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Numbers 4:34-49
New English Translation
Numbers 4:34-49
New English Translation
Summary
34 So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the community numbered the Kohathites by their families and by clans, 35 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting; 36 and those of them numbered by their families were 2,750. 37 These were those numbered from the families of the Kohathites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.
38 Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans, 39 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting— 40 those of them numbered by their families, by their clans, were 2,630. 41 These were those numbered from the families of the Gershonites, everyone who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord.
42 Those numbered from the families of the Merarites, by their families, by their clans, 43 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting— 44 those of them numbered by their families were 3,200. 45 These are those numbered from the families of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the authority of Moses.
46 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered by their families and by their clans, 47 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered to do the work of service and the work of carrying[a] relating to the tent of meeting— 48 those of them numbered were 8,580. 49 According to the word of the Lord they were numbered,[b] by the authority of Moses, each according to his service and according to what he was to carry.[c] Thus were they numbered by him,[d] as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 4:47 tn The text multiplies the vocabulary of service here in the summary. In the Hebrew text the line reads literally: “everyone who came to serve the service of serving, and the service of burden.” The Levites came into service in the shrine, and that involved working in the sanctuary as well as carrying it from one place to the next.
- Numbers 4:49 tn The verb is the simple perfect tense—“he numbered them.” There is no expressed subject; therefore, the verb can be rendered as a passive.
- Numbers 4:49 tn Or “his burden.”
- Numbers 4:49 tn The passive form simply reads “those numbered by him.” Because of the cryptic nature of the word, some suggest reading a preterite, “and they were numbered.” This is supported by the Greek, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate. It would follow in the emendation that the relative pronoun be changed to “just as” (כַּאֲשֶׁר, kaʾasher). The MT is impossible the way it stands; it can only be rendered into smooth English by adding something that is missing.
Numbers 4:34-49
New International Version
Numbers 4:34-49
New International Version
The Numbering of the Levite Clans
34 Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites(A) by their clans and families. 35 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age(B) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 36 counted by clans, were 2,750. 37 This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans(C) who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
38 The Gershonites(D) were counted by their clans and families. 39 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 40 counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. 41 This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.
42 The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. 43 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age(E) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 44 counted by their clans, were 3,200. 45 This was the total of those in the Merarite clans.(F) Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
46 So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted(G) all the Levites by their clans and families. 47 All the men from thirty to fifty years of age(H) who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting 48 numbered 8,580.(I) 49 At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.
Thus they were counted,(J) as the Lord commanded Moses.
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