New King James Version
Numbers 3:31
31Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
Numbers 3:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
- New International Version (NIV)They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these.
- New Living Translation (NLT)These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.
Context of Numbers 3:31
29The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary. 33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
Read all of Numbers 3Numbers 3:31 word by word
וּמִשְׁמַרְתָּ֗ם הָאָרֹ֤ן וְהַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ וְהַמְּנֹרָ֣ה וְהַֽמִּזְבְּחֹ֔ת וּכְלֵ֣י הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְשָׁרְת֖וּ בָּהֶ֑ם וְהַ֨מָּסָ֔ךְ וְכֹ֖ל עֲבֹדָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And their chargeמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
- the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
- and the tableשֻׁלְחָןshûlchân · tableH7979
- and the candlestickמְנוֹרָהmenôrâh menôrâh · lampstandH4501
- and the altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- and the vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- of the sanctuaryקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- wherewith they ministerשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
- and the hangingמָסָךְmâsâk · coveringH4539
- and all the serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: ministryH5656
Cross-references for Numbers 3:31
- Numbers 4:4“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things:
- Exodus 25:10“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
- Exodus 31:1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
- Exodus 32:1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
- Exodus 33:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’
- Exodus 34:1And the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.
- Exodus 35:1Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, “These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do:
- Exodus 37:1Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
- Exodus 39:33And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
- Exodus 40:2“On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
- Exodus 30:1“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.
- Exodus 37:25He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it.
- Exodus 38:1He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits.
- Exodus 26:31“You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim.
- Exodus 36:35And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim.
Commentaries on Numbers 3:31
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27-32Verses 27-32 Of the Levites, the Kohathites, the kinsmen of Moses and Aaron, and the most numerous, have the most important charge confided to them, namely, that of the ark, the altars, and the more especially sacred furniture generally.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-39Verses 14-39 The Levites were in three classes, according to the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and these were subdivided into families. The posterity of Moses were not at all honoured or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites; thus it was plain, that Moses did not seek the advancement of his own family, or to secure any honours to it. The tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. God's chosen are but a little…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-32Aaron and Moses, sons of Amram, were descendants of Kohath (see Exodus 6:18, 20, 26). They were caretakers of the Most Holy Place and its very holy furnishings (described in Numbers 3–4). The Kohathites were the most respected of the three clans.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-3114-31. Number the children of Levi--They were numbered as well as the other tribes; but the enumeration was made on a different principle--for while in the other tribes the number of males was calculated from twenty years and upward [Nu 1:3], in that of Levi they were counted "from a month old and upward." The reason for the distinction is obvious. In the other tribes the survey was made for purposes of war [Nu 1:3], from which the Levites were totally…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 3:31
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