Numbers 4:6

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
and shall put a covering of sealskin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.

King James Version
And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

Lexham English Bible
They will put on it a covering of fine leather, and they will spread a cloth of perfect blue over it, and they will place its poles.

New Century Version
Over this they must put a covering made from fine leather, then spread the solid blue cloth over that, and put the poles in place.

New English Translation
Then they must put over it a covering of fine leather and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue, and then they must insert its poles.

Amplified Bible
and they shall put on it a covering of porpoise skin (fine leather), and shall spread over that a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert the carrying poles of the ark.

New American Standard Bible
and they shall place a covering of fine leather on it, and spread over it a cloth of pure violet, and insert its carrying poles.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they shall put thereon a couering of badgers skinnes, and shall spread vpon it a cloth altogether of blewe silke, and put to the barres thereof:

Legacy Standard Bible
and they shall put a covering of porpoise skin on it and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue and shall insert its poles.

Contemporary English Version
and then with a piece of fine leather, and cover it all with a solid blue cloth. After this they will put the carrying poles in place.

Complete Jewish Bible
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.

Darby Translation
and shall put thereon a covering of badgers' skin, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put its staves [to it].

Easy-to-Read Version
Then they must cover all of this with covering made from fine leather. Then they must spread the solid blue cloth over the leather and put the poles in the rings on the Holy Box.

English Standard Version
Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.

George Lamsa Translation
And shall put on it the covering of badgers skins, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in the poles thereof.

Good News Translation
lass="passage-text">

Christian Standard Bible®
They are to place over this a covering made of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert its poles.

Literal Translation
And he shall put a covering of dugong skins on it, and shall spread a garment entirely of blue on top, and shall put in its staves.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and laye the couerynge of doo skynnes vpon it, and sprede a whole yalowe clothe aboue theron, and put his staues therin.

American Standard Version
and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

Bible in Basic English
And putting over it the leather cover and over that a blue cloth; and putting its rods in place.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And shall put thereon a coueryng of Badgers skinnes, and shall spreade vppon it a cloth that is altogether of blew silke, and put in the barres therof.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall set the staves thereof.

King James Version (1611)
And shall put thereon the couering of badgers skinnes, & shall spread ouer it a cloth wholly of blew, and shall put in the staues thereof.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they shall put on it a cover, even a blue skin, and put on it above a garment all of blue, and shall put the staves through the rings.

English Revised Version
and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

Berean Standard Bible
They are to place over this a covering of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thei schulen hile eft with a veil of `skynnys of iacynt, and thei schulen stretche forth aboue a mentil al of iacynt, and thei schulen putte in barris `on the schuldris of the bereris.

Young's Literal Translation
and have put on it a covering of badger skin, and have spread a garment completely of blue above, and have placed its staves.

Update Bible Version
and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth of all blue, and shall put in the poles thereof.

Webster's Bible Translation
And shall put on it the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over [it] a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staffs of it.

World English Bible
and shall put a covering of sealskin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.

New King James Version
Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles.

New Living Translation
Then they must cover the inner curtain with fine goatskin leather and spread over that a single piece of blue cloth. Finally, they must put the carrying poles of the Ark in place.

New Life Bible
Then they will lay a covering of badgers' skins on it, and spread a pure blue cloth over that. And they will put in the long pieces of wood to carry it.

New Revised Standard
then they shall put on it a covering of fine leather, and spread over that a cloth all of blue, and shall put its poles in place.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and put thereon a covering of badgers skin, and spread a complete wrapper of blue over above, - and put in the staves thereof.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And shall cover it again with a cover of violet skins, and shall spread over it a cloth all of violet, and shall put in the bars.

Revised Standard Version
then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin, and spread over that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles.

