Numbers 4:38

. Nold. Partic. Ebr. Concord. p. 579. {w} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 17. 1. Numbers 3:51 Ver. 51. And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed,.... That were redeemed this way, and not by Levites, as in Numbers 3:49, but by money, paying five shekels a head: unto Aaron and his sons; to whom the Levites were given; and this money, as a recompence for the deficiency of the number of them, to answer to the firstborn exchanged for them: according to the word of the Lord; Numbers 3:48; as the Lord commanded Moses; so did he, being a faithful servant in all things in the house of God; he did not convert it to his own use, or to any other use than to what God had appointed it. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Numbers 4:1 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 4:21; and then of the Merarites, Numbers 4:29; after which Moses and Aaron, with the chief of the congregation, numbered each of them, even as many as were at the age fit for service, as the Kohathites, Numbers 4:34; the Gershonites, Numbers 4:38; the Merarites, Numbers 4:42; the sum total of which is given, Numbers 4:46. Ver. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,....

4:34-49 God so ordered it, that though the Merarites were the fewest in number, yet they should have most able men among them; for whatever service God calls men to, he will furnish them for it, give strength in proportion to the work, and grace sufficient. The least of the tribes had many more able men than the Levites: those who engage in the service of this world, are many more than those devoted to the service of God. May our souls be wholly devoted to his service.

By name ye shall reckon the instruments - Or, assign them to their bearers singly, and "by name." These "instruments" comprised the heavier parts of the tabernacle; and the order seems intended to prevent individual Merarites choosing their own burden, and so throwing more than the proper share on others.

34-49. Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites, &c.—This enumeration was made on a different principle from that which is recorded in the preceding chapter [Nu 3:15]. That was confined to the males from a month old and upward, while this was extended to all capable of service in the three classes of the Levitical tribe. In considering their relative numbers, the wisdom of Divine Providence appears in arranging that, whereas in the Kohathites and Gershonites, whose burdens were few and easier, there were but about a third part of them which were fit for service; the Merarites, whose burdens were more and heavier, had above one half of them fit for this work [Poole]. The small population of this tribe, so inferior to that of the other tribes, is attempted to be explained (see on [61]Nu 3:39).

Completion of the prescribed mustering, and statement of the number of men qualified for service in the three Levitical families: viz., 2750 Kohathites, 2630 Gershonites, and 3200 Merarites - in all, 8580 Levites fit for service: a number which bears a just proportion to the total number of male Levites of a month old and upwards, viz., 22,000.

[Reformed Biblical] bers 4:22 Numbers 4:23 Numbers 4:24 Numbers 4:25 ## The curtains of the tabernacle, i.e. the curtains or covering of goats’ hair. ## The tabernacle of the congregation, i.e. the ten curious curtains which covered the boards of the tabernacle; for the boards themselves were carried by the Merarites. ## His covering, i.e. the covering of rams’ skins which was put next over those ten curtains. Numbers 4:26 ## The gate of the court, i.e. which court compassed both the tabernacle and the altar, Exo_27:16. Numbers 4:27 Numbers 4:28 Under his conduct and direction. Thus the hand of Hege , Est_2:3, is his care and custody. Numbers 4:29 Numbers 4:30 Numbers 4:31 Which were as the feet upon which the pillars stood; of which see Exo_38:27. Numbers 4:32 Every part and parcel therefore shall be put in an inventory; which is required here rather than in the foregoing particulars, partly, because these were much more numerous than the former; partly, because being meaner things, and such as might easily be sup plied, they might otherwise have been neglected; and partly, to teach us that God esteems nothing small in his worship and service, and that he expects his will should be observed in the minutest circumstances. Numbers 4:33 Numbers 4:34 Numbers 4:35 Numbers 4:36 Numbers 4:37 Numbers 4:38 Numbers 4:39 Numbers 4:40 Numbers 4:41 Numbers 4:42 Numbers 4:43 Numbers 4:44 Here appears the wisdom of Divine Providence, that whereas in the Koha

[Reformed Biblical] lves, being multiplied, carried these things, as appears from Deu_31:9 Jos_3:6 8:33 1Sa_4:4, though the Levites also were not excluded, 2Ch_5:5. They shall not to any holy thing; immediately, or before they be covered. Lest they die, as some did for that sin. See 1Sa_6:19 2Sa_6:6 ,7 . Numbers 4:16 ## i.e. He himself is to carry these things, and not to commit them to the sons of Kohath. The daily meat-offering of fine flour, which was to be offered every morning and evening with the daily burnt- offering. See Exo_29:38 ,39 . ## The oversight of all the tabernacle , i.e. the care that all the things above mentioned b e carried by the persons and in the manner expressed. Numbers 4:17 Numbers 4:18 i.e. Do not by your neglect provoke God to cut them off fo r touching the holy things. Numbers 4:19 ## To his service; to that which is peculiarly allotted to him, the services and burdens being equally distributed among them. Numbers 4:20 Numbers 4:21 Num

Acts 13:2 . Λειτουργούντων … τῷ Κυρίῳ ] λειτουργεῖν , the usual word for the temple-service of the priests (LXX. Exodus 28:31 ; Numbers 4:38 ; Exodus 40:38 ; Jdt 4:14 ; Hebrews 10:11 ; comp. on Romans 15:27 ), is here transferred to the church ( αὐτῶν ) engaged in Christian worship,[3] in accordance with the holy character of the church, which had the ἉΓΙΌΤΗς , the ΧΡῖΣΜΑ of the Spirit ( 1 John 2:20 ), and indeed was a ἹΕΡΆΤΕΥΜΑ ἍΓΙΟΝ ( 1 Peter 2:5 ). Hence: while they performed, holy service to the Lord (Christ) and (at the same time) fasted . Any more specific meaning is too narrow, such as, that it is to be understood of prayer (Grotius, Heinrichs, Kuinoel, Olshausen, and many others,—on account of Acts 13:3 , but see on that passage) or of preaching (Chrysostom, Oecumenius, and others in Wolf). Both without doubt are included , not, however, the mass (as Catholics hold); but certainly the spiritual songs (see on Ephesians 5:19 ; Colossians 3:16 ). εἶπε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ] the Holy Spirit said (comp. on Acts 20:28 ), namely, by one or some of these λειτουργοῦντες , probably by one of the prophets , who announced to the church the utterance of the Spirit revealed to him. δή ] with the imperative makes the summons more decided and more urgent; Baeumlein, Partik . p. 104 f.

And those that were numbered of them according to their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. These are they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, every one that served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Jehovah through Moses. And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, after their families, and according to their fathers` houses, from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, every one that entered into the labour, for service in the tent of meeting, even those that were numbered of them, after their families, according to their fathers` houses, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all that served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Jehovah. And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, after their families, according to their fathers` houses, from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, every one that entered into the labour, for service in the tent of meeting, even those that were numbered of them according to their families, were three thousand two hundred. These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Jehovah through Moses.