Numbers 4:25
in Numbers 4They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with the covering of fine leather over it, the curtains for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is above upon it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,
KJV
And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
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This verse in Numbers 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2829: “Lowly Service” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
THIS is the gist of the whole matter—"This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: and they shall bear . . . so shall they serve." The Gershonites were part of the tribe of Levi which God selected, instead of the first-born of all Israel, to serve Him in a very special manner. They were to act as the representatives and substitutes for all the first-born, who were set apart, as the Lord's in a very peculiar sense.
This site's exposition
And the LORD said to Moses
on Numbers 4:21-28
Gershon's charge is the fabric of the tent: curtains, coverings, entrance curtains, courtyard curtains and ropes. Verse 27 puts every load under Aaron and his sons, “you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry”.
This site's exposition
They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle
Gershon carries every layer of the tent's fabric. John Wesley sorts the verse into the ten inner curtains, the goats' hair tent over them, the rams' skins and the fine leather above all. The frames those curtains hung on went to Merari.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The curtains - The curtains or covering of goats-hair. The tabernacle - The ten curtains which covered the boards of the tabernacle; for the boards themselves were carried by the Merarites. His covering - The covering of rams-skins which was put next over those ten curtains.
And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, &c.--They were appointed to carry "the curtains of the tabernacle"--that is, the goats' hair covering of the tent--the ten curious curtains and embroidered hangings at the entrance, with their red morocco covering, &c.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2829: “Lowly Service” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THIS is the gist of the whole matter—"This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: and they shall bear . . . so shall they serve." The Gershonites were part of the tribe of Levi which God selected, instead of the first-born of all Israel, to serve Him in a very special manner. They were to act as the representatives and substitutes for all the first-born, who were set apart, as the Lord's in a very peculiar sense. The Levites were, therefore, to be regarded as the first-born—a name which is applied by the Apostle Paul to all the regenerate when he speaks of "the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in Heaven." Jesus Christ is the true First-Born and all Believers are predestinated to be conformed to the image of Him who is "the First-Born among many brethren." The chapter we read tells us how the Levites were to be consecrated to their service. They were to be sprinkled with the water of separation and both their bodies and their clothes were to be washed with water. "Be you clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord," is an injunction that is still binding upon Believers. We need to have both the water and the blood applied to us to prepare us for our solemn life-service as the consecrated Levites of God. "You are God's clergy," says the Apostle, according to the original. All who believe in Jesus, all the twice-born, all who are washed in His precious blood, all who are set apart by the Holy Spirit, are God's clerics, dedicated to His service even as the Levites were of old. Besides this, the Levites had all the hair of their bodies shaved off, as if to show us that in the day when we are consecrated to God, even our external life becomes changed.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָ֨שְׂא֜וּ | venaseu | and they will carry | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְרִיעֹ֤ת | yeriot | [the] curtains of | H3407 → | |
| הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ | hamishkan | the tabernacle | H4908 → | 139 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֹ֣הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֔ד | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| מִכְסֵ֕הוּ | mikhsehu | covering its | H4372 → | 16 times |
| וּמִכְסֵ֛ה | umikhseh | and [the] covering of | H4372 → | 16 times |
| הַתַּ֥חַשׁ | hatachash | the dolphin | H8476 → | 14 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | [is] over it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִלְמָ֑עְלָה | milmaelah | from to above <towards> | H4605 → | 140 times |
| וְאֶ֨ת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מָסַ֔ךְ | masakh | [the] screen of | H4539 → | 25 times |
| פֶּ֖תַח | petach | [the] entrance of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| אֹ֥הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵֽד׃ | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
וְנָ֨שְׂא֜וּand they will carry
venaseuH5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְרִיעֹ֤ת[the] curtains of
yeriotH3407 →
הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙the tabernacle
hamishkanH4908 →139 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֹ֣הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֔דmeeting
moedH4150 →223 times
מִכְסֵ֕הוּcovering its
mikhsehuH4372 →16 times
וּמִכְסֵ֛הand [the] covering of
umikhsehH4372 →16 times
הַתַּ֥חַשׁthe dolphin
hatachashH8476 →14 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָלָ֖יו[is] over it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
מִלְמָ֑עְלָהfrom to above <towards>
milmaelahH4605 →140 times
וְאֶ֨ת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מָסַ֔ךְ[the] screen of
masakhH4539 →25 times
פֶּ֖תַח[the] entrance of
petachH6607 →164 times
אֹ֥הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵֽד׃meeting
moedH4150 →223 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Exodus 26:14Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.
it leads to
- Exodus 36:19
Additionally, he made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.
- Exodus 25:5
ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood;
- Numbers 4:10
Then they shall wrap it and all its utensils inside a covering of fine leather and put it on the carrying frame.
- Ezekiel 16:10
I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
- Psalms 121:4–5
Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
- Exodus 36:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2829: “Lowly Service” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.