IV. (2) OF THE SONS OF KOHATH... — Kohath appears to have been the second son of Levi (Numbers 3:17), but the Kohathites here stand first because Moses and Aaron belonged to them, and it was their office to bear the Ark.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THIRTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD EVEN UNTIL FIFTY YEARS OLD. — The previous census of the Levites was from a month old. The present census was with a view to the discharge of duties requiring a considerable amount of physical strength, and hence the prescribed age for entering upon these duties was... [ Continue Reading ]
AARON SHALL COME, AND HIS SONS... — Under ordinary circumstances the high priest himself might only enter the most holy place on one day in the year. At the time of the moving of the camp, however, the Divine Presence seems to have departed from the Holy of Holies, and to have ascended in the cloud... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL PUT IN THE STAVES THEREOF. — The staves had been removed whilst the Ark was being covered; otherwise they remained in their places (Exodus 25:15). (Comp. 2 Chronicles 5:9.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND COVERS TO COVER WITHAL. — Better, _and the cups for the drink-offering_ (or _libation_). AND THE CONTINUAL BREAD. — The shew-bread is so called because it was renewed every Sabbath day, and was continually before the face of the Lord even (as it appears from this verse) during the marches of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND COVER THE SAME. — Better, _and cover it_ (the table).... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON A BAR. — Better, _upon a pole, or frame made for bearing._ (Comp. Numbers 13:23, where the same word _mot_ is rendered “a staff.”)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL PUT TO THE STAVES THEREOF. — Better, _And shall put in the staves thereof,_ as in Numbers 4:6; Numbers 4:8; so also in Numbers 4:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL TAKE AWAY THE ASHES FROM THE ALTAR. — In Exodus 27:3 we find a direction to make pans for removing the ashes from the brazen altar, and also to make all the brazen vessels mentioned in the next verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CENSERS. — Better, _the fire-pans,_ as in Exodus 27:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE VESSELS OF THE SANCTUARY. — No mention is here made of the laver (Exodus 30:18). The LXX. and the Samaritan text supply a statement respecting the covering and conveyance of the brazen laver. The clause in the LXX. is as follows : — “And they shall take a purple cloth, and cover the lave... [ Continue Reading ]
THE OIL FOR THE LIGHT. — Or, _for the candlestick_ (Exodus 25:6). THE SWEET INCENSE. — Or, _the incense of spices_ (Exodus 25:6). THE DAILY MEAT OFFERING. — Better, _the continual meat offering_ — _i.e.,_ the morning and evening _minchah_ (Exodus 29:38). THE ANOINTING OIL. — i.e., “the oil of hol... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT YE NOT OFF THE TRIBE... — The word _shebet_ (tribe) is here used in a very peculiar sense, and denotes one division only of the tribe of Levi. In this and the following verses the injunction already given (Numbers 5:15) is renewed, and Moses and Aaron are charged not to be guilty of such neglige... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY SHALL NOT GO IN TO SEE WHEN THE HOLY THINGS ARE COVERED. — Better, _But they shall not go in to see the holy things_ (or, the sanctuary) _for a moment._ The Levites were not per-mitted to enter the holy place in which the priests ministered, much less the Holy of Holies. Whether this rule w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION. — Better, _And the tent of meeting._ The _mishkan_ or dwelling-place is distinguished in Numbers 3:25 from the _ohel_ or tent which covered it. The curtains of the _mishkan_ are represented in Exodus 26:6 as constituting the _mishkan_ itself, the woodwork bein... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS BY THE TABERNACLE AND BY THE ALTAR ROUND ABOUT. — Or, _which are_... The curtains or hangings enclosed the whole of the court.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDER THE HAND OF ITHAMAR. — It appears from Exodus 38:21 that Ithamar had been actively concerned in the construction of the Tabernacle. As the special duties of Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron, had been already assigned (Numbers 4:16), so also are those of Ithamar, the younger son. These duties c... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOARDS OF THE TABERNACLE, AND THE BARS THEREOF... — The duty of the Merarites was to carry the heavier and more cumbersome parts of the Tabernacle and the court; and it is probably on this account that, in their case, the specific duties of each were assigned to them by name (Numbers 4:32). The... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL RECKON. — Better, _ye shall assign or appoint._ (See Note on the preceding verse.)... [ Continue Reading ]
EIGHT THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED AND FOURSCORE. — This number of men between the ages of twenty and fifty bears a just proportion to that of all the males from a month old and upwards — viz., 22,000.... [ Continue Reading ]