“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. The sons of Kohath shall carry these things belonging to the Tent of Meeting.
“The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal offering, and the anointing oil, the requirements of all the tabernacle, and of all that is in it, the sanctuary, and its furnishings.”
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “Don’t cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; but thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint everyone to his service and to his burden; but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.”
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 18, 19 That is, in folding up the things of the…
That is, in folding up the things of the Sanctuary, as the Ark, etc.
Before it be covered.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 18, 20 Num 4:15 And when Aaron and his sons have…
Num 4:15 And 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.
Ver. 15. Lest they die.] As Uzzah did. {1Ch 13:10}
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The burden of the sons of Kohath.] Who, as they had the honos, so the onus See Num 4:1.
“ Fructus honos oneris, fructus honoris onus. ”
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 vv15, 16, 18, 19 The sons of Kohath shall bear it, to wit…
The sons of Kohath shall bear it, to wit upon their shoulders, not upon carts or waggons, as appears from Num 7:9, the neglect of which order did provoke the Lord, 2Sa 6:6,7; 1Ch 13:7; 15:12, &c. Afterward the priests themselves, being multiplied, carried these things, as appears from Deu 31:9; Jos 3:6; 8:33; 1Sa 4:4, though the Levites also were not excluded, 2Ch 5:5. They shall not to any holy thing; immediately, or before they be covered. Lest they die, as some did for that sin. See 1Sa 6:19; 2Sa 6:6,7.
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 vv15–20 And to the office of Eleazar, the son of…
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; agreeably to which are the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, who paraphrase the words,"and that which was delivered to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, the oil for the light, &c.''And indeed the words, as they are in the Hebrew text, may be rendered,"and the oversight of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be, or "let it be", the oil for the light, &c. (z);''the same word being so rendered in a latter clause of this same text: he had the inspection of these, and on him lay to see to it, that these were carried by the Kohathites, the oil for the light of the lamps in the candlestick; of which see Exo 27:20,
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and the sweet incense: to burn on the altar of incense, Exo 30:34,
and the daily meat offering; offered with the lambs morning and evening, Exo 29:40,
and the anointing oil; with which Aaron and his sons were anointed, the tabernacle and all its vessels, Exo 30:23,
and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is,
in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof: the former, the oil for the light, &c. were his immediate oversight and care; but the oversight of these by his brother Ithamar, according to the Jewish writers.
(z) So Montanus, Tigurine version, Piscator.
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 vv15, 16, 18, 19 Bear it - Upon their shoulders. Afterward the priests…
Bear it - Upon their shoulders. Afterward the priests themselves, being multiplied, carried these things, though the Levites also were not excluded. They shall not touch - Before they are covered.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v20 Verse 20. When the holy things are covered] Literally,…
Verse 20. When the holy things are covered] Literally, כבלע keballa, when they are swallowed down; which shows the promptitude with which every thing belonging to the holy of holies was put out of sight, for these mysteries must ever be treated with the deepest reverence; and indeed without this they could not have been to them the representatives of heavenly realities. See the concluding note.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 18 Num 4:15. Bear it — Upon their shoulders. Afterward…
Num 4:15. Bear it — Upon their shoulders. Afterward the priests themselves, being multiplied, carried these things, though the Levites were not excluded. They shall not touch — Before they are covered.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v20 to see when the holy things are covered -…
to see when the holy things are covered - Render: to see the holy things for an instant. The expression means Iiterally” as a gulp,” i. e. for the instant it takes to swallow.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 20 Vessels of, &c. Some say, not even their coverings.…
Vessels of, &c. Some say, not even their coverings. God threatens to punish all idle curiosity or negligence, particularly with respect to the ark, which the Caathites had to carry, till the priests became sufficiently numerous to perform that office, as they generally did, Deuteronomy xxxi. 9. (Calmet)
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv15–17 the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it,…
the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it, but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die--The mode of transport was upon the shoulders of the Levites (see on Num 7:9), although afterwards wheeled vehicles were employed (Sa2 6:3; Ch1 15:12). And it was allowed to touch the covering, but not the things covered, on the penalty of death, which was inflicted more than once (Sa1 6:19; Sa2 6:6-7). This stern denunciation was designed to inspire a sentiment of deep and habitual reverence in the minds of those who were officially engaged about holy things.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 18, 20 15. Covering the sanctuary — Since none but Aaron…
15. Covering the sanctuary — Since none but Aaron could enter into the holy of holies under the penalty of death, we are to understand, by the sons of Aaron assisting in preparing the sanctuary and its furniture, that the prohibition was in force only when the cloud rested upon the tabernacle. But when this was removed the sons of Aaron might enter the most holy place to assist in these preparations for removal. Now that Christ has rent the veil by his death for us, we may all draw near with boldness, not to the ark of the covenant, divested of the glorious presence of the Shekinah, but to the throne of grace, filled with the presence of the merciful Father, propitiated by the great High Priest, who ever liveth to make intercession for us.
