Numbers 18:3
in Numbers 18And they shall attend to your duties and to all the duties of the Tent; but they must not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar, or both they and you will die.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the Tent: only they shall not come nigh unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor ye.
KJV
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
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This verse in Numbers 18
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary
on Numbers 18:1-4
Chapter 17 closes with Israel crying that anyone who comes near the tabernacle will die. This chapter answers by laying that danger on Aaron and his sons, and the LORD speaks the word to Aaron directly.
This site's exposition
they must not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary
The penalty falls on both orders: a Levite who touches the altar brings death on the priests over him. Numbers 4:15-20 set the same line for the Kohathites, who carried the holy things only after the priests covered them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), though they must by no means come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary, nor at the altar meddle with the great services of burning the fat and sprinkling the blood.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Levites were to attend the priests as servants--bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle--while the high and dignified office of the priesthood was a "service of gift." "A stranger," that is, one, neither a priest nor a Levite, who should intrude into any departments of the sacred office, should incur the penalty of death.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ | veshameru | and they will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּךָ֔ | mishmartekha | service your | H4931 → | 78 times |
| וּמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת | umishmeret | and [the] service of | H4931 → | 78 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאֹ֑הֶל | haohel | the tent | H168 → | 345 times |
| אַךְ֩ | ʾakh | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כְּלֵ֨י | kelei | [the] equipment<s> of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| הַקֹּ֤דֶשׁ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִקְרָ֔בוּ | yikravu | they will draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָמֻ֥תוּ | yamutu | they will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| גַם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הֵ֖ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אַתֶּֽם׃ | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙and they will keep
veshameruH8104 →468 times
מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּךָ֔service your
mishmartekhaH4931 →78 times
וּמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶתand [the] service of
umishmeretH4931 →78 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאֹ֑הֶלthe tent
haohelH168 →345 times
אַךְ֩only
ʾakhH389 →161 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
כְּלֵ֨י[the] equipment<s> of
keleiH3627 →325 times
הַקֹּ֤דֶשׁthe holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִקְרָ֔בוּthey will draw near
yikravuH7126 →280 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָמֻ֥תוּthey will die
yamutuH4191 →839 times
גַם־both
gam-H1571 →769 times
הֵ֖םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
גַּם־as well as
gam-H1571 →769 times
אַתֶּֽם׃you
ʾatemH859 →1094 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 4:15When 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…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 6:6–7
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled.
- 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.
- 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.
- Numbers 10:21
Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.
- 1 Chronicles 13:9–10
When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark, because the oxen had stumbled.
- 2 Samuel 6:6–7
Through
Numbers 3:25The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
it leads to
- Exodus 25:9
You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.
- Exodus 25:9
Through
Numbers 16:40just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the…
it leads to
- Numbers 3:10
So 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.”
- Numbers 18:4–7
They are to join you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting, doing all the work at the Tent; but no outsider may come near you.
- Numbers 3:10
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