Contextual Overview

¹ God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "Number the Kohathite line of Levites by clan and family. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age, all who enter the ministry to work in the Tent of Meeting. ⁴ "This is the assigned work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: care of the most holy things. ⁵"When the camp is ready to set out, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the covering curtain and cover the Chest of The Testimony with it. Then they are to cover this with a dolphin skin, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert the poles. ⁷"Then they are to spread a blue cloth on the Table of the Presence and set the Table with plates, incense dishes, bowls, and jugs for drink offerings. The bread that is always there stays on the Table. They are to cover these with a scarlet cloth, and on top of that spread the dolphin skin, and insert the poles. ⁹"They are to use a blue cloth to cover the light-giving Lampstand and the lamps, snuffers, trays, and the oil jars that go with it. Then they are to wrap it all in a covering of dolphin skin and place it on a carrying frame. ¹¹ "They are to spread a blue cloth over the Gold Altar and cover it with dolphin skins and place it on a carrying frame. ¹² "They are to take all the articles used in ministering in the Sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with dolphin skins, and place them on a carrying frame. ¹³"They are to remove the ashes from the Altar and spread a purple cloth over it. They are to place on it all the articles used in ministering at the Altar—firepans, forks, shovels, bowls; everything used at the Altar—place them on the Altar, cover it with the dolphin skins, and insert the poles. ¹⁵ "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and the camp is ready to set out, the Kohathites are to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are in charge of carrying all the things that are in the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁶ "Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, is to be in charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular Grain-Offering, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire Dwelling and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

badgers' skins: This was not the covering of badgers' skins made for the tabernacle, which was carried by the Gershonites - Numbers 4:24, and Numbers 4:25, but one made for the purpose of concealing and sheltering the ark when it was to be carried.

a cloth: Numbers 4:7, Numbers 4:8, Numbers 4:11-13, Exodus 35:19, Exodus 39:1, Exodus 39:41

and shall put: Wesamoo baddaiv, rather, "and adjust the staves thereof;" i.e., dispose them rightly under the covering, that they might be laid on their shoulders: for the staves were never taken out of the rings.

the staves: Exodus 25:13-15, 1 Kings 8:7, 1 Kings 8:8

Reciprocal: Numbers 4:10 - General Numbers 4:13 - General 1 Chronicles 15:15 - bare the ark 2 Chronicles 5:8 - the staves

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, "I've gotten a man, with God 's help!"

Genesis 4:3
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

Genesis 4:8
Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.

Genesis 4:13
Cain said to God , "My punishment is too much. I can't take it! You've thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I'm a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me."

Isaiah 1:18
"Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God 's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so.

Jeremiah 2:31
"What a generation you turned out to be! Didn't I tell you? Didn't I warn you? Have I let you down, Israel? Am I nothing but a dead-end street? Why do my people say, ‘Good riddance! From now on we're on our own'? Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins,.... Not that which covered the tabernacle, for that was committed to the Gershonites, Numbers 4:25; but a covering made of these on purpose for the present use, to preserve the ark from rain and dust; and this covering was put not immediately upon the ark, but upon the other coverings that were over the ark, and so preserved the vail as well as the ark:

and shall spread over [it] a cloth wholly of blue; it is a matter of question, whether this was over the covering of badgers' skins also; if over the latter, as one would think it should be, by the order of the text, how could that be a shelter from the rain and dust, which seems to be the use of it, and therefore should be the outermost, as one of the same kind was the outermost covering of the tabernacle? Aben Ezra observes, there were some that say it was over the covering of badger's skin, but it is right in mine eyes, says he, that it was spread over the covering vail; if indeed it was for the sake of honour and dignity, the first is right, but the badger's skin was on account of rain and dust:

and shall put in the staves thereof: having been removed while the ark was covering, as Aben Ezra observes, or otherwise they always remained in their rings, and were never taken out, Exodus 25:14; but on this occasion they might, and then be put in again for the carrying of the ark, which was the use of them; though he also remarks, that there are some that say the sense is, they put the staves on the shoulders of them that carried it, which is not a despicable sense; unless rather it is to be understood of putting the staves through holes made in the coverings of the ark, and disposing and fitting them in them, for the better carriage of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

wholly of blue - Compare Exodus 25:4 note. The third and external covering of the ark only was to be of this color. The table of showbread had Numbers 4:8 an outer wrapping of scarlet; the altar Numbers 4:13 one of purple.

Put in the staves - Probably, “put the staves in order.” These were never taken out of the golden rings by which the ark was to be borne (see Exodus 25:14-15), but would need adjustment.