New King James Version
Numbers 3:10
10So 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
Context of Numbers 3:10
8Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle. 9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel. 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.” 11Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,
Read all of Numbers 3Numbers 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 at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
- 1 Chronicles 6:32They were ministering with music before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they served in their office according to their order.
- Ezekiel 44:8And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.”
- Acts 6:3Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
- Romans 12:7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
- 1 Timothy 4:15Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
- Numbers 3:38Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.
- Numbers 1:51And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
- Numbers 16:35And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
- Numbers 18:3They 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.
- 1 Samuel 6:19Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.
- 2 Samuel 6:7Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
- Ephesians 2:19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
- Hebrews 3:4For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.
- Hebrews 10:19Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by 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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries