Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

Numbers 3:10

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.

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 - Hafá¹­arah;   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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.'
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 These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sonnes of Aaron: Nadab the first borne, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sonnes of Aaron the Priests, which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the Priests office. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wildernesse of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministred in the Priests office in the sight of Aaron their father. 5 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 6 Bring the tribe of Leui neere, and present them before Aaron the Priest, that they may minister vnto him. 7 And they shall keepe his charge, and the charge of the whole Congregation before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle. 8 And they shall keepe all the instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle. 9 And thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron and to his sonnes: they are wholly giuen vnto him out of the children of Israel. 10 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.

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 & his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, & they knew that they were naked, and they sewed figge leaues together, and made themselues aprons.
Genesis 3:17
And vnto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened vnto the voyce of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commaunded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eate of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake: in sorow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life.
Genesis 3:18
Thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee: and thou shalt eate the herbe of the field.
Exodus 3:6
Moreouer hee said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob. And Moses hid his face: for he was afraid to looke vpon God.
Exodus 32:25
And when Moses saw that the people were naked, (for Aaron had made them naked vnto their shame, amongst their enemies)
Job 23:15
Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
Psalms 119:120
My flesh trembleth for feare of thee: and I am afraide of thy Iudgements.
Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearefulnesse hath surprised the hypocrites: who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire? who amongst vs shall dwell with euerlasting burnings?
Isaiah 47:3
Thy nakednes shalbe vncouered, yea thy shame shalbe seene: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile