Numbers 4:17
“Protecting the Kohathites from Death”Numbers 4:17–20
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible · Public domain
Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain
Bible text: World English Bible, Messianic edition · Public domain
Bible text: Geneva Bible (1599) · Public domain
Bible text: Young's Literal Translation · Public domain
- וַיְדַבֵּרvay·da·Berand he spokeH1696Conj-w ¦ V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3msVerb Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculineוַandיְדַבֵּרhe spoke
- יְהוָהYah·wehYahwehH3068N-properNoun Proper Title
- אֶל'eltoH413PrepPreposition
- מֹשֶׁהmo·ShehMosesH4872N-proper-mNoun Proper Masculine
- וְאֶלve·'eland toH413Conj-w ¦ PrepPrepositionוְandאֶלto
- אַהֲרֹן'a·ha·RonAaronH175N-proper-mNoun Proper Masculine
- לֵאמֹרle·Mor[to] sayingH559Prep-l ¦ V-Qal-InfVerb Qal Infinitive Constructלֵ[to]אמֹרsaying
English is a literal word-by-word gloss of the Hebrew, not the KJV's wording. Why?
This is the original text the KJV's translators worked from — each Hebrew word with its own literal English meaning in this verse, prepared by scholars at Tyndale House, Cambridge. The KJV translates whole sentences, not word by word, so its wording differs: one Hebrew word can become several English words, and the KJV may choose “the LORD” where the gloss reads “Yahweh”. Both are faithful — they answer different questions. For the KJV's own rendering, switch to the KJV text.
Words in [ ] are added by the English.
Details
See on the biblical-era map
Study this verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry wrote on whole passages, and this entry covers Numbers 4:1–20. He set out his notes in a four-level outline, kept here as he numbered it.
We have here a second muster of the tribe of Levi. As that tribe was taken out of all Israel to be God's peculiar, so the middle-aged men of that tribe were taken from among the rest to be actually employed in the service of the tabernacle. Now observe,
I.Who were to be taken into this number.
All the males from thirty years old to fifty. Of the other tribes, those that were numbered to go forth to war were from twenty years old and upward, but of the Levites only from thirty to fifty; for the service of God requires the best of our strength, and the prime of our time, which cannot be better spent than to the honour of him who is the first and best. And a man may make a good soldier much sooner than a good minister. Now,
1.They were not to be employed till they were thirty years old, because till then they were in danger of retaining something childish and youthful and had not gravity enough to do the service, and wear the honour, of a Levite. They were entered as probationers at twenty-five years old, (Numbers 8:24), and in David's time, when there was more work to be done, at twenty (1 Chronicles 23:24, and so Ezra 3:8); but they must be five years learning and waiting, and so fitting themselves for service; nay, in David's time they were ten years in preparation, from twenty to thirty. John Baptist began his public ministry, and Christ his, at thirty years old. This is not in the letter of it obligatory on gospel ministers now, as if they must either not begin their work till thirty years old or must leave off at fifty; but it gives us two good rules: - (1.) That ministers must not be novices, 1 Timothy 3:6. It is a work that requires ripeness of judgment and great steadiness, and therefore those are very unfit for it who are but babes in knowledge and have not put away childish things. (2.) That they must learn before they teach, serve before they rule, and must first be proved, 1 Timothy 3:10.
2.They were discharged at fifty years old from the toilsome part of the service, particularly that of carrying the tabernacle; for that is the special service to which they are here ordained, and which there was most occasion for while they were in the wilderness. When they began to enter upon old age, they were dismissed,
(1.)In favour to them, that they might no be over-toiled when their strength began to decay. Twenty years' good service was thought pretty well for one man.
(2.)In honour to the work, that it might not be done by those who, through the infirmities of age, were slow and heavy. The service of God should be done when we are in the most lively active frame. Those do not consider this who put off their repentance to old age, and so leave the best work to be done in the worst time.
II.How their work is described.
They are said to enter into the host, or warfare, to do the work in the tabernacle. The ministry is a good work (1 Timothy 3:1): ministers are not ordained to the honour only, but to the labour, not only to have the wages, but to do the work. It is also a good warfare, 1 Timothy 1:18. Those that enter into the ministry must look upon themselves as entered into the host, and approve themselves good soldiers, 2 Timothy 2:3. Now, as to the sons of Kohath in particular, here is,
1.Their service appointed them, in the removes of the tabernacle. Afterwards, when the tabernacle was fixed, they had other work assigned them; but this was the work of the day, which was to be done in its day. Observe, Wherever the camp of Israel went, the tabernacle of the Lord went with them, and care must be taken for the carriage of it. Note, Wherever we go, we must see to it that we take our religion along with us, and not forget that or any part of it. Now the Koliathites were to carry all the holy things of the tabernacle. They were charged with those things before (Numbers 3:31), but here they have more particular instructions given them.
(1.)Aaron, and his sons the priests, must pack up the things which the Kohathites were to carry, as here directed, Numbers 4:5, etc. God had before appointed that none should come into the most holy place, but only Aaron once a year with a cloud of incense (Leviticus 16:2); and yet, the necessity of their unsettled state requiring it, that law is here dispensed with; for every time they removed Aaron and his sons went in to take down the ark, and make it up for carriage; for (as the learned bishop Patrick suggests) the shechinah, or display of the divine majesty, which was over the mercy-seat, removed for the present in the pillar of cloud, which was taken up, and then the ark was not dangerous to be approached.
(2.)All the holy things must be covered, the ark and table with three coverings, all the rest with two. Even the ashes of the altar, in which the holy fire was carefully preserved and raked up, must have a purple cloth spread over them, Numbers 4:13. Even the brazen altar, though in the court of the sanctuary it stood open to the view of all, yet was covered in the carriage of it. All these coverings were designed,
[1.]For safety, that these holy things might not be ruffled with the wind, sullied with the rain, nor tarnished with the sun, but that they might be preserved in their beauty; for on all the glory shall be a defence. The coverings of badgers' skins, being thick and strong, would keep out wet; and, while we are in our passage through the wilderness of this world, it concerns us to be fenced for all weathers, Isaiah 4:5, Isaiah 4:6.
[2.]For decency and ornament. Most of these things had a cloth of blue, or purple, or scarlet, spread outmost; and the ark was covered with a cloth wholly of blue (Numbers 4:6), an emblem (say some) of the azure skies, which are spread like a curtain between us and the Majesty on high, Job 26:9. Those that are faithful to God should endeavour likewise to appear beautiful before men, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.
[3.]For concealment. It signified the darkness of that dispensation. That which is now brought to light by the gospel, and revealed to babes, was then hