New King James Version
Numbers 4:5
5When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
Numbers 4:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:
- New International Version (NIV)When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it.
Context of Numbers 4:5
3from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting. 4“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things: When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. 6Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles. 7“On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it.
Read all of Numbers 4Numbers 4:5 word by word
וּבָ֨א אַהֲרֹ֤ן וּבָנָיו֙ בִּנְסֹ֣עַ הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְהוֹרִ֕דוּ אֵ֖ת פָּרֹ֣כֶת הַמָּסָ֑ךְ וְכִ֨סּוּ־בָ֔הּ אֵ֖ת אֲרֹ֥ן הָעֵדֻֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- setteth forwardנָסַעnâsa‛ · to set outH5265
- Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and they shall take downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- the coveringמָסָךְmâsâk · coveringH4539
- vailפָּרֹ֫כֶתpôreketh · curtainH6532
- and coverכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
- the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
- of testimonyעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
Cross-references for Numbers 4:5
- Numbers 2:16“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty—they shall be the second to break camp.
- Numbers 10:14The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
- Numbers 4:15And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. “These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
- Numbers 3:27From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
- 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.
- Exodus 40:3You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil.
- Isaiah 25:7And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations.
- Matthew 27:51Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
- Hebrews 9:3and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,
- Hebrews 10:20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
- 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 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.
- 2 Samuel 6:2And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.
Commentaries on Numbers 4:5
- 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. 4-154-15. This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath, &c.--They are mentioned first, from their close connection with Aaron; and the special department of duty assigned to them during the journeyings of Israel accorded with the charge they had received of the precious contents of the tabernacle. But these were to be previously covered by the common priests, who, as well as the high priest, were admitted on such necessary occasions into the holy place…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 4:5
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries