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Monday, August 25th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Numbers 3:10

And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Minister, Christian;   Priest;   Rulers;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Admission, Exclusion;   Exclusion;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Priests;   Tabernacle;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Incense;   Levite;   Mediator;   Priest;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Priest, Christ as;   Priest, Priesthood;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Annas;   High Priest;   Stranger;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Job;   Moses;   Priests and Levites;   Stranger;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Levites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Camp and encamp;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Last Days at Sinai;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafṭarah;   Holiness;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
You shall appoint Aharon and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."
King James Version
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Lexham English Bible
But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger who approaches will be put to death."
New Century Version
Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, but anyone else who comes near the holy things must be put to death."
New English Translation
So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood, but the unauthorized person who comes near must be put to death."
Amplified Bible
"So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall observe and attend to their priesthood; but the layman (non-Levite) who approaches [the holy things] shall be put to death."
New American Standard Bible
"So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And thou shalt appoint Aaron & his sonnes to execute their Priestes office: and the stranger that commeth neere, shalbe slayne.
Legacy Standard Bible
So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
Contemporary English Version
who have been appointed to be priests. Anyone else who tries to perform the duties of a priest must be put to death.
Complete Jewish Bible
You are to appoint Aharon and his sons to carry out the duties of cohanim; anyone else who involves himself is to be put to death."
Darby Translation
And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Appoint Aaron and his sons to be priests. They must do their duty and serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to come near the holy things must be killed."
English Standard Version
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death."
George Lamsa Translation
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priests office; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
Good News Translation
You shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; anyone else who tries to do so shall be put to death."
Christian Standard Bible®
You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
Literal Translation
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. And the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for Aaron & his sonnes, thou shalt appoynte them to wayte on their prestes office. Yf another preasse therto, he shal dye.
American Standard Version
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Bible in Basic English
And give orders that Aaron and his sons are to keep their place as priests; any strange person who comes near is to be put to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thou shalt appoynt Aaron and his sonnes to wayte on their priestes office: and the straunger that commeth nye, shalbe slayne.
King James Version (1611)
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sonnes, and they shall waite on their priests office: and the stranger that commeth nigh, shall bee put to death.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons over the tabernacle of witness; and they shall keep their charge of priesthood, and all things belonging to the altar, and within the veil; and the stranger that touches them shall die.
English Revised Version
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Berean Standard Bible
So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any layman who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli thou schalt ordeyne Aaron and hise sones on the religioun of preesthod; a straungere, that neiyeth for to mynystre, and schal die.
Young's Literal Translation
`And Aaron and his sons thou dost appoint, and they have kept their priesthood, and the stranger who cometh near is put to death.'
Update Bible Version
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
World English Bible
You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."
New King James Version
So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
New Living Translation
Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death."
New Life Bible
Set apart Aaron and his sons to do the work of religious leaders. But if anyone comes near who is not a religious leader, he must be put to death."
New Revised Standard
But you shall make a register of Aaron and his descendants; it is they who shall attend to the priesthood, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
but unto Aaron, and unto his sons, shalt thou give oversight, so shall they keep charge of their priesthood, - and, the stranger who cometh near, shall be put to death.
Douay-Rheims Bible
To Aaron and to his sons, to whom they are delivered by the children of Israel. But thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The stranger that approacheth to minister, shall be put to death.
Revised Standard Version
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death."

Contextual Overview

1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father. 5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 6 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him from the children of Israel. 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they shall: Numbers 18:7, 1 Chronicles 6:32, Ezekiel 44:8, Acts 6:3, Acts 6:4, Romans 12:7, 1 Timothy 4:15, 1 Timothy 4:16

and the stranger: Numbers 3:38, Numbers 1:51, Numbers 16:35, Numbers 16:40, Numbers 18:3, 1 Samuel 6:19, 2 Samuel 6:7, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, Ephesians 2:19, Hebrews 8:4, Hebrews 10:19-22

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:33 - a stranger Numbers 18:2 - but thou Numbers 18:4 - a stranger Numbers 18:22 - come nigh Deuteronomy 18:5 - General 1 Kings 12:31 - priests 1 Kings 13:33 - whosoever 1 Chronicles 13:7 - carried the ark 2 Chronicles 23:7 - whosoever Ezra 2:62 - therefore Nehemiah 12:44 - Judah rejoiced

Cross-References

Genesis 2:25
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles.
Genesis 3:17
And unto Adam He said: 'Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
Genesis 3:18
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
Exodus 3:6
Moreover He said: 'I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 32:25
And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose--for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies--
Job 23:15
Therefore am I affrighted at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him.
Psalms 119:120
My flesh shuddereth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy judgments.
Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the ungodly: 'Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?'
Isaiah 47:3
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance, and will let no man intercede.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons,.... To the priestly office; this was done before, but is renewed for the confirmation of it, and repeated to put them in mind of it, that they be careful to execute it, as follows:

and they shall wait on their priest's office, to do what was peculiar to it, both in the holy and in the most holy place, at the altar, and within, the vail, where the Levites had nothing to do; and this is observed that the priests might take notice, that by the gift of the Levites to them, they were not excused from doing any part of service which was proper to them as priests; for they were given them that they might more readily attend their office, and be wholly employed in it; just as, under the Gospel dispensation, deacons were appointed to take care of the secular affairs of the church, that the apostles might give up themselves to the word of God and prayer, Acts 6:2;

and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; that comes nigh to perform any part of the priest's office peculiar to him as to offer sacrifice, burn incense, c. whether he be a common Israelite, or even a Levite, as Korah was any that was not a priest was reckoned a stranger, and so to be put to death for intruding into the office, as the above mentioned person was: so Aben Ezra interprets it of anyone that came nigh to a priest, to be with him or join with him in the execution of his office, whether an Israelite or a Levite, he shall die: the Targum of Jonathan adds, by flaming fire before the Lord.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 3:10. Aaron and his sons - shall wait on their priest's office — It was the business of the priests to offer the different sacrifices to God; to consecrate the shew-bread, pour out the libations, burn the incense, sprinkle the blood of the victims, and bless the people. In a word, they were the servants of God alone.


 
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