Back to Numbers 4

Numbers 4:5-12

When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons; and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it, put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.

“On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

“They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.

“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

“They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.

World English Bible · Public Domain
Show the surrounding paragraph

Numbers 4:5-12 sits inside this longer paragraph.

“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, regarding the most holy things. When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons; and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it, put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.

“On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it. They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

“They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it. They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.

“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

“They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.

Read all of Numbers 4 →

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    When the camp moves forward, Aaron shall go in with his sons; and they shall take down the veil of the screen, cover the ark of the Testimony with it,

    put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.

    “On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to pour out; and the continual bread shall be on it.

    They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

    “They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels, with which they minister to it.

    They shall put it and all its vessels within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it on the frame.

    “On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

    “They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on the frame.

  • KJV King James Version

    And 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:

    And 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.

    And 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:

    And 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.

    And 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:

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

    And 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:

    And 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:

Show all 3 translations
  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it;

    and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall set the staves thereof.

    And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the pans, and the bowls, and the jars wherewith to pour out; and the continual bread shall remain thereon.

    And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof.

    And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it.

    And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it upon a bar.

    And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof.

    And they shall take all the vessels of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on a bar.

View more translations →

Cross-references (49)

  • Exodus 25:13-15 (v6) You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry…
  • Exodus 25:31-39 (v9) “You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its…
  • Leviticus 24:5-8 (v7) “You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenths of an ephah shall be in one cake. You shall set them in two rows, six…
  • 1 Chronicles 9:29 (v12) Some of them also were appointed over the furniture, and over all the vessels of the sanctuary, over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the…
  • Matthew 27:51 (v5) Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
Show all 47 cross-references
  • Hebrews 9:3 (v5) After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,
  • Numbers 4:9 (vv8, 12) “They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all its oil vessels,…
  • Numbers 4:11-13 (vv6, 8) “On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles. “They shall take…
  • Exodus 25:9 (v12) According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you shall make it.
  • Exodus 25:10-22 (v5) “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its…
  • Exodus 25:23-30 (v7) “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a half cubits. You…
  • Exodus 26:31-33 (v5) “You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman.…
  • Exodus 30:1-19 (v11) “You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood. Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall…
  • Exodus 31:10 (v12) the finely worked garments—the holy garments for Aaron the priest, the garments of his sons to minister in the priest’s office—
  • Exodus 35:19 (v6) the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place—the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons—to…
  • Exodus 36:35 (v5) He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman.
  • Exodus 37:1-9 (v5) Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its…
  • Exodus 37:10-16 (v7) He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half. He overlaid…
  • Exodus 37:17-24 (v9) He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were…
  • Exodus 37:25-28 (v11) He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its…
  • Exodus 39:1 (v6) Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron,…
  • Exodus 39:38 (v11) the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent,
  • Exodus 39:41 (v6) the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to…
  • Exodus 40:3 (v5) You shall put the ark of the covenant in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
  • Exodus 40:5 (v11) You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
  • Exodus 40:26-27 (v11) He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil; and he burned incense of sweet spices on it, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
  • Numbers 2:16-17 (v5) “All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall…
  • Numbers 3:8 (v12) They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the…
  • Numbers 3:27-32 (v5) Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites.…
  • Numbers 4:6 (v10) put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.
  • Numbers 4:6-7 (v8) put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles. “On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue…
  • Numbers 4:7 (v12) “On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to…
  • Numbers 4:7-8 (v6) “On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cups with which to…
  • Numbers 4:12 (v10) “They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a…
  • Numbers 4:15 (v5) “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after…
  • Numbers 10:14 (v5) First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his…
  • 2 Samuel 6:2-9 (v5) David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there God’s ark, which is called by the…
  • 1 Kings 8:7-8 (v6) For the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. The poles were so…
  • 2 Kings 25:14-15 (v12) They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered. The captain of…
  • 2 Chronicles 4:11 (v12) Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Huram finished doing the work that he did for king Solomon in God’s house:
  • 2 Chronicles 4:16 (v12) Huram his father also made the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all its vessels for king Solomon, for Yahweh’s house, of bright bronze.
  • 2 Chronicles 4:19 (v12) Solomon made all the vessels that were in God’s house, the golden altar also, and the tables with the show bread on them;
  • 2 Chronicles 4:22 (v12) and the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans of pure gold. As for the entry of the house, its inner doors for the most holy…
  • Psalms 119:105 (v9) Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
  • Isaiah 25:7 (v5) He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
  • Hebrews 10:20 (v5) by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,
  • Revelation 1:20–2:1 (v9) The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the angels of…

47 distinct cross-references across this passage (49 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (15 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 10, 11 Which divided the Sanctuary from the holiest of all.

Which divided the Sanctuary from the holiest of all.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv5, 8 Num 4:5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 For upon this necessary occasion the inferior priests are…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv5–12 And when the camp setteth forward,.... Upon the cloud's…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 11, 12 They shall take down - For upon this necessary…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv5, 7, 11 Num 4:5-6. They shall take down — For upon…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v6 wholly of blue - Compare Exo 25:4 note. The…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 10 Sons. Necessity excused them on this occasion. Out of…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 10, 12 covering veil--the inner veil, which separated the holy from…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 10, 11 5. The covering vail — That which separated the…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv5, 7 5–14. When finally ready for the march the burden…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 (5) Aaron shall come, and his sons . .…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 The covering veil. The curtain which hung before the…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v7 (See Scofield "Exo 25:30").
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv5, 7, 9, 12 When the camp prepares
Share