Numbers 3:25

3:25 And ¹  the responsibilities of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting,

Numbers 3:31

3:31 Their responsibilities included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, ²  the curtain, and all their service. ³ 

Numbers 3:36

3:36 The appointed responsibilities of the Merarites included the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets, its utensils, plus all the service connected with these things, ⁴ 

Numbers 4:19-20

4:19 but in order that they will live ⁵  and not die when they approach the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint ⁶  each man ⁷  to his service and his responsibility. 4:20 But the Kohathites ⁸  are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”

Numbers 16:40

16:40 It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant of ⁹  Aaron should approach to burn incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his company – just as the Lord had spoken by the authority ¹⁰  of Moses.

¹ tn The disjunctive vav (ו) here introduces a new section, listing the various duties of the clan in the sanctuary. The Gershonites had a long tradition of service here. In the days of David Asaph and his family were prominent as musicians. Others in the clan controlled the Temple treasuries. But in the wilderness they had specific oversight concerning the tent structure, which included the holy place and the holy of holies.

² tn The verb is יְשָׁרְתוּ (yÿsharÿtu, “they will serve/minister”). The imperfect tense in this place, however, probably describes what the priests would do, what they used to do. The verb is in a relative clause: “which they would serve with them,” which should be changed to read “with which they would serve.”

³ tn The word is literally “its [their] service.” It describes all the implements that were there for the maintenance of these things.

⁴ tn Heb “and all their service.” This could possibly be a hendiadys: “and all their working tools.” However, the parallel with v. 26 suggests this is a separate phrase.

⁵ tn The word order is different in the Hebrew text: Do this…and they will live. Consequently, the verb “and they will live” is a perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive to express the future consequence of “doing this” for them.

⁶ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive continues the instruction for Aaron.

⁷ tn The distributive sense is obtained by the repetition, “a man” and “a man.”

⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the verse has as the subject “they,” but to avoid confusion the antecedent has been clarified in the translation.

⁹ tn Heb “from the seed of.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “hand.”