Numbers 4:32

_AS FOR THE SONS OF MERARI, THOU SHALT NUMBER THEM AFTER THEIR FAMILIES, BY THE HOUSE OF THEIR FATHERS;_ As for the sons of Merari. They carried the coarser and heavier appurtenances, which, however; were so important and necessary that an inventory was kept of them-not only on account of their number and variety, but of their comparative commonness and smallness, which might have led to their being lost or missing through carelessness, inadvertency, or neglect. It was a useful lesson, showing that God disregards nothing pertaining to His service, and that even in the least and most trivial matters He requires the duty of faithful obedience....

21-33 We have here the charge of the other two families of the Levites, which, though not so honourable as the first, yet was necessary, and to be done regularly. All the things were delivered them by name. It intimates the care God takes of his church and every member of it. The death of the saints is represented as the taking down of the tabernacle, 2 Corinthians 5:1, and the putting it off, 2 Peter 1:14. All shall be raised up in the great day, when these vile bodies shall be made like the glorious body of Jesus Christ, and so shall be for ever with the Lord....

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 emergencies of the first year of the Exodus, they had been led, from time to time, to undertake. Numbers 4:32 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....

EXPOSITION THE DUTIES OF THE LEVITES (Numbers 4:1). NUMBERS 4:2 TAKE THE SUM OF THE SONS OF KOHATH. The Levites having been separated from the other tribes, the Kohathites are now to be separated from amongst the other Levites for the most honourable and sacred duties. To them the preference was given presumably because the priests were Kohathites. NUMBERS 4:3 FROM THIRTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. The age at which they became liable for service was shortly after reduced to twenty-five ...

AND THE PILLARS OF THE COURT ROUND ABOUT, AND THEIR SOCKETS, AND THEIR PINS, AND THEIR CORDS,.... These belonged to the court of the tabernacle; the pillars were what the hangings were hung upon, and the sockets, into which the pillars were set, and the and cords, with which the hangings were fastened; see Exodus 27:9; WITH ALL THEIR INSTRUMENTS, AND WITH ALL THEIR SERVICE; whatever else were used in, and served for the support of this part of the tabernacle: AND BY NAME YE SHALL RECKON THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE CHARGE OF THEIR BURDEN; everything, even the least that were committed to their charge, and they were to bear and carry, either they themselves, or in wagons, were to be mentioned by name; and not only every board, pillar, and socket, were to be told out to them, and particularly named, how many they were, to what they belonged, fr

Numbers 4:1. _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 knoweth them that are his,» and he takes count of all his people. Numbers 4:3. _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 serv

CHAPTER 4 The Service of the Levites and their Numbering _ 1. The children of Kohath; their service (Numbers 4:1)_ 2. The sons of Gershon; their service (Numbers 4:21) 3. The sons of Merari; their service (Numbers 4:29) 4. Their numbering for service (Numbers 4:34) This chapter enters more fully into the service of the Levites. They are mustered for service “from thirty years old and upwards even unto fifty years old.” As we saw in the previous chapter, their service was to carry the holy things of Jehovah through the wilderness. The wilderness is for us the type of the world through which we p

A CENSUS OF THE LEVITES QUALIFIED TO SERVE ABOUT THE TABERNACLE, AND THE APPORTIONMENT OF THEIR DUTIES. This census includes all males between 30 and 50 (_cf._ 1 Chronicles 23:3). In Numbers 8:23 the limits of age are 25 and 50 (and the LXX substitutes 25 for 30 in this passage also); in 1 Chronicles 23:24; 2 Chronicles 31:17; Ezra 3:8 the inferior limit is 20, and no superior limit is specified. The variation no doubt corresponds to changes which prevailed at different periods. The task of packing the contents of the Tabe

THE INSTRUMENTS OF. Instead of these words some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel and Septuagint, read "all", i.e. "all the charge"....

The Merarites and their duties. They carry (in wagons Numbers 7:8) the wooden framework of the Dwelling, and everything else of wood bars, pillars and pins (or rather PEGS) the silver BASES (R.V. -sockets") of the framework and the bronze bases of the pillars of the court....