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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Numbers 18:4

They shall join you, and attend to the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and no one else shall come near you.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Minister, Christian;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Tabernacle;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Tabernacle;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Priest, Christ as;   Priest, Priesthood;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Levite;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron's Rod;   Levi;   Numbers, Book of;   Priests and Levites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Levites;   Minister, Ministration;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Levites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Covenant;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Melchizedek;   Priesthood, the;   Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Genealogy;   Levi (2);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aaron;   Abiram;   Commandments, the 613;   Judah;   Levi;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come near to you.
King James Version
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Lexham English Bible
They will be joined to you, and they will keep the responsibility of the tent of assembly for the entire service of the tent; a stranger may not come near you.
New Century Version
They will join you in taking care of the Meeting Tent. They must do the work at the Tent, and no one else may come near you.
New English Translation
They must join with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person may approach you.
Amplified Bible
"They shall join you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting—all the service of the tent—and no stranger [no layman, anyone who is not a Levite] may approach you [and your sons].
New American Standard Bible
"They shall join you and perform the duties of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an unauthorized person shall not come near you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they shalbe ioyned with thee, & keepe the charge of the Tabernacle of the Congregation for all the seruice of the Tabernacle: and no stranger shal come neere vnto you:
Legacy Standard Bible
And they shall be joined with you and keep the responsibility of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you.
Contemporary English Version
No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it.
Complete Jewish Bible
They will work together with you in your duties related to the tent of meeting, whatever the service in the tent may be; but an unauthorized person is not to come near you.
Darby Translation
And they shall unite with thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and no stranger shall come near to you.
Easy-to-Read Version
They will join you and work with you. They will be responsible for caring for the Meeting Tent. All the work that must be done in the Tent will be done by them. No one else may come near the place where you are.
English Standard Version
They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you.
George Lamsa Translation
And they shall accompany you, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation for all the service of the tabernacle; and a stranger shall not come near you.
Good News Translation
They are to work with you and fulfill their responsibilities for all the service in the Tent, but no unqualified person may work with you.
Christian Standard Bible®
They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.
Literal Translation
And they shall be joined to you, and shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle, and a foreigner shall not go near to you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
howbeit they shal be ioyned vnto the, to wayte vpo the mynistracion in the Tabernacle of witnesse, in all the seruice of the Tabernacle. And there shal no straunger come nye vnto you.
American Standard Version
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Bible in Basic English
They are to be joined with you in the care of the Tent of meeting, doing whatever is needed for the Tent: and no one of any other family may come near you.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they shalbe ioyned with thee, and kepe the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation for all the seruice of the tabernacle: and let no straunger come nye vnto you.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, whatsoever the service of the Tent may be; but a common man shall not draw nigh unto you.
King James Version (1611)
And they shall bee ioyned vnto thee, and keepe the charge of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, for all the seruice of the Tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh vnto you.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they shall be joined to thee, and shall keep the charges of the tabernacle of witness, in all the services of the tabernacle; and a stranger shall not approach to thee.
English Revised Version
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Berean Standard Bible
They are to join you and attend to the obligations of the Tent of Meeting, doing all the work at the Tent; but no outsider may come near you.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe be thei with thee, and wake thei in the kepyngis of the tabernacle, and in alle the cerymonyes therof. An alien schal not be meddlid with you.
Young's Literal Translation
and they have been joined unto thee, and have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and a stranger doth not come near unto you;
Update Bible Version
And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come near to you.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they shall be joined to thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh to you.
World English Bible
They shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come near to you.
New King James Version
They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; but an outsider shall not come near you.
New Living Translation
The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.
New Life Bible
They will join you and help do all the work of the meeting tent. But no one else may come near you.
New Revised Standard
They are attached to you in order to perform the duties of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; no outsider shall approach you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So shall they be joined unto thee, and shall keep the charge of the tent of meeting, as to all the laborious work of the tent, - but a stranger, shall not come near unto you.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But let them be with thee, and watch in the charge of the tabernacle, and in all the ceremonies thereof. A stranger shall not join himself with you.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"They shall be joined with you and attend to the obligations of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you.

Contextual Overview

1 So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your fathers' house with you shall bear iniquity in connection with the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity in connection with your priesthood. 2 And with you bring your brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you, and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They shall attend you and attend to all duties of the tent; but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar, lest they, and you, die. 4 They shall join you, and attend to the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and no one else shall come near you. 5 And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there be wrath no more upon the people of Israel. 6 And behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the people of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 7 And you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any one else who comes near shall be put to death."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a stranger: Numbers 1:51, Numbers 3:10, 1 Samuel 6:19, 2 Samuel 6:6, 2 Samuel 6:7

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:33 - a stranger Numbers 8:26 - to keep Numbers 16:40 - that no Numbers 17:13 - Whosoever Numbers 18:2 - joined unto thee Numbers 18:7 - the stranger 2 Kings 16:12 - offered thereon Isaiah 56:3 - the son Ezekiel 44:14 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on--since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."
Genesis 18:15
But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
Genesis 19:2
and said, "My lords, turn aside, I pray you, to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the street."
Genesis 24:32
So the man came into the house; and Laban ungirded the camels, and gave him straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
Genesis 43:24
And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their asses provender,
1 Samuel 25:41
And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground, and said, "Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."
Luke 7:44
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
1 Timothy 5:10
and she must be well attested for her good deeds, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, relieved the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they shall be joined unto thee,.... As assistants in the sacred service:

and keep the charge of tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle; :- and

:-;

and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you; not any of the other tribes, only such as were of the tribe of Levi; they only were to be brought with them, and joined unto them, and assist them, and minister to them, as in Numbers 18:2; though the Jews h understand by a stranger anyone that was not a priest.

h Maimon. in Misn. Zebachim, c. 2. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A stranger - i. e. every one not a Levite. So in Numbers 18:7, it denotes each one who was not a priest: compare Numbers 3:10; Numbers 16:40.


 
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