 (vv51, 53) Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his…
- Numbers 2:2 (v52) “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the…
- Numbers 16:46 (v53) Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make…
- Exodus 31:18 (v50) When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses the two tablets of the covenant, stone tablets, written with God’s finger.
Show all 52 cross-references
- Leviticus 10:6 (v53) Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so…
- Numbers 2:34 (v52) Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out,…
- Numbers 3:10 (v51) You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
- Numbers 4:15 (v50) “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after…
- 1 Chronicles 23:32 (v53) and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers,…
- 1 Samuel 6:19 (vv51, 53) He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the…
- Exodus 32:26-29 (v50) then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves…
- Numbers 3:7-8 (v53) They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the…
- Numbers 3:23-38 (v50) The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward. Eliasaph the son of Lael shall be the prince of the fathers’…
- Numbers 4:25-33 (v50) they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of sealskin that is on it, the screen…
- Numbers 8:19 (v53) I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel…
- Numbers 8:24-26 (v53) “This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the…
- Numbers 18:22 (v51) Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.
- Numbers 20:11 (v50) Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.
- Numbers 31:30 (v53) Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the…
- Numbers 31:47 (v53) even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites,…
- 2 Samuel 6:7 (v51) Yahweh’s anger burned against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by God’s ark.
- 1 Chronicles 23:1-32 (v50) Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel. He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the…
- Nehemiah 13:10-13 (v50) I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled…
- Nehemiah 13:22 (v50) I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.…
- Leviticus 22:10-13 (v51) “ ‘No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. But…
- Numbers 1:50 (v53) but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall…
- Numbers 1:53 (v50) But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of…
- Numbers 2:17 (v50) “Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out,…
- Numbers 3:1-10 (v50) Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Yahweh spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. These are the names…
- Numbers 4:1-33 (v51) Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their…
- Numbers 10:1-36 (v52) Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the…
- Numbers 10:11 (v51) In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant.
- Numbers 10:17-21 (v51) The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. The standard of the…
- Numbers 10:21 (v50) The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.
- Numbers 16:40 (v51) to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn…
- Numbers 18:2-5 (v53) Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you;…
- Numbers 24:2 (v52) Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1-26 (v50) Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who…
- 2 Chronicles 13:10 (v53) “But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests serving Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in…
- Ezra 8:25-30 (v50) and weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, his counselors, his…
- Ezra 8:33-34 (v50) On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah…
- Nehemiah 12:8 (v50) Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.
- Nehemiah 12:22 (v50) As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ households; also…
- Nehemiah 12:47 (v50) All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day…
- Nehemiah 13:5 (v50) had prepared for him a great room, where before they laid the meal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of the grain,…
- Psalms 122:4 (v50) where the tribes go up, even Yah’s tribes, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to Yahweh’s name.
- Jeremiah 5:31 (v53) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end…
- Jeremiah 23:15 (v53) Therefore Yahweh of Armies says concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink poisoned water; for…
- Acts 20:28-31 (v53) Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the…
- 1 Timothy 4:13-16 (v53) Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching. Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by…
- 2 Timothy 4:2 (v53) preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.
52 distinct cross-references across this passage (54 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv50, 51, 53 Hebrew, camp.
Hebrew, camp.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v53 Num 1:53 But the Levites shall pitch round about…
Num 1:53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
Ver. 53. Shall pitch round about.] As the living creatures (the ministers) are between the four and twenty eiders, the congregation of the faithful, and the throne. {Rev 4:4}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv50, 51, 53 The tabernacle of testimony; so called here, and Exo…
The tabernacle of testimony; so called here, and Exo 38:21 because it was made chiefly for the sake of the ark of the testimony, 2Sa 7:2, which is oft called the testimony, as hath been observed before.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv50–53 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle…
But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony,.... So called from the ark in it, in which was the law of God, which was a testimony of the will of God to his people:
and over all the vessels thereof; the candlestick, table: and altars, as Aben Ezra notes:
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and over all things that belong to it; the vessels of vessels, as the same writer calls them; for the candlestick, shewbread table, and the two altars of incense and burnt offering had vessels appertaining to them:
they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; carry them from place to place when needful:
and they shall minister unto it; by taking care of the instruments of it and the vessels in it, but not by doing any part of the priestly office in it, as offering sacrifice, burning incense, and the like:
and shall encamp round about the tabernacle; they were a sort of camp or army of themselves, and their station was around the tabernacle, which was a kind of royal palace to God the King of kings; so that as they were the king's legion, and to be numbered alone, as Jarchi observes, in Num 1:49, so they were a guard about his palace, and were placed between that and the camp of Israel.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv50, 51, 53 The tabernacle of testimony - So called here, and…
The tabernacle of testimony - So called here, and Exod. xxxviii, 21, because it was made chiefly for the sake of the ark of the testimony, which is often called the testimony.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv50, 53 Num 1:50-51. The tabernacle of testimony — So called…
Num 1:50-51. The tabernacle of testimony — So called here, and Exo 38:21, because it was made chiefly for the sake of the ark of the testimony, which is often called the testimony. The stranger elsewhere is one of another nation, here one of another tribe. That cometh nigh — So as to do the offices mentioned Num 1:50.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv51–53 Stranger, even of any other tribe. (St. Augustine, q.…
Stranger, even of any other tribe. (St. Augustine, q. 3.) (Worthington)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv50–53 50. Tabernacle of testimony — In the Hebrew these…
50. Tabernacle of testimony — In the Hebrew these words are not the same as in the first verse. They should have been translated the dwelling, or abode of the Law. See the Hebrew of Exo_38:21. The tables of the Law — the two tables of stone — were kept in the tabernacle. Exo_31:18.