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 vv15–16 15. they shall not touch the sanctuary] Better the…
15. they shall not touch the sanctuary] Better the holy things, as in R.V. marg. The Heb. word is strictly a singular abstract substantive, ‘the sacredness,’ which is here employed to denote the whole collection of sacred objects.
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 vv15, 16, 18, 20 (15) And all the vessels of the sanctuary.—No mention…
(15) And all the vessels of the sanctuary.—No mention is here made of the laver (Exo_30:18). The LXX. and the Samaritan text supply a statement respecting the covering and conveyance of the brazen laver. The clause in the LXX. is as follows :—“And they shall take a purple cloth, and cover the laver and its foot (or base), and they shall put it into a blue cover of skin, and put it on bars.” There is no sufficient ground. however, for supposing that the present Hebrew text is deficient in this place; and it seems more probable to suppose that the laver was not to be covered during its transport.
After that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it.—Better, to bear, or carry—viz., the whole of the vessels of ministry which had been previously enumerated. The distinction between the service of the priests and that of the Levites in regard to the removal of the Tabernacle and its furniture is here clearly marked.
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But they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.—The word which is rendered “any holy thing” may here, as elsewhere, denote the sanctuary. This injunction is repeated in Num_18:3. We find in 2Sa_6:6-7 an instance of the fatal result of the violation of this command by Uzzah, who being, as is most probable, a Levite, and of the family of Kohath, ought to have been acquainted with the law respecting the removal of the Ark. It is obvious that the Kohathites, as the immediate assistants of the priests, in regard to the vessels of the Sanctuary, were specially exposed to the risk of violating the law by touching the most holy things.
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 vv15, 16, 18, 19, 20 These things are the burden of the sons of…
These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath. One thing which the Kohathites almost certainly had to carry is omitted here, possibly because it was carried without any cover at all, and was not regarded as of equal sanctity with the rest. Anyhow, the omission is very remarkable, and may have been accidental. It is supplied by the Septuagint and the Samaritan text in the following addition to verse 14: "And they shall take a purple cloth, and cover the laver and its foot, and they shall put it into a hyacinthine cover of skin, and put it on bars." The burdens of the Kohathites were six, not counting the laver and its foot:
(1) the ark;
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(2) the table of shewbread;
(3) the candelabrum;
(4) the golden altar;
(5) "instruments of ministry;
(6) the frame of the brazen altar.
HOMILIES BY E.S. PROUT Vers. 15-20. The perils of distinguished service.
The sons of Kohath had the most honourable of the duties assigned to the Levites, in being permitted to carry the sacred vessels of the tabernacle. But they were thus exposed to temptations and perils from which their less favoured brethren were exempt. To touch or even to see the holy things was death. Similar temptations, to those intrusted with distinguished service in God"s Church, may arise from
I CURIOSITY. Illustrate from the sin of the men of Bethshemesh. (1Sa 6) Men brought by their duties into close contact with Divine mysteries may yield to the curiosity of unauthorized speculations to which ignorant and groveling minds are not exposed. (cf. Col_2:18) Illustrate from speculations on the Trinity, the incarnation, or the profitless inquiries of some of the schoolmen as to angels, etc. Caution applicable to theological speculations of today. (Deu_29:29)
II THOUGHTLESSNESS. A thoughtless disregard of God"s strict injunctions, by either a priest (verses 18, 19) or a Kohathite, might have been fatal. So now those who have perpetually to deal with Divine things are in danger of irreverence from thoughtlessness. E.g., Christian ministers, who have to be constantly praying and preaching, as part of their service for God. Christians who have a reputation for saintliness above their brethren need special reverence, lest they should handle Divine things in a familiar, unauthorized manner. Apply to some habits of modern public worship tending to sad irreverence.
