Matthew Poole and continuators on Numbers 4

3 From thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years old , all that enter into the host , to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

This age was prescribed, as the age of full strength of body, and therefore most proper for their present laborious work of carrying the parts and vessels of the Tabernacle, and of maturity of judgment, which is necessary for the right management of holy services. Whence even Iohn and Christ entred not upon their Ministery till that age. And it may still seem to be the fittest season for mens undertaking the Ministery of the Gospel, except in case of extraordinary abilities or the Churches pressing necessity. Object. They might enter upon this work at their 25th. year, Numb. 8. 24. and in David's time and afterward at their twentieth year. Answ. 1. Their first entrance upon their work was at their five and twentieth year, when they began as learners and acted onely under the inspection and direction of their brethren, but in their thirtieth year they were compleatly admitted to a full discharge of their whole office. 2. David, being a Prophet, and particularly directed by God in the affairs of the Temple, might and did make a change in this matter, which he might the better do, both because it was but a change in a circumstance, and because the magnificence of the Temple, and the great multitude of sacred utensils and sacrifices, required a greater number of attendants than formerly was necessary.

When they were exempted from the toilsome work of carrying burdens, but not discharged from the honourable and easie work done within the Tabernacle, Numb. 8. 26.

(i. e.) That do and may enter, having no defect, Levit. 21. 17. nor other impediment.

The society of sacred Ministers he calls an host, because of that excellent order which was among them as to persons, place, time, the matter and manner, of their services.

4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things .

Hereafter mentioned, as the Ark, Table, Altar, &c. Compare Numb. 3. 31.

5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail , and cover the ark of testimony with it:

For upon this necessary occasion the inferiour Priests are allowed to come into the Holy of Holies, which otherwise was peculiar to the High-priest, Heb. 9. 7.

The second vail, of which see Exod. 26. 31, &c. Levit. 4. 6. Heb. 9. 3. wherewith the Ark was covered while the Tabernacle stood, Exod. 40. 3.

Because the Levites, who were to carry the Ark, might neither see nor immediately touch it.

6 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 .

Whereby the Ark was secured from the injuries of the weather.

Object. How could these staves be put in, when they were never to be taken out, Exod. 25. 15. compared with 1 King. 8. 8. 1. Answ. These places may speak of the staves while the Ark and Tabernacle stood, but when they were to be removed the posture of all things was altered. 2. The Hebrew verb doth not signifie putting in, but barely putting or placing or disposing, and may be understood not of putting the staves into the rings, wherein they constantly remained, but of the putting of them either upon their shoulders to try and fit them for carriage, or into the holes or receptacles which probably were made in these coverings for the receiving and covering of these guilded staves to keep them both from the touch of the Levites and from the inconveniences of bad weather.

7 And upon the table of shew-bread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes , and the spoons, and the bowls and covers to cover withall: and the continual bread shall be thereon.

Heb. Of faces or presence, for of the bread of faces or presence. i. e. of the bread which was continually standing in the presence of the Lord.

Upon which the shew-bread was put.

(i. e.) Shew-bread so called because it was continually to be there, even in the wilderness, where though they had onely Manna for themselves, yet they reserved corn for the weekly making of these loaves, which they might with no great difficulty procure from some of the people bordering upon the wilderness in the innermost parts whereof they were.

Marginal references: Exod. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 3[illegible: 1+ letters].; Or. pour out withal.

10 And they shall put it, and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers-skins: and shall put it upon a bar .

So contrived that this cloth containing the candlestick, &c. might be either laid upon it, or some other way fastened to it.

11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers-skins, and shall put to the staves thereof.

All covered with plates of gold.

12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministery , wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers-skins, and shall put them on a bar.

The sacred garments used by the priests in their holy ministrations. See Exod. 31. 10.

