Numbers 18:3

Numbers 18:3 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die—they and you also.

Context of Numbers 18:3

1The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests. 2Bring the other Levites from your ancestor’s tribe to join you and help you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the words of my promise. They will work for you, doing whatever work is necessary for the whole tent. But they must not come near the altar or the furnishings in the holy place, or they will die, and you will die, too. 4They will join you and do whatever work is necessary for the tent of meeting, including all the maintenance work for the tent. But no one else may come near you. 5“You must be in charge of the work done at the holy place and at the altar. Then I won’t show my anger against the Israelites again.

Numbers 18:3 word by word

וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ מִֽשְׁמַרְתְּךָ֔ וּמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת כָּל־הָאֹ֑הֶל אַךְ֩ אֶל־כְּלֵ֨י הַקֹּ֤דֶשׁ וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לֹ֣א יִקְרָ֔בוּ וְלֹֽא־יָמֻ֥תוּ גַם־הֵ֖ם גַּם־אַתֶּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they shall keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• thy chargeמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
• of all the tabernacleאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• only they shall not come nighקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
• the vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
• of the sanctuaryקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• and the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• that neither they, nor ye also, dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Numbers 18:3

• Numbers 3:25At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were in charge of the inner tent, the outer tent and cover, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting,
• Numbers 4:19This is what you must do so that they won’t die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go into the holy place and tell each man what he will do and what he will carry.
• Numbers 16:40following the command that the Lord had given through Moses. The bronze-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron can come near to burn incense to the Lord. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers.
• Numbers 4:15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.

Commentaries on Numbers 18:3

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4all the duties: See 1:47–53; 3:5–38; 4:1–33. they must not come near: The Levites could approach only after they had covered the holy objects for transport.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-72-7. thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi--The departments of the sacred office, to be filled respectively by the priests and Levites, are here assigned to each. To the priests was committed the charge of the sanctuary and the altar, while the Levites were to take care of everything else about the tabernacle. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 18:3

• Levites
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Exodus
• Levite
• Agrapha
• Atonement, Day of
• Chronicles, Books of
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Genealogy
• Law in the Old Testament
• Numbers, Book of

Commentaries on Numbers 18

• 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