Numbers 7:8
in Numbers 7and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
KJV
And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
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This verse in Numbers 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseFour wagons - unto the sons of Merari - Because they had the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the tabernacle to carry, Num 4:31, Num 4:32, therefore they had as many more wagons as the Gershonites.
This site's exposition
the LORD spake unto Moses
on Numbers 7:4-9
The wagons are divided by what each Levite family has to carry. Gershon takes two, and Merari, who carry the boards, bars, pillars and sockets, takes four. Kohath is given none, and verse 9 says why, that the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders, so the ark and the holy furniture travel on men and never on wheels. 2 Samuel 6:3-7 is where that rule is set aside and a man dies for it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
); and yet, if they had not more wagons of their own, they would be obliged to carry a great deal upon their backs too, for the silver sockets alone weighed 100 talents, which was above four tons, and that was enough to load four wagons that were drawn but by one yoke of oxen a-piece. But each socket being a talent weight, which is about a man's burden (as appears, 2 Kings
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari,....
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֣ת׀ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַרְבַּ֣ע | ʾarba' | four of | H702 → | 318 times |
| הָעֲגָלֹ֗ת | haagalot | the carts | H5699 → | 25 times |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמֹנַ֣ת | shemonat | eight of | H8083 → | 109 times |
| הַבָּקָ֔ר | habakar | the ox[en] | H1241 → | 183 times |
| נָתַ֖ן | natan | he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִבְנֵ֣י | livnei | to [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מְרָרִ֑י | merari | Merari | H4847 → | 36 times |
| כְּפִי֙ | kefi | according to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם | ʾavodatam | service their | H5656 → | 145 times |
| בְּיַד֙ | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אִֽיתָמָ֔ר | ʾitamar | Ithamar | H385 → | 21 times |
| בֶּֽן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֖ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
וְאֵ֣ת׀and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אַרְבַּ֣עfour of
ʾarba'H702 →318 times
הָעֲגָלֹ֗תthe carts
haagalotH5699 →25 times
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
שְׁמֹנַ֣תeight of
shemonatH8083 →109 times
הַבָּקָ֔רthe ox[en]
habakarH1241 →183 times
נָתַ֖ןhe gave
natanH5414 →2011 times
לִבְנֵ֣יto [the] descendants of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
מְרָרִ֑יMerari
merariH4847 →36 times
כְּפִי֙according to [the] mouth of
kefiH6310 →498 times
עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔םservice their
ʾavodatamH5656 →145 times
בְּיַד֙in [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
אִֽיתָמָ֔רIthamar
ʾitamarH385 →21 times
בֶּֽן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אַהֲרֹ֖ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
הַכֹּהֵֽן׃the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Numbers

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonExodus eraAaronBrother of Moses and Israel's first high priest; his rod budded, his garments were for glory and beauty, and his line carried the…
- PersonWildernessIthamarAaron's fourth son, ordained priest in Leviticus 8; overseer of the tabernacle's accounts and the Gershonite and Merarite service.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.