13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar , and spread a purple cloth thereon:

Of burnt-offerings. Whereby it may seem probable, though it be denied by most, that they did offer some sacrifices in the Wilderness, though it may be not so frequently nor orderly as afterwards they did. Whence else were these ashes? And there are some undeniable instances of their sacrificing there, as Exod. 18. 12. and 24. 4. Numb. 7. &c. from which it seems rational to conclude that they did offer sacrifices at other times, though not so constantly and diligently, as they did in Canaan. And for the argument against it from Amos 5. 25. that may be easily dissolved, as we shall there see, if the Lord please. Moreover the taking away of the ashes onely doth sufficiently imply that the fire was preserved, which as it came down from Heaven, Levit. 9. So it was by Gods command to be continually fed and kept burning, and therefore doubtless was put into some vessel, which might be either fastened to the altar and put within this covering, or carried by some person appointed thereunto.

14 And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the flesh-hooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgersskins, and put to the staves of it.

Amongst all these vessels here and abovenamed there is no mention of the brazen laver, though that be elsewhere reckoned among the holy things, as Exod. 35. 16. and 38. 8. and 39. 39. and 40. 30. whereof possibly the reason may be because it was not covered, as not being capable of much hurt by the weather. Though some antient translations of the Bible do here adde these words. They shall take a purple covering, and cover the laver, &c.

Marginal references: Or, bowls.

15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it : but they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die . These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath, in the tabernacle of the congregation.

To wit, upon their shoulders, not upon carts or wagons, as appears from Numb. 7. 9. the neglect of which order did provoke the Lord, 2 Sam. 6. 6, 7. 1 Chron. 13. 7. and 15. 12, &c. Afterward the Priests themselves, being multiplied, carried these things, as appears from Deut. 31. 9▪ Ios. 3. 6. and 8. 33. 1 Sam. 4. 4. though the Levites also were not excluded, 2 Chron. 5. 5.

Immediately, or before they be covered.

As some did for that sin. See 1 Sam. 6. 19. 2 Sam. 6. 6, 7.

Marginal references: chap. 3. 31.

16 And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, pertaineth the oyl for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat-offering , and the anointing oyl, and the oversight of all the tabernacle , and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

(i. e.) He himself is to carry these things, and not to commit them to the sons of Kohath.

Of fine flour, which was to be offered every morning and evening with the daily burntoffering. See Exod. 29. 38, 39.

(i. e.) The care that all the things above-mentioned be carried by the persons and in the manner expressed.

Marginal references: Exod. 25. 6.; Exod. 30. 3[illegible: 1+ letters]; Exod. 30. 29

18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathite from among the Levites.

(i. e.) Do not by your neglect provoke God to cut them off for touching the holy things.

19 But thus do unto them, that they may live and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things, Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service , and to his burden.

To that which is peculiarly allotted to him, the services and burdens being equally distributed among them.

25 And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle , and the tabernacle of the congregation , his covering , and the covering of the badgers-skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

(i. e.) The curtains or covering of goats-hair.

(i. e.) The ten curious curtains which covered the boards of the Tabernacle, for the boards themselves were carried by the Merarites.

(i. e.) The covering of rams-skins which was put next over those ten curtains.

Marginal references: chap. 3. [illegible: 1 word]

26 And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.

(i. e.) Which court compassed both the Tabernacle and the Altar, Exod. 27. 16.

28 This is the service of the families of the sons of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Under his conduct and direction. Thus the hand of Hige, Es[illegible: 1+ letters]h. 2. 3. is his care and custody.

31 And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation, the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof ,

Which were as the feet upon which the pillars stood, of which see Exod. 38. 27.

Marginal references: chap. 3. 36.; Exod. 26. 15.

32 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.

Every part and parcel therefore shall be put in an inventory: which is required here rather than in the foregoing particulars, partly because these were much more numerous than the former, partly because being meaner things and such as might easily be supplied, they might otherwise have been neglected, and partly to teach us, that God esteems nothing small in his worship and service, and that he expects his will should be observed in the minurest circumstances.

44 Even those that were numbred of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred ▪

Here appears the wisdom of Divine providence, that whereas in the Kohathites and Gershonites, whose burdens were fewer and easier, there were but about a third part of them which were fit for service, the Merarites, whose burdens were more and heavier, had above one half of them fit for this work.

48 Even those that were numbred of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore .

Which number was much inferiour to any other Tribe, for the reasons mentioned on Numb. 3. 39.