III DISTRUST. Illustrate from the sin of Uzzah. (2Sa_6:6, 2Sa_6:7) We are thus warned against using illegitimate means in support of the cause of God which we think to be in danger. Carnal methods must not be resorted to for the defense of spiritual truths. Some of the most devoted servants of Christ have profaned the ark of God, when they thought it in danger, by touching and propping it by supports God has never sanctioned. E.g., persecutions on behalf of the truth of God. Caution to those who now rely on worldly alliances and statesmanship on behalf of God"s Church. Front such perils we may be preserved by the spirit of
(1) profound humility, at the privilege of being allowed to come so near and to deal with the mysteries of God; (Eph_3:8 Heb_12:28, Heb_12:29)
(2) reverential obedience to every item of the instructions God has given us; (1Ch_15:12, 13 Psa_119:128)
(3) fearless trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has guarded his Church hitherto, is saving us, and who will protect his people and his truth by his own power to the end. P. (2Ti_4:18)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v16 The office of Eleazar.
Num_4:16
The office of Eleazar.
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The Eleazar priesthood:
There are few chapters which will so amply repay patient study as this. It might be styled the directory for the pilgrim priest, and therefore it is of great importance to us who wish to retain our priestly purity in the midst of the wilderness of this earthly life. The first verse tells us that it is addressed to Moses the lawgiver, and to Aaron the priest. We therefore at once expect to find here a linking of duties and privileges. If you want to know what was the great duty of the pilgrim priest, it was to carry the tabernacle throughout the wilderness, so that wherever the children of Israel pitched they might have a meeting-place where they might commune with God. And so this great work in which we are engaged may be summed up in these words, To carry Christ with us throughout this wilderness; and as the Levites motto might be, To me to live is the tabernacle: so to me to live is Christ, to carry Christ whereer I go. Some of us may be entrusted with what the world considers the more important service--with the holy vessels; others may have the heavier burden, or the little vexatious duties, but they are all for this great purpose, that the children of Israel may constantly hold communion with their God. Nay, mark you, more: not only does the great High Priest appoint each of us to service and burdens--both passive burdens and active service--but in the case of Merari there was to be a special inventory of everything entrusted to their care, so that they might not consider for one single moment that their part of the work was of less importance. The 16th verse brings before us not so much the responsibility as the privilege. To the office of Eleazar the priest pertain these four things--the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the daily meat-offering, and the anointing oil. As Christian men and women, are they not, spiritually speaking, just the four things you need now in your daily life?
1. The first is this: To the office of Eleazar the priest pertaineth oil for light. We recognise that God has made us the lights of the world. He bids us shine forth to the glory of God. He has given to us that high dignity. But, alas! too often our lights are going out; they do not shine as brightly as they ought. It seems as though we were hiding our light under the bushel of business or the bed of sloth, instead of putting it on a candlestick that it might give light to others. Call to your Eleazar Priest; ask Him to give of His oil; ask Him to take away sin, and to give you the oil of His Holy Spirit, for it is to the office of Eleazar the priest that pertaineth the oil for the light.
2. The second thing pertaining to his office was the sweet incense. You remember the use of the sweet incense. Whilst the children of Israel were praying in the outer court, the priest went into the holy place, and took with him the incense, laid it upon the altar, and, as the prayers ascended from the people outside, the incense ascended from the priest inside. Now, have you not ofttimes felt the necessity of that sweet incense? O Thou Eleazar Priest, do Thou purify my prayers with Thine own sweet incense, so that God may listen to my cry, and forgive the evil of my prayer: purge out the unclean selfishness of my prayer, that it may ascend up to my Father in heaven. Thank God, to His office it pertains to provide that sweet incense. You have not to provide the incense.
