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Numbers 4:15

in Numbers 4

When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp is set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.

KJV

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.

This verse in Numbers 4

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
And when Aaron and his sons had made an end of covering the sanctuary,.... Not the holy place, nor the most holy place, for these were not covered by them; but "the holy things" in them, as the Septuagint version, the ark, shewbread table, &c. and all "the vessels of the sanctuary"; all appertaining to those holy things, which are before mentioned.

This site's exposition

made an end of covering

on Numbers 4:15-16

The Kohathites carry the holiest things in Israel and are forbidden to touch them, and the verse gives the penalty without softening it, lest they die. 2 Samuel 6:6-7 records the rule set aside when the ark went on a cart and Uzzah put out his hand to steady it, and Matthew Henry names that death in his comment here. Eleazar, the elder surviving son of Aaron, carries the oil, the incense, the daily meat offering and the anointing oil himself and holds the oversight of everything else, while verses 28 and 33 put Gershon and Merari under his brother Ithamar.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Uzza was struck dead for the breach of this law. Thus were the Lord's ministers themselves then kept in fear, and that was a dispensation of terror, as well as darkness; but now, through Christ, the case is altered; we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handles, the word of life ( 1 John i. 1 ), and we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

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.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

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 Nu 7:9), although afterwards wheeled vehicles were employed (2Sa 6:3; And it was allowed to touch the covering, but not the things covered, on the penalty of death, which was inflicted more than once (1Sa 6:19;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

But when the cloud removed from the tabernacle, the sanctuary might be entered by the common priests, as to them was reserved the exclusive privilege of packing the sacred utensils; and it was not till the holy things were thus ready for carriage, that the Kohathites were allowed to approach.

The words behind it

29 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְכִלָּ֣הand he will finish

    vekhilahH3615208 times

  • אַֽהֲרֹן־Aaron

    ʾaharon-H175347 times

  • וּ֠בָנָיוand sons his

    uvanavH11214930 times

  • לְכַסֹּ֨תto cover

    lekhasotH3680152 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁthe holy place

    hakodeshH6944469 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH85310935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H36055413 times

  • כְּלֵ֣י[the] articles of

    keleiH3627325 times

  • הַקֹּדֶשׁ֮the holy place

    hakodeshH6944469 times

  • בִּנְסֹ֣עַwhen sets out

    binsoa'H5265146 times

  • הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֒the camp

    hamachanehH4264215 times

  • וְאַחֲרֵי־and after

    veacharei-H310715 times

  • כֵ֗ןthus

    khenH3651771 times

  • יָבֹ֤אוּthey will come

    yavouH9352568 times

  • בְנֵי־[the] descendants of

    venei-H11214930 times

  • קְהָת֙Kohath

    kehatH695532 times

  • לָשֵׂ֔אתto carry [them]

    lasetH5375656 times

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H38085168 times

  • יִגְּע֥וּthey will touch

    yigeuH5060150 times

  • אֶל־<to>

    ʾel-H4135510 times

  • הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁthe holy thing

    hakodeshH6944469 times

  • וָמֵ֑תוּand they will die

    vametuH4191839 times

  • אֵ֛לֶּהthese [things]

    ʾelehH428746 times

  • מַשָּׂ֥א[are] [the] burden of

    masa'H485366 times

  • בְנֵֽי־[the] descendants of

    venei-H11214930 times

  • קְהָ֖תKohath

    kehatH695532 times

  • בְּאֹ֥הֶלin [the] tent of

    beohelH168345 times

  • מוֹעֵֽד׃meeting

    moedH4150223 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 7:9

    But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 4:4–16

      This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Chronicles 15:13

      It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

    • 2 Samuel 6:13

      When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

    • Numbers 3:31

      Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.

  • Through

    Numbers 10:21

    Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 10:17

      Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.

    • Numbers 7:9

      But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 31:9

    So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 3:3

      and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.

    • Deuteronomy 31:22–26

      So that very day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About Numbers

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.