Numbers 3:10

Numbers 3:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
• New International Version (NIV)Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Context of Numbers 3:10

8They shall also take care of all the furnishings and utensils of the Tent of Meeting, and [attend to] the duties of the Israelites, doing the service of the tabernacle. 9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons [as servants and helpers]; they are to be given wholly to him from among the Israelites. So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall observe and attend to their priesthood; but the layman (non-Levite) who approaches [the holy things] shall be put to death.” 11Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of and as a substitute for every firstborn, that is, the first that opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites shall be Mine,

Numbers 3:10 word by word

וְאֶת־אַהֲרֹ֤ן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו֙ תִּפְקֹ֔ד וְשָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת־כְּהֻנָּתָ֑ם וְהַזָּ֥ר הַקָּרֵ֖ב יוּמָֽת׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thou shalt appointפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
• Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• and his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and they shall wait onשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• their priest’s officeכְּהֻנָּהkehûnnâh · priesthoodH3550
• and the strangerזוּרzûr · be a strangerH2114
• that cometh nighקָרֵבqârêb · approachingH7131
• shall be put to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Numbers 3:10

• Numbers 18:7Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar [of burnt offering and the altar of incense] and [of the Holy of Holies] within the veil, and you are to serve. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the stranger (outsider, layman) who approaches shall be put to death.”
• 1 Chronicles 6:32They ministered with singing before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built the Lord’s house (temple) in Jerusalem, performing their service in due order.
• Ezekiel 44:8And you have not kept charge of My holy things yourselves, but you have chosen foreigners [to please yourselves] and have set them in charge of My sanctuary.”
• Acts 6:3Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
• Romans 12:7if service, in the act of serving; or he who teaches, in the act of teaching;
• 1 Timothy 4:15Practice and work hard on these things; be absorbed in them [completely occupied in your ministry], so that your progress will be evident to all.
• Numbers 3:38Now those to camp before the tabernacle toward the east, before the Tent of Meeting, toward the sunrise, were to be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for whatever was required of the Israelites; and the layman (non-Levite) who approached [the sanctuary] was to be put to death.
• Numbers 1:51When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to [be set up for] camp, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman (non-Levite) who approaches the tabernacle shall be put to death.
• Numbers 16:35Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
• Numbers 18:3And the Levites shall attend to your duty [as assistants] and to the duties of all the tent (tabernacle); only they shall not approach the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.
• 1 Samuel 6:19The Lord struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.
• 2 Samuel 6:7And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.
• 2 Chronicles 26:16But when Uzziah became strong, he became so proud [of himself and his accomplishments] that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful and sinned against the Lord his God, for he went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
• Ephesians 2:19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household,
• Hebrews 3:4For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
• Hebrews 10:19Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus,

Commentaries on Numbers 3:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Aaron and his sons - shall wait on their priest's office - It was the business of the priests to offer the different sacrifices to God; to consecrate the shew-bread, pour out the libations, burn the incense, sprinkle the blood of the victims, and bless the people. In a word, they were the servants of God alone.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10The sanctuary was set apart for God’s holy use (Numbers 1:51; 3:38; 18:7). Only qualified people could approach it (compare 3:4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-105-10. Bring the tribe of Levi near--The Hebrew word "bring near" is a sacrificial term, denoting the presentation of an offering to God; and the use of the word, therefore, in connection with the Levites, signifies that they were devoted as an offering to the sanctuary, no longer to be employed in any common offices. They were subordinate to the priests, who alone enjoyed the privilege of entering the holy place; but they were employed in discharging many…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 3:10

• Levites
• Minister, Christian
• Priest
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Annas
• Chief
• Conclude
• Custody
• Encamp
• High priest
• O
• Secure
• Seek

Commentaries on Numbers 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings