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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Numbers 4:3

List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Torrey's Topical Textbook - Levites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Tabernacle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Levite;   Tabernacle;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Levite;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Numbers, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Priests and Levites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dates (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Levites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Table;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Koliath;   Tabernacle;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Levites;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ezekiel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;   Midrashim, Smaller;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
King James Version
From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lexham English Bible
from thirty years old and above, up to fifty years old, everyone who comes to the service to do the work in the tent of assembly.
New Century Version
Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who come to serve in the Meeting Tent.
New English Translation
from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work in the tent of meeting.
Amplified Bible
from thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).
New American Standard Bible
from thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, everyone who can enter the service of ministry to do work in the tent of meeting.
Geneva Bible (1587)
From thirtie yeere olde and aboue, euen vntill fiftie yeere olde, all that enter into the assemblie to do the worke in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
Legacy Standard Bible
from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the duty of doing the work in the tent of meeting.
Complete Jewish Bible
all those from thirty to fifty years old; these will enter the corps doing the work in the tent of meeting.
Darby Translation
from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, all that enter into the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
Easy-to-Read Version
Count all the men from 30 to 50 years old who come to serve. These men will work in the Meeting Tent.
English Standard Version
from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
George Lamsa Translation
From thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who can enter into the host to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Good News Translation
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Christian Standard Bible®
men from thirty years old to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to do work at the tent of meeting.
Literal Translation
from a son of thirty years and upward, even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
from thirtie yeare and aboue vntill fiftye yeare, all that are mete for the warre, that they maye do the worke in the Tabernacle of witnesse.
American Standard Version
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
Bible in Basic English
All those from thirty to fifty years old who are able to do the work of the Tent of meeting.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
From thirtie yeres and aboue, vntill fiftie, all that enter into the hoast for to do the worke in the tabernacle of the congregation.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
From thirty yeeres old and vpward, euen vntil fifty yeres old, all that enter into the hoste, to doe the worke in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
from twenty-five years old and upward until fifty years, every one that goes in to minister, to do all the works in the tabernacle of witness.
English Revised Version
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
Berean Standard Bible
men from thirty to fifty years old-everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
bi her housis and meynees, fro the threttithe yeer and aboue `til to the fiftithe yeer, of alle that entren, that thei stonde and mynystre in the tabernacle of boond of pees.
Young's Literal Translation
from a son of thirty years and upward, even till a son of fifty years, every one going in to the host, to do work in the tent of meeting.
Update Bible Version
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter on the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
Webster's Bible Translation
From thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
World English Bible
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
New King James Version
from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
New Life Bible
from thirty years old and older, even to fifty years old. Number all who are able to do the work in the meeting tent.
New Revised Standard
from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who qualify to do work relating to the tent of meeting.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
from thirty years old, and upwards, even unto fifty years, - every one that can enter into the host, to do service in the tent of meeting.
Douay-Rheims Bible
From thirty years old and upward, to fifty years old, of all that go in to stand and to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.
Revised Standard Version
from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can enter the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.

Contextual Overview

1 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 "Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Kohathite division of the tribe of Levi. 3 List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle. 4 "The duties of the Kohathites at the Tabernacle will relate to the most sacred objects. 5 When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it. 6 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. 7 "Next they must spread a blue cloth over the table where the Bread of the Presence is displayed, and on the cloth they will place the bowls, ladles, jars, pitchers, and the special bread. 8 They must spread a scarlet cloth over all of this, and finally a covering of fine goatskin leather on top of the scarlet cloth. Then they must insert the carrying poles into the table. 9 "Next they must cover the lampstand with a blue cloth, along with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and special jars of olive oil. 10 Then they must cover the lampstand and its accessories with fine goatskin leather and place the bundle on a carrying frame.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thirty years: Numbers 8:24-26, Genesis 41:46, 1 Chronicles 23:3, 1 Chronicles 23:24-27, 1 Chronicles 28:12, 1 Chronicles 28:13, Luke 3:23, 1 Timothy 3:6

enter: 2 Kings 11:4-12, 2 Chronicles 23:1-11, 2 Corinthians 10:3, 2 Corinthians 10:4, Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 Timothy 1:18

to do: Numbers 3:7, Numbers 3:8, Numbers 16:9, 1 Chronicles 6:48, 1 Chronicles 23:4, 1 Chronicles 23:5, 1 Chronicles 23:28-32, 1 Timothy 3:1

Reciprocal: Numbers 4:23 - thirty years Numbers 4:30 - service Numbers 4:35 - General Numbers 4:47 - From thirty Numbers 8:15 - go in 2 Chronicles 31:17 - twenty Ezra 3:8 - twenty years old Ezekiel 1:1 - in the thirtieth

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, "With the Lord 's help, I have produced a man!"
Genesis 4:11
Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother's blood.
Numbers 18:12
"I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the Lord —the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain.
1 Kings 17:7
But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
Nehemiah 13:6
I was not in Jerusalem at that time, for I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign, though I later asked his permission to return.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old,.... This is the full time of the Levites service, and the prime season of man's life for business; at thirty years of age he is at his full strength, and when fifty it begins to decline: it is said in the Misnah x,

"a son of thirty years for strength,''

upon which one of the commentators y makes this remark, that the Levites set up the tabernacle and took it down, and loaded the wagons, and carried on their shoulders from thirty years and upwards: thus both John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, and Christ himself, entered into their ministry at this age:

all that enter into the host; army or warfare; for though the Levites were exempted from going forth to war, yet their service was a sort of warfare; they were a camp of themselves about the tabernacle, and part of their work was to watch and guard it, that it was neither defiled nor robbed; in allusion to this, the ministry of the word is called a warfare, and ministers of the Gospel good soldiers of Christ, and their doctrines weapons of warfare, 1 Timothy 1:18; some interpret this of the troop, company, or congregation of the Levites, which a man of thirty years of age was admitted into for business:

to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation; not in the sanctuary, either in the holy place or in the most holy place, where they were never allowed to enter, or do any business in, such as sacrificing, burning incense, &c. but in that part of it which was called "the tabernacle of the congregation", or where the people assembled on occasion, and that was the court, which was so called, as Jarchi observes on Exodus 29:32.

x Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21. y Bartenora in Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 4:3. From thirty years old — In Numbers 8:24, the Levites are ordered to enter on the service of the tabernacle at the age of twenty-five years; and in 1 Chronicles 23:24, they were ordered to commence that work at twenty years of age. How can these different times be reconciled?

1. At the time of which Moses speaks here, the Levitical service was exceedingly severe, and consequently required men full grown, strong, and stout, to perform it; the age therefore of thirty years was appointed as the period for commencing this service, the weightier part of which is probably here intended.

2. In Numbers 8:24, Moses seems to speak of the service in a general way; the severe, which was to be performed by the full-grown Levites, and the less laborious work which younger men might assist in: hence the age of twenty-five is fixed.

3. In David's time and afterwards, in the fixed tabernacle and temple, the laboriousness of the service no longer existed, and hence twenty years was the age fixed on for all Levites to enter into the work of the sanctuary. The rabbins say that the Levites began to learn to do the service at twenty-five, and that having been instructed five years, they began the public service at thirty, and thus they reconcile the two periods referred to above. We may well suppose that the sons of the prophets continued a considerable time under instructions before they were called fully to exercise themselves in the prophetic office.

Until fifty years old — This was allowing twenty years for public severe service; a very considerate and merciful ordinance. A preacher who devotes his whole time and strength to the service of the Church of God from twenty to fifty or sixty years of age, should be then excused from his severer labour, and maintained at the charge of the sanctuary. This would not only be a great comfort to a worn-out servant of God, but also of great use to the work of the ministry, which, to be faithfully and effectually performed, requires all the powers of the body and mind of man. Old faithful ministers are to be highly respected for their work's sake, and to be supplied with all the necessaries and comforts of life; but how little can they do in the public ministry of the word, however willing to work, when their eye waxes dim and their bodily strength fails! See "Numbers 8:25". Both for their own sakes, and for the good of the Church, they should be excused from a labour to which they must be almost every way inadequate. But notwithstanding this comparative inactivity, their counsels, advice, and experience will always be considered as a treasure to the Church of Christ.


 
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