Christian Standard Bible
Numbers 4:20
20The Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects as they are covered or they will die.”
Numbers 4:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
- New International Version (NIV)But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die.”
Context of Numbers 4:20
18“Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be wiped out from the Levites. 19Do this for them so that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and transportation duty. The Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects as they are covered or they will die.” 21The Lord spoke to Moses: 22“Take a census of the Gershonites also, by their ancestral families and their clans.
Read all of Numbers 4Numbers 4:20 word by word
וְלֹא־יָבֹ֧אוּ לִרְא֛וֹת כְּבַלַּ֥ע אֶת־הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ וָמֵֽתוּ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Numbers 4:20
- Numbers 4:15“Aaron and his sons are to finish covering the holy objects and all their equipment whenever the camp is to move on. The Kohathites will come and carry them, but they are not to touch the holy objects or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the tent of meeting.
- Exodus 19:21The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.
- Leviticus 10:2Then fire came from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 6:19God struck down the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord. He struck down seventy persons. The people mourned because the Lord struck them with a great slaughter.
- Hebrews 10:19Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus —
- Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and severe hail.
- 1 Kings 8:8The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside the sanctuary; they are still there today.
- 2 Chronicles 5:9The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside; they are still there today.
Commentaries on Numbers 4:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20When the holy things are covered - Literally, כבלע keballa, when they are swallowed down; which shows the promptitude with which every thing belonging to the holy of holies was put out of sight, for these mysteries must ever be treated with the deepest reverence; and indeed without this they could not have been to them the representatives of heavenly realities. See the concluding note Numbers 4:36; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20to see when the holy things are covered - Render: to see the holy things for an instant. The expression means Iiterally” as a gulp,” i. e. for the instant it takes to swallow.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-20Verses 4-20 The Kohathites were to carry the holy things of the tabernacle. All the holy things were to be covered; not only for security and respect, but to keep them from being seen. This not only marked the reverence due to holy things, but the mystery of the things signified by those types, and the darkness of the dispensation. But now, through Christ, the case is altered, and we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-20The duties of the Kohathites come first because they handled the most holy objects (see 3:27–32). This might be because Aaron and the priests came from this clan (1 Chronicles 6:2–3). Their tasks included carrying, setting up, and folding up these holy and very important coverings and furnishings. The items entrusted to Kohath's descendants were very valuable. These included: the ark of the Testimony, the table of the Bread of the Presence, the lampstand…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2017-20. Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites, &c.--a solemn admonition to Moses and Aaron to beware, lest, by any negligence on their part, disorder and improprieties should creep in, and to take the greatest care that all the parts of this important service be apportioned to the proper parties, lest the Kohathites should be disqualified for their high and honorable duties. The guilt of their death would be…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 4:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 4
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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