Numbers 3:38
in Numbers 3Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And those that encamp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
KJV
But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 3
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east,.... At which was the entrance into the tabernacle: even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward; that is, before the court of the tabernacle, where the people assembled together: shall be Moses, Aaron, and his sons; Moses the chief ruler, and Aaron the high priest, and his sons priests under him; these had the most honourable place of all, beings at the front of the tabernacle, between that and the camp of Judah.
This site's exposition
But those that encamp before the tabernacle
Moses, Aaron and Aaron's sons take the east, which is the side the door opens on, so the men who go in and out stand between the entrance and the whole camp. Judah's standard is on the east too at 2:3, which puts the tribe of the sceptre and the house of the priesthood on the same face of the camp. The warning of verse 10 is repeated here word for word, at the one point where a man walking toward the tent would actually reach it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Thus was the tabernacle surrounded with its guards; and thus does the angel of the Lord encamp round about those that fear him, those living temples, Ps. xxxiv.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
those that encamp, &c.--That being the entrance side, it was the post of honor, and consequently reserved to Moses and the priestly family. But the sons of Moses had no station here.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַחֹנִ֣ים | vehachonim | and those [who] encamp | H2583 → | 143 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמִּשְׁכָּ֡ן | hamishkan | the tabernacle | H4908 → | 139 times |
| קֵ֣דְמָה | kedemah | east -ward | H6924 → | 87 times |
| לִפְנֵי֩ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֹֽהֶל־ | ʾohel- | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֨ד׀ | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| מִזְרָ֜חָה | mizrachah | east -ward | H4217 → | 74 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֣ה׀ | mosheh | [were] Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן | veaharon | and Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| וּבָנָ֗יו | uvanav | and sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שֹֽׁמְרִים֙ | shomerim | keeping | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת | mishmeret | [the] duty of | H4931 → | 78 times |
| הַמִּקְדָּ֔שׁ | hamikdash | the sanctuary | H4720 → | 75 times |
| לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת | lemishmeret | to [the] duty of | H4931 → | 78 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְהַזָּ֥ר | vehazar | and the stranger | H2114 → | 77 times |
| הַקָּרֵ֖ב | hakarev | <the> approaching | H7131 → | 12 times |
| יוּמָֽת׃ | yumat | he will be put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
וְהַחֹנִ֣יםand those [who] encamp
vehachonimH2583 →143 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמִּשְׁכָּ֡ןthe tabernacle
hamishkanH4908 →139 times
קֵ֣דְמָהeast -ward
kedemahH6924 →87 times
לִפְנֵי֩<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֹֽהֶל־[the] tent of
ʾohel-H168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֨ד׀meeting
moedH4150 →223 times
מִזְרָ֜חָהeast -ward
mizrachahH4217 →74 times
מֹשֶׁ֣ה׀[were] Moses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וְאַהֲרֹ֣ןand Aaron
veaharonH175 →347 times
וּבָנָ֗יוand sons his
uvanavH1121 →4930 times
שֹֽׁמְרִים֙keeping
shomerimH8104 →468 times
מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת[the] duty of
mishmeretH4931 →78 times
הַמִּקְדָּ֔שׁthe sanctuary
hamikdashH4720 →75 times
לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶתto [the] duty of
lemishmeretH4931 →78 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְהַזָּ֥רand the stranger
vehazarH2114 →77 times
הַקָּרֵ֖ב<the> approaching
hakarevH7131 →12 times
יוּמָֽת׃he will be put to death
yumatH4191 →839 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Numbers 3:10So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”
it leads to
- Numbers 1:51
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must…
- Numbers 1:51
Through
Numbers 2:3On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard:
it leads to
- Ruth 4:20
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, Nahshon was the father of Salmon,
- 1 Chronicles 2:10
Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah.
- Numbers 10:14–16
First, the divisions of the camp of Judah set out under their standard, with Nahshon son of Amminadab in command.
- Ruth 4:20
Through
Numbers 1:53But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the…
it leads to
- Numbers 16:46
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the…
- Leviticus 10:6
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be…
- 1 Chronicles 23:32
So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.
- Numbers 16:46
Through
Numbers 3:35The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
it leads to
- Numbers 2:25
On the north side, the divisions of Dan are to camp under their standard:
- Numbers 2:25
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
