Numbers 7:3-9

7:3 They brought ¹  their offering before the Lord, six covered carts ²  and twelve oxen – one cart for every two of the leaders, and an ox for each one; and they presented them in front of the tabernacle.

The Distribution of the Gifts

7:4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 7:5 “Receive these gifts ³  from them, that they may be ⁴  used in doing the work ⁵  of the tent of meeting; and you must give them to the Levites, to every man ⁶  as his service requires.” ⁷ 

7:6 So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7:7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their service required; 7:8 and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their service required, under the authority ⁸  of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 7:9 But to the Kohathites he gave none, because the service of the holy things, which they carried ⁹  on their shoulders, was their responsibility. ¹⁰ 

[7:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and they brought.”

[7:3]  ² sn For a discussion and drawings, see W. S. McCullough, IDB 1:540. But see also D. J. Wiseman, IBD 1:254.

[7:5]  ³ tn The object is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied.

[7:5]  ⁴ tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; following the imperative, this could be given an independent volitive translation (“they shall be”), but more fittingly a subordinated translation expressing the purpose of receiving the gifts.

[7:5]  ⁵ tn The sentence uses the infinitive construct expressing purpose, followed by its cognate accusative: “[that they may be] for doing the work of” (literally, “serving the service of”).

[7:5]  ⁶ tn The noun אִישׁ (’ish) is in apposition to the word “Levites,” and is to be taken in a distributive sense: “to the Levites, [to each] man according to his service.”

[7:5]  ⁷ tn The expression כְּפִי (kÿfi) is “according to the mouth of.” Here, it would say “according to the mouth of his service,” which would mean “what his service calls for.”

[7:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “hand.”

[7:9]  ⁹ tn The verb is the imperfect tense, but it describes their customary activity – they had to carry, they used to carry.

[7:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “upon them,” meaning “their duty.”