Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Numbers 4:4

This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Altar;   Ark;   Candlestick;   Levites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Kohath;   Levites;   Tabernacle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kohath, Kohathites;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Tabernacle;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Table;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Koliath;   Tabernacle;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Tabernacle;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;   Holy of Holies;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
This is the service of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things.
King James Version
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
Lexham English Bible
This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of assembly, concerning the holiness of the sanctuary:
New Century Version
"The Kohathites are responsible for the most holy things in the Meeting Tent.
New English Translation
This is the service of the Kohathites in the tent of meeting, relating to the most holy things.
Amplified Bible
"This is the work and responsibility of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle): the most holy things.
New American Standard Bible
"This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.
Geneva Bible (1587)
This shall be the office of the sonnes of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregat?on about the Holiest of all.
Legacy Standard Bible
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.
Contemporary English Version
The Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects used in worship at the sacred tent.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Here is how the descendants of K'hat are to serve in the tent of meeting and deal with the especially holy things:
Darby Translation
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: it is most holy.
Easy-to-Read Version
Their job is to take care of the most holy things in the Meeting Tent.
English Standard Version
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things.
George Lamsa Translation
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation concerning the most holy things;
Good News Translation
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Christian Standard Bible®
“The service of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting concerns the most holy objects.
Literal Translation
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, the Holy of Holies.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This shal be the office of the children of Rahath in the Tabernacle of wytnesse, which is most holy.
American Standard Version
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things:
Bible in Basic English
And this is to be the work of the sons of Kohath in connection with the most holy things.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
This shalbe the office of the chyldren of Caath in the tabernacle of the congregation, [about] the most holy.
King James Version (1611)
This shall bee the seruice of the sonnes of Kohath, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, about the most Holy things.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And these are the works of the sons of Caath in the tabernacle of witness; it is most holy.
English Revised Version
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things:
Berean Standard Bible
This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
This is the religioun of the sones of Caath; Aaron and his sones schulen entren in to the tabernacle of boond of pees, and in to the hooli of hooli thingis,
Young's Literal Translation
`This [is] the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, the holy of holies:
Update Bible Version
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, [about] the most holy things:
Webster's Bible Translation
This [shall be] the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, [about] the most holy things.
World English Bible
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things.
New King James Version
"This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things:
New Living Translation
"The duties of the Kohathites at the Tabernacle will relate to the most sacred objects.
New Life Bible
This is the work of the sons of Kohath in the meeting tent to do with the most holy things.
New Revised Standard
The service of the Kohathites relating to the tent of meeting concerns the most holy things.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This, shall be the labour of the sons of Kohath, in the tent of meeting, - the most holy things,
Douay-Rheims Bible
This is the service of the sons of Caath:
Revised Standard Version
This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things.
THE MESSAGE
"This is the assigned work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: care of the most holy things.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

Contextual Overview

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2 'Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses, 3 from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things: 5 when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 6 and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall set the staves thereof. 7 And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the pans, and the bowls, and the jars wherewith to pour out; and the continual bread shall remain thereon. 8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it. 10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of sealskin, and shall put it upon a bar.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 4:15, Numbers 4:19, Numbers 4:24, Numbers 4:30, Numbers 3:30, Numbers 3:31, Mark 13:34

Reciprocal: Exodus 39:32 - all the Numbers 7:9 - unto the Numbers 10:21 - the Kohathites 1 Samuel 6:19 - he smote 1 Chronicles 13:2 - the priests Ezra 8:28 - the vessels

Cross-References

Genesis 4:16
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Genesis 4:17
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch; and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.
Genesis 4:19
And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
Genesis 4:20
And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.
Genesis 15:17
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.
Exodus 13:12
that thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the womb; every firstling that is a male, which thou hast coming of a beast, shall be the LORD'S.
Leviticus 9:24
And there came forth fire from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat; and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Numbers 16:35
And fire came forth from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
Numbers 18:12
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the corn, the first part of them which they give unto the LORD, to thee have I given them.
Numbers 18:17
But the firstling of an ox, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt dash their blood against the altar, and shalt make their fat smoke for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

This [shall be] the service of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle of the congregation,.... What follows, Numbers 4:4;

[about] the most holy things; which Aben Ezra interprets only of the ark, which was indeed a most holy thing, and stood in the most holy place; but there were other holy things, in the care of which the service of the Kohathites lay; as the shewbread table, the candlestick, and the altars of incense and burnt offering, and the vail, and the ministering: vessels, which Jarchi reckons with it, as more holy than all other things.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

About the most holy things - Omit “about.” The sense is, “this is the charge of the sons of Kohath, the most holy things:” i. e. the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the candlestick, and the golden altar, together with the furniture pertaining thereto. It appears, from a comparison of Numbers 4:16, Numbers 4:28, Numbers 4:33, that the ministry of the Kohathites was superintended by Eleazar, the older of the two surviving sons of Aaron; and that of the two other families by Ithamar.


 
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