They shall bear the tabernacle — In this service each of the three Levitical families had its separate department. The Gershonites carried the hangings and cords. They were allowed two wagons and four oxen to each. The Kohathites carried on their shoulders the ark, table of show-bread, candlestick, two altars, and hangings of the holy of holies. The Merarites transported the frameboards, pillars, bars, etc., with the aid of four wagons and eight oxen.
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And shall encamp round about the tabernacle — The Gershonites on the west, the Kohathites on the south, the Merarites on the north, and the priests on the east or front. See Num_3:23-38. They were allowed to take no part in the services of the altar. Num_18:2-7.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv50, 51, 53 50. the tabernacle of the testimony] Better the dwelling,…
50. the tabernacle of the testimony] Better the dwelling, &c. The Heb. mishkân, denoting the place where Jehovah’s presence dwelt among His people, is used in the Hexateuch by P only. The rendering ‘tabernacle’ confuses it with ’ôhel ‘tent.’ See note on Num_1:1.
The ‘testimony’ or ‘witness’ refers to the stone tablets of the decalogue, which were placed in the ark and were a testimony or witness to the ethical character of Israel’s God and the ethical character which He desired to see in His people. Similar expressions are ‘the ark of the testimony’ (Exo_25:22), the ‘tablets of the testimony’ (Exo_31:18), the ‘veil of the testimony’ (Lev_24:3). On the significance of the various names of the Tabernacle see the writer’s Exodus, p. lxxxvii.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv50–53 (50) The tabernacle of testimony.—The testimony (sometimes described as…
(50) The tabernacle of testimony.—The testimony (sometimes described as the two tables of the testimony (Exo_31:18; Exo_34:29) denotes in the first instance the tables of the law which were directed to be placed in the ark (Exo_25:16; Exo_25:21). Hence the ark is described as the ark of the testimony (Exo_25:22; Exo_26:33), and the tabernacle as the tabernacle of the testimony (Exo_38:21), and the tent, including the outer covering of the mishkan, or wooden building, is called the tent of the testimony (Num_9:15). Also the veil which separated the holy place from the most holy is called the veil of the testimony (Lev_24:3).
And shall encamp round about the tabernacle.—The tent of meeting was like a royal palace, and the Levites served as a guard of honour round about it, to protect it from every sort of desecration.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv51–53 The stranger. The word appears to mean here any…
The stranger. The word appears to mean here any unauthorized person. (see Num_16:40) This is the first intimation given of the extreme and awful sanctity of the tabernacle, as the tent of the Divine Presence. It is, however, quite of a piece with the anxious warnings against intrusion upon the holy mount at the time of the giving of the law. (Exo_19:21, sq. ) The great necessity for Israel was that he should understand and believe that the Lord before whom he had trembled at Sinai was really in the midst of him in all his travail and his danger. This could only be impressed upon his dull mind and hard heart by surrounding the presence chamber of Jehovah with awful sanctities and terrors. At a subsequent period, when the religious reverence here thrown around the tabernacle had been transferred to, or rather concentrated upon, the ark alone, Uzzah was actually smitten for breaking this law. (1Ch_13:10) The tumult raised against St. Paul (Act_21:27, sq. ) was justified by a supposed violation of the same.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv50, 51, 53 the tabernacle of the covenant decrees
the tabernacle of the covenant decrees
The tabernacle was also called by this longer name because the ark with the law of God was placed inside it.
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everything in it
Here "it" refers to the tabernacle.
The Levites must carry the tabernacle
It was their job to carry the tabernacle when they traveled. AT: "When you travel, the Levites must carry the tabernacle" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
make their camp around it
This means that they were to set up their tents around the tabernacle. AT: "set up their tents around it" (See: Idiom)
translationWords
assign
tabernacle
covenant
decree
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v50 1:50-53 The Levites inherited the task of erecting, dismantling,…
1:50-53 The Levites inherited the task of erecting, dismantling, transporting, and guarding the Tabernacle. By keeping unauthorized persons from getting too close or desecrating it, they protected the Hebrews from the Lord’s anger.
1:50 Tabernacle of the Covenant: This portable sanctuary symbolized the presence of the Lord and represented Israel’s covenant relationship with him.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.