Numbers 4:20

Complete Jewish Bible

but the descendants of K'hat are not to go in and look at the holy things as they are being covered; if they do, they will die." Haftarah B'midbar: Hoshea (Hosea) 2:1(1:10)–2:22(20) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B'midbar: Luke 2:1–7; 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 Adonai said to Moshe, "Take a census of the descendants of Gershon also, by clans and families; count all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will enter the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting. "The Gershon families are to be responsible for serving and for transporting loads. They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, its covering, the fine leather covering above it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the tapestries for the courtyard, and the screen for the entrance to the courtyard by the tabernacle and around the altar, along with the ropes and all the utensils they need for their service; and they are to do the work connected with these things. Aharon and his sons are to supervise all the work of the Gershon clan in transporting loads and serving, and to assign them who is to carry what. This is how the Gershon families are to serve in the tent of meeting, and they are to be under the direction of Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen. "As for the descendants of M'rari, take a census by clans and families of all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will be in the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting. "Their service for the tent of meeting will be to carry the frames, crossbars, posts and sockets of the tabernacle; also the posts for the surrounding courtyard, with their sockets, tent pegs, ropes and other accessories, and everything having to do with their service. You are to assign particular loads to specific persons by name. This is how the M'rari families are to serve in the tent of meeting, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen." (S: ii) Moshe, Aharon and the community leaders took a census of the descendants of K'hat by their clans and families, all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting. Registered by their families, they numbered 2,750. These are the ones counted from the K'hat families of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai through Moshe. (A: ii) The census of the descendants of Gershon, by their clans and families, all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting, yielded 2,630, registered by their clans and families. These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of Gershon of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai . The census of the families of the descendants of M'rari, by their clans and families, all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting, yielded 3,200, registered by their families. These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of M'rari, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai through Moshe. The census of the L'vi'im, whom Moshe, Aharon and the leaders of Isra'el enumerated by their clans and families, all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of those working to serve and working to carry loads in the tent of meeting, yielded a total of 8,580 persons. According to Adonai 's order they were appointed by Moshe, each one to his specific service or work. They were also enumerated, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die."

King James Version
But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Lexham English Bible
But they must not go and look for a moment at the holy objects."

New Century Version
The Kohathites must not enter and look at the holy things, even for a second, or they will die."

New English Translation
But the Kohathites are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die."

Amplified Bible
"But the Kohathites shall not go in to see the holy things, even for an instant, or they will die."

New American Standard Bible
but they shall not come in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die."

Geneva Bible (1587)
But let them not goe in, to see when the Sanctuarie is folden vp, lest they die.

Legacy Standard Bible
but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die."

Darby Translation
but they shall not go in and see for a moment the holy things, lest they die.

Easy-to-Read Version
If you don't do this, the Kohathite men might go in and look at the holy things. If they look at these things, even for a moment, they must die."

English Standard Version
but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die."

George Lamsa Translation
But they shall not go in to observe when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Good News Translation
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Christian Standard Bible®
The Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects as they are covered or they will die.”

Literal Translation
And they shall not go in to see when the holy thing is covered, that they may not die.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But they shal not go in, presumptuously to loke vpo ye Sanctuary, lest they die.

American Standard Version
but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.

Bible in Basic English
But they themselves are not to go in to see the holy place, even for a minute, for fear of death.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But let them not go in, to see when the holy thinges are folden vp, lest they dye.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
but they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are being covered, lest they die.'

King James Version (1611)
But they shall not goe in to see when the holy things are couered, lest they die.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And so they shall by no means go in to look suddenly upon the holy things, and die.

English Revised Version
but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die.

Berean Standard Bible
But the Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects, even for a moment, or they will die."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Othere men se not bi ony curiouste tho thingis that ben in the seyntuarie, bifore that tho ben wlappid; ellis thei schulen die.

Young's Literal Translation
and they go not in to see when the holy thing is swallowed, that they have died.'

Update Bible Version
but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, or they will die.

Webster's Bible Translation
But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

World English Bible
but they shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die."

New King James Version
But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die."

New Living Translation
The Kohathites must never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die."

New Life Bible
But they must not go in to see the holy objects even for a short time, or they will die."

New Revised Standard
But the Kohathites must not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment; otherwise they will die.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
but they shall not enter to see, for a moment, that which is holy, else should they die.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let not others by any curiosity see the things that are in the sanctuary before they be wrapped up, otherwise they shall die.

Revised Standard Version
but they shall not go in to look upon the holy things even for a moment, lest they die."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die."

Contextual Overview

¹ (vii) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ² "Take a census of the descendants of K'hat, who are among the descendants of Levi, by clans and families, ³ all those from thirty to fifty years old; these will enter the corps doing the work in the tent of meeting. ⁴ "Here is how the descendants of K'hat are to serve in the tent of meeting and deal with the especially holy things: ⁵ when the time comes to break camp, Aharon is to go in with his sons, take down the curtain which serves as a screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it. ⁶ On that they are to place a covering of fine leather, and on top of that spread an all-blue cloth. Then they are to insert the carrying-poles. ⁷ On the table of showbread they are to spread a blue cloth and place on it the dishes, incense pans, offering bowls and pitchers. The perpetual bread is to remain on the table. ⁸ They are to spread on these things a scarlet cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather and insert the poles. ⁹ They are to take a blue cloth and cover the menorah for the light, its lamps, its tongs, its trays and the jars used to add oil to it. ¹⁰ They are to wrap it and all its accessories in fine leather and place them on a carrying-frame.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they shall: Numbers 4:15, Numbers 4:19, Exodus 19:21, Leviticus 10:2, 1 Samuel 6:19, Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 10:20, Revelation 11:19

the holy things: Hakkodesh, "the holy," or "sanctuary," i.e., the ark, as the Jews generally understand it; and with good reason, as any one may be convinced, who compares 1 Kings 8:8, with 2 Chronicles 5:9, where that which is called the holy in the former, is called the ark in the latter.

Reciprocal: Numbers 4:18 - General Numbers 18:3 - only they 2 Samuel 6:6 - put forth 1 Chronicles 15:2 - None ought to Ezra 8:28 - the vessels

Cross-References

Genesis 4:2
In addition she gave birth to his brother Hevel. Hevel kept sheep, while Kayin worked the soil.

Genesis 4:4
and Hevel too brought from the firstborn of his sheep, including their fat. Adonai accepted Hevel and his offering

Genesis 4:5
but did not accept Kayin and his offering. Kayin was very angry, and his face fell.

Genesis 4:9
Adonai said to Kayin, "Where is Hevel your brother?" And he replied, "I don't know; am I my brother's guardian?"

Genesis 4:10
He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 4:11
Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood at your hands.

Genesis 4:12
When you farm the ground it will no longer yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive, wandering the earth."

Genesis 4:21
His brother's name was Yuval; and he was the ancestor of all who play lyre and flute.

Genesis 25:27
The boys grew; and ‘Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya‘akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father's desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar — indeed, the inventor of the lie!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered,.... They were not to be present while they were packing up, test they should see any of them with their eyes; they were not to go in until they were quite covered out of sight; which may signify the hiding of the mysteries of grace in those things under the former dispensation, when even the Levites themselves were not admitted to a sight of them; see Ephesians 3:4;

lest they die; by the immediate hand of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 4:20. When the holy things are covered — Literally, כבלע keballa, when they are swallowed down; which shows the promptitude with which every thing belonging to the holy of holies was put out of sight, for these mysteries must ever be treated with the deepest reverence; and indeed without this they could not have been to them the representatives of heavenly realities. See the concluding note.