64 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Numbers 4 This chapter relates an order to number the Levites fit for business, and gives an account of the time and age when they should enter into service, and how long they should continue therein, Numbers 4:1; what their particular service should be; and first of the Kohathites, Numbers 4:4; next of the Gershonites, Numbers...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,.... After they had taken the number of the Levites, and made an exchange of the firstborn of Israel for them; and now they are ordered to number them a second time, and take out from them such as were fit for service: saying; as follows.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
In the former chapter an account was taken of the whole tribe of Levi, in this we have an account of those of that tribe who were in the prime of their time for service, betwixt thirty and fifty years old. I. The serviceable men of the Kohathites are ordered to be numbered, and their charges are given them, ver. 2-20. II. Of the Gershonites, ver....
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,— There were three families, those of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari, and to each of these families a different service was allotted. First, they were to be numbered. “The Lord...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi,.... They were to begin with them first, and number them: after their families, by the house of their fathers; as many as were of the age after mentioned; and the reason why they began with Kohath, and not Gershon, the eldest son, as in the former numbering, was; not as Aben Ezra...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old,.... This is the full time of the Levites service, and the prime season of man's life for business; at thirty years of age he is at his full strength, and when fifty it begins to decline: it is said in the Misnah (x), "a son of thirty years for strength,'' upon which one of the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. They were to take up this work as a warfare; for, though it was a peaceful work, yet it is described as being a warfare: and he who serves the Lord, though that service be perfect peace, will not serve him...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
This [shall be] the service of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle of the congregation,.... What follows, Numbers 4:4; [about] the most holy things; which Aben Ezra interprets only of the ark, which was indeed a most holy thing, and stood in the most holy place; but there were other holy things, in the care of which the service of the Kohathites...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: They were to have to do with the most holy place, to carry it, and to carry the vessels of it, a very honourable position.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when the camp setteth forward,.... Upon the cloud's removing and the trumpets blowing: Aaron shall come, and his sons; into the holy place: and they shall take down the covering vail: the vail that divided between the holy and the most holy place, which covered all in the holy of holies out of sight: and cover the ark of testimony with it;...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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: and shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. These Kohathites might not so take the ark as to handle...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins,.... Not that which covered the tabernacle, for that was committed to the Gershonites, Numbers 4:25; but a covering made of these on purpose for the present use, to preserve the ark from rain and dust; and this covering was put not immediately upon the ark, but upon the other coverings that were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue,.... That that also might not be seen nor touched by the Levites: and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and the covers to cover withal: all which belonged to the shewbread table; the use of which, [See comments on Exodus 25:29]; these seem to be put not...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: When they moved the sacred table, the bread was always there; twelve cakes for the twelve tribes, for the bread of God’s house is never lacking.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet,.... Upon the dishes and other vessels belonging to the shewbread table, and on the shewbread itself: and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins; this was clearly the outward covering, and seems to confirm the observation made in Numbers 4:6; that the same sort of covering was the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: and they...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps,.... Which had lamps in it, and were continually lighted, and gave light in the holy place: and his tongs, and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it; by supplying the lamps with oil, and snuffing and trimming them.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they shall put it, and all the vessels thereof, within a covering of badgers' skins,.... Which here also was the outermost covering; the ark and the shewbread table had three coverings, but the candlestick only two, they being more sacred than that, especially the ark: and shall put [it] upon a bar; the word "mot" perhaps signifies a kind of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue,.... The altar of incense, which was overlaid with gold, and therefore called a golden one, to which the allusion is in Revelation 8:3; and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins; after the cloth of blue was spread upon it: and shall put to the staves thereof; into the rings, both...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: A type of the holiness veiled in our Lord’s humanity, the badger skin made apparent the simplicity, the poverty, the humility of our Lord, covering evermore that wondrous cloth of blue.