Numbers 3:38

3:38 But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, ¹  and his sons. They were responsible for the needs ²  of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites, but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death.

Numbers 4:15

4:15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished ³  covering ⁴  the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then ⁵  the Kohathites will come to carry them; ⁶  but they must not touch ⁷  any ⁸  holy thing, or they will die. ⁹  These are the responsibilities ¹⁰  of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.

Numbers 4:19

4:19 but in order that they will live ¹¹  and not die when they approach the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint ¹²  each man ¹³  to his service and his responsibility.

Numbers 4:27

4:27 “All the service of the Gershonites, whether ¹⁴  carrying loads ¹⁵  or for any of their work, will be at the direction of ¹⁶  Aaron and his sons. You will assign them all their tasks ¹⁷  as their responsibility.

[3:38]  ¹ tc In some Hebrew mss and Smr “and Aaron” is not in the verse. The omission arose probably by scribal error with such repetitious material that could easily give rise to variant traditions.

[3:38]  ² tn Here again the verb and its cognate noun are used: keeping the keep, or keeping charge over, or taking responsibility for the care of, or the like.

[4:15]  ³ tn The verb form is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the future sequence, but in this verse forms a subordinate clause to the parallel sequential verb to follow.

[4:15]  ⁴ tn The Piel infinitive construct with the preposition serves as the direct object of the preceding verbal form, answering the question of what it was that they finished.

[4:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “after this.”

[4:15]  ⁶ tn The form is the Qal infinitive construct from נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift, carry”); here it indicates the purpose clause after the verb “come.”

[4:15]  ⁷ tn The imperfect tense may be given the nuance of negated instruction (“they are not to”) or negated obligation (“they must not”).

[4:15]  ⁸ tn Here the article expresses the generic idea of any holy thing (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §92).

[4:15]  ⁹ tn The verb is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, following the imperfect tense warning against touching the holy thing. The form shows the consequence of touching the holy thing, and so could be translated “or they will die” or “lest they die.” The first is stronger.

[4:15]  ¹⁰ tn The word מַשָּׂא (massa’) is normally rendered “burden,” especially in prophetic literature. It indicates the load that one must carry, whether an oracle, or here the physical responsibility.

[4:19]  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.

[4:19]  ⁶ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive continues the instruction for Aaron.

[4:19]  ⁷ tn The distributive sense is obtained by the repetition, “a man” and “a man.”

[4:27]  ⁷ tn The term “whether” is supplied to introduce the enumerated parts of the explanatory phrase.

[4:27]  ⁸ tn Here again is the use of the noun “burden” in the sense of the loads they were to carry (see the use of carts in Num 7:7).

[4:27]  ⁹ tn The expression is literally “upon/at the mouth of” (עַל־פִּי, ’al-pi); it means that the work of these men would be under the direct orders of Aaron and his sons.

[4:27]  ¹⁰ tn Or “burden.”