ABOUT THE MOST HOLY THINGS - Omit “about.” The sense is, “this is the charge of the sons of Kohath, the most holy things:” i. e. the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the candlestick, and the golden altar, together with the furniture pertaining thereto. It appears, from a comparison of Nu... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOLLY OF BLUE - Compare Exodus 25:4 note. The third and external covering of the ark only was to be of this color. The table of showbread had Numbers 4:8 an outer wrapping of scarlet; the altar Numbers 4:13 one of purple. PUT IN THE STAVES - Probably, “put the staves in order.” These were never ta... [ Continue Reading ]
TO SEE WHEN THE HOLY THINGS ARE COVERED - Render: to see the holy things for an instant. The expression means Iiterally” as a gulp,” i. e. for the instant it takes to swallow.... [ Continue Reading ]
ENTER IN TO PERFORM THE SERVICE - literally, as in the margin, “to war the warfare,” or, as the same phrase in part is rendered, Numbers 4:3, “enter into the host to do the work.” The language is military. The service of God is a sacred warfare (Numbers 8:24 marginal reading).... [ Continue Reading ]
The Gershonites and Merarites are superintended by Ithamar, Aaron’s younger son, who had already had the oversight of the tabernacle in its construction Exodus 38:21. Thus, readily do the permanent offices of the leaders of the Israelite community spring out of the duties which, under the emergencie... [ Continue Reading ]