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Numbers 4:26

in Numbers 4

the curtains of the courtyard, and the curtains for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. The Gershonites will do all that needs to be done with these items.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatsoever shall be done with them: therein shall they serve.

KJV

And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.

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This verse in Numbers 4

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
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

the curtains of the courtyard

The courtyard hangings enclosed the whole precinct, both the tent and the bronze altar, as John Wesley notes. Gershon moved the sanctuary's outer fence along with its coverings. The ropes and fittings went with it.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And the hangings of the court,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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.
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

26 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.

  • וְאֵת֩and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • קַלְעֵ֨י[the] curtains of

    kaleiH7050 →

  • הֶֽחָצֵ֜רthe courtyard

    hechatzerH2691 →191 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • מָסַ֣ךְ׀[the] screen of

    masakhH4539 →25 times

  • פֶּ֣תַח׀[the] entrance of

    petachH6607 →164 times

  • שַׁ֣עַר[the] gate of

    shaarH8179 →

  • הֶחָצֵ֗רthe courtyard

    hechatzerH2691 →191 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • עַל־[is] at

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַמִּשְׁכָּ֤ןthe tabernacle

    hamishkanH4908 →139 times

  • וְעַל־and at

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar

    hamizbeachH4196 →401 times

  • סָבִ֔יבall around

    savivH5439 →336 times

  • וְאֵת֙and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • מֵֽיתְרֵיהֶ֔םropes their

    meitreihemH4340 →9 times

  • וְאֶֽת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • כְּלֵ֖י[the] articles of

    keleiH3627 →325 times

  • עֲבֹדָתָ֑םservice their

    ʾavodatamH5656 →145 times

  • וְאֵ֨תand <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֧רthat

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • יֵעָשֶׂ֛הit will be done

    yeasehH6213 →2628 times

  • לָהֶ֖םfor <the> them

    lahem

  • וְעָבָֽדוּ׃and they will serve

    veavaduH5647 →288 times

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

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

6 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

    Exodus 27:9

    You are also to make a courtyard for the tabernacle. On the south side of the courtyard make curtains of finely spun linen, a hundred cubits long on one side,

    it leads to

    • Exodus 38:9–20

      Then he constructed the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was a hundred cubits long and had curtains of finely spun linen,

    • Ezekiel 40:23

      There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured the distance from gateway to gateway to be a hundred cubits.

    • Ezekiel 42:3

      Gallery faced gallery in three levels opposite the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court.

    • Ezekiel 42:19–20

      And he came around and measured the west side to be five hundred cubits long.

    • 1 Kings 8:64

      On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of…

  • Through

    Exodus 35:18

    the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes;

    it leads to

    • Exodus 27:19

      All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, including all its tent pegs and the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be made of bronze.

Where this verse is studied

About Numbers

The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
Numbers: the study guide →Read Numbers 4 →

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.

Read on in Numbers 4 →