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Christian Standard Bible ®

Numbers 1:51

Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it is to be put to death.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Strangers;   Tabernacle;   Thompson Chain Reference - Admission, Exclusion;   Exclusion;   Strangers;   Tabernacle;   Worship;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Levites, the;   Tabernacle;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Levite;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Priest, Christ as;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Levite;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moses;   Stranger;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Levites;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Tabernacle, the;   Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Forward;   Priests and Levites;   Stranger and Sojourner (in the Old Testament);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Crime;   Levi ;   Sacrilege;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
King James Version
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Lexham English Bible
And when the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down, and when encamping the tabernacle the Levites will set it up; the stranger that approaches it will be put to death.
New Century Version
Any time the Holy Tent is moved, the Levites must take it down, and any time it is set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone else who goes near the Holy Tent will be put to death.
New English Translation
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites must take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be reassembled, the Levites must set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it must be killed.
Amplified Bible
"When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to [be set up for] camp, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman (non-Levite) who approaches the tabernacle shall be put to death.
New American Standard Bible
"So when the tabernacle is to move on, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near it shall be put to death.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the Tabernacle goeth forth, the Leuites shall take it downe: and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, ye Leuites shall set it vp: for the stranger yt commeth nere, shalbe slaine.
Legacy Standard Bible
So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death.
Complete Jewish Bible
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Darby Translation
and when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encampeth, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.
Easy-to-Read Version
Whenever the Holy Tent is moved, the Levites must do it. Whenever the Holy Tent is set up, the Levites must do it. They are the men who will take care of the Holy Tent. Anyone else who tries to take care of the tent must be killed.
English Standard Version
When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the tabernacle shall set forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
Good News Translation
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Literal Translation
And when the tabernacle goes forward, the Levites shall take it down. And when the tabernacle is to be encamped, the Levites shall set it up. And the stranger that draws near shall die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan men shal go on their iourney, the Leuites shal take downe ye Tabernacle. And whan the hoost pitch their tetes, they shal set vp the Tabernacle. And yf a straunger preasse nye vnto it, he shall dye.
American Standard Version
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Bible in Basic English
And when the Tent of meeting goes forward, the Levites are to take it down; and when it is to be put up, they are to do it: any strange person who comes near it is to be put to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And whe the tabernacle goeth foorth, the Leuites shall take it downe: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Leuites shal set it vp: and if any straunger come nye, he shall dye.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.
King James Version (1611)
And when the Tabernacle setteth forward, the Leuites shall take it downe: and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, the Leuites shall set it vp: and the stranger that commeth nigh, shall be put to death.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And in removing the tabernacle, the Levites shall take it down, and in pitching the tabernacle they shall set it up: and let the stranger that advances to touch it die.
English Revised Version
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Berean Standard Bible
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne me schal go, the dekenes schulen do doun the tabernacle; whanne the tentis schulen be sette, thei schulen `reise the tabernacle. Who euer of straungeris neiyeth, he schal be slayn.
Young's Literal Translation
`And in the journeying of the tabernacle, the Levites take it down, and in the encamping of the tabernacle, the Levites raise it up; and the stranger who is coming near is put to death.'
Update Bible Version
And when the tabernacle sets forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the tabernacle moveth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
World English Bible
When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
New King James Version
And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
New Living Translation
Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death.
New Life Bible
When the meeting tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When the meeting tent is brought to a place to stay, the Levites will set it up. If anyone else comes near, he must be put to death.
New Revised Standard
When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the habitation is to set forward, the Levites shall take it down, and when the habitation is to be pitched, the Levites, shall set it up, but the stranger that draweth near, shall be put to death.
Douay-Rheims Bible
When you are to go forward, the Levites shall take down the tabernacle: when you are to camp, they shall set it up. What stranger soever cometh to it, shall be slain.
Revised Standard Version
When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death.

Contextual Overview

47But the Levites were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe. 48For the Lord had told Moses: 49“Do not register or take a census of the tribe of Levi with the other Israelites. 50Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it. 51Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it is to be put to death.52“The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner. 53The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.” 54The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Levites: Numbers 4:5-33, Numbers 10:11, Numbers 10:17-21

the stranger: Numbers 3:10, Numbers 3:38, Numbers 16:40, Numbers 18:22, Leviticus 22:10-13, 1 Samuel 6:19, 2 Samuel 6:7

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:33 - a stranger Numbers 10:21 - the other did Numbers 17:13 - Whosoever Numbers 18:4 - a stranger 1 Kings 13:33 - whosoever

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the tabernacle setteth forward,.... Or was about to set forward; that is, the congregation were about to journey, and take the tabernacle with them, as they always did, when and wherever they journeyed:

the Levites shall take it down; unpin it, take the boards and pillars out of their sockets, and the bars out of their places, and the whole into pieces, in order to be put into wagons prepared to carry them, of which mention is made in a following chapter;

and when the tabernacle is pitched, the Levites shall set it up; at whatsoever place the congregation encamped and took up their abode for any time: the tabernacle was pitched in the manner as tents are, when the Levites put the several parts together, laid the sockets, put in the boards and the bars, and also the pillars of the court and elsewhere, and hung the hangings upon them; and set the candlestick, tables, altars, ark, and all the vessels of the sanctuary in their proper places:

and the stranger that cometh nigh; to meddle with or touch the above things, to assist in taking down or setting up the tabernacle, or bearing any of the vessels of it: by a stranger is meant, not one of another nation, nor a proselyte, whether of the gate or of righteousness; but, as Aben Ezra interprets it, one that is a stranger from the sons of Levi, who is not of that tribe, even though an Israelite:

shall be put to death; either the sanhedrim or court of judicature shall condemn and put him to death, as the same writer observes; or he shall die by the hand of heaven, as Jarchi; that is, by the immediate hand of God, or with flaming fire from before the Lord, as the Targum of Jonathan; as Uzzah was smote, and died by the ark of God for touching it, 2 Samuel 5:6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When a census of the tribe of Levi takes place. Numbers 3:15; Numbers 26:62, “all” the males are counted from a month old and upward, and not, as in the other tribes, those only who were of age for service in the field.

Numbers 1:48

had spoken - Render spake. The formal appointment is only now made, in reward for their zeal Exodus 32:26-29, though reference to their future office appears previously in Leviticus 25:32 ff, and they had already acted as assistants to the priests (compare Exodus 38:21).


 
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