Numbers 4:5
in Numbers 4Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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,
KJV
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:
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This verse in Numbers 4
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThey shall take down - For upon this necessary occasion the inferior priests are allowed to come into the holy of holies, which otherwise was peculiar to the high-priest. The covering veil - The second veil, wherewith the ark was covered while the tabernacle stood, Exod. xl, 3.
This site's exposition
when the camp setteth forward
on Numbers 4:5-8
The veil that screened the most holy place comes down and becomes the ark's innermost wrapping, so the curtain that hid the ark inside the tent now travels on it. The ark takes three coverings where the rest take two, and it alone wears blue on the outside, while the table of shewbread wears scarlet and the brasen altar wears purple at verse 13. Barnes reads put in the staves as setting them in order, since Exodus 25:14-15 says the ark's staves were never drawn out of their rings. The shewbread stays on the table while it moves, the continual bread shall be thereon, so the bread before God carries on through the march.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And when the camp setteth forward,.... Upon the cloud's removing and the trumpets blowing: Aaron shall come, and his sons; into the holy place: and they shall take down the covering vail: the vail that divided between the holy and the most holy place, which covered all in the holy of holies out of sight: and cover the ark of testimony with it; together with the mercy seat and cherubim on it, that they might not be seen nor touched by the Levites when they carried them.
(2.) All the holy things must be covered, the ark and table with three coverings, all the rest with two. Even the ashes of the altar, in which the holy fire was carefully preserved and raked up, must have a purple cloth spread over them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבָ֨א | uva' | and he will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֤ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| וּבָנָיו֙ | uvanav | and sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בִּנְסֹ֣עַ | binsoa' | when sets out | H5265 → | 146 times |
| הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה | hamachaneh | the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| וְהוֹרִ֕דוּ | vehoridu | and they will take down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּרֹ֣כֶת | parokhet | [the] curtain of | H6532 → | |
| הַמָּסָ֑ךְ | hamasakh | the screen | H4539 → | 25 times |
| וְכִ֨סּוּ־ | vekhisu- | and they will cover | H3680 → | 152 times |
| בָ֔הּ | vah | with <the> it | ||
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲרֹ֥ן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָעֵדֻֽת׃ | haedut | the testimony | H5715 → | 59 times |
וּבָ֨אand he will go
uva'H935 →2568 times
אַהֲרֹ֤ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
וּבָנָיו֙and sons his
uvanavH1121 →4930 times
בִּנְסֹ֣עַwhen sets out
binsoa'H5265 →146 times
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הthe camp
hamachanehH4264 →215 times
וְהוֹרִ֕דוּand they will take down
vehoriduH3381 →381 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
פָּרֹ֣כֶת[the] curtain of
parokhetH6532 →
הַמָּסָ֑ךְthe screen
hamasakhH4539 →25 times
וְכִ֨סּוּ־and they will cover
vekhisu-H3680 →152 times
בָ֔הּwith <the> it
vah
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲרֹ֥ן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָעֵדֻֽת׃the testimony
haedutH5715 →59 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
Matthew 27:51At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:19–22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
- Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 15:38
And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
- Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
- Luke 23:45
The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
- Hebrews 10:19–22
Through
Numbers 10:14First, the divisions of the camp of Judah set out under their standard, with Nahshon son of Amminadab in command.
it leads to
- Numbers 2:3–9
On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard:
- Numbers 2:3–9
Through
Hebrews 9:3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
it leads to
- Exodus 26:31–33
Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Exodus 26:31–33
Through
Exodus 40:3Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.
it leads to
- Exodus 35:12
the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it;
- Exodus 35:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.