3. Thirdly, to his office pertaineth the daily meat-offering. You remember what that was. Every morning the children of Israel were obliged to bring a lamb for the burnt-offering, and the same every evening; but as soon as the lamb was offered upon the altar, the daily meat-offering had to be added representing the pure and spotless character of Christ. Now, in the same way, you and I have to bring the daily burnt-offering to God. Every morning you ought to say: Here I present myself to Thee, O God, to be a holy, living sacrifice unto Thee, which is but my reasonable service. Every day you ought to bring your daily burnt-offering, and put it upon the altar, and then, when you have thus dedicated yourself to God, and consecrated yourself to His service, have you not often felt--I come and offer myself to God, but what a poor offering it is! And when I consecrate myself upon the altar, how I need that which shall make my burnt-offering acceptable to God! And morning by morning God accepts you in the Beloved--not for what you are in yourself, but for what He is. What can I do for God, I am so weak and feeble? If I put myself upon Gods altar, can He use me for His service? Yes, He can; because to the office of Eleazar the priest pertaineth the meat-offering, and He will make acceptable your burnt-offering.
4. One thing more: I have prayed Him co give me oil for the light. I have come to Him, and I have acknowledged that even in my prayers there is a good deal of self that cannot be acceptable to God except perfumed by the merits of my Saviour; and although I have put myself upon the altar to be used as He will, I recognise that in myself dwelleth no good thing, that I want the daily meat-offering to atone for my burnt-offering. Now, what do I want? I want power--power to serve God: I want that my life may be an influence for good. I want to be a man full of power, by the Spirit of God. To the office of Eleazar the priest pertaineth the anointing with oil, and that oil goes down to the very skirts of his garments, even to the very humblest believer. I heard only yesterday of a young girl in a house of business, only sixteen years of age, whose confirmation time was a time of grand decision for God. She went back to that house of business, where the principals were practically atheists; but I was told yesterday that that young girl, whose life had been anointed with the holy anointing oil, had such power in that business that the principal and his wife have both been converted. The principal is now a lay preacher in the Church of England, and the lady of the business holds a large Bible-class for those in houses of business; one of them traces back the blessing to the quiet, holy influence of that little girl, the power of the Holy One resting upon her. Oh, that I might thus be filled with power, have the anointing oil upon me. Is not that what you want in the midst of this wilderness journey, in the midst of all the trials and temptations of daily life? (E. A. Stuart, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv15, 17 to carry the holy place
to carry the holy place
Here the holy place refers to all the items that make up the holy place that Aaron and his sons covered in cloth and skins. AT: "to carry all of the items of the holy place" (See: Synecdoche)
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when the camp moves forward
Here the word "camp" refers to all of the people in the camp. AT: "when the people move forward" (See: Metonymy)
Kohath
See how you translated this man's name in Numbers 3:17.
the holy instruments
"the holy equipment"
the oil for the light
Here the word "light" is used to refer to the "lamps." AT: "the oil for the lamps" (See: Metonymy)
the care of
Here the abstract noun "care" can be expressed as a verb. AT: "those who care for" (See: Abstract Nouns)
translationWords
Aaron
descend
die
tent of meeting
Eleazar
priest
incense
grain offering
anoint
tabernacle
holy
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 v15 4:15 Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar…
4:15 Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar had to cover the sanctuary and all the sacred articles completely before the camp was ready to move, with the groups of non-Levitical tribes marching before and behind the Levites who carried the Tabernacle. The royalty of these objects is seen in the symbolic colors of the coverings, and their sacredness underlies the stern warning that even though the Kohathites were the designated handlers, they must not touch the sacred objects, or they would die. Such respect marked the holiness of Israel’s Lord. The dangers of disregarding these instructions are apparent in 1 Sam 6:19-20 and 2 Sam 6:6-7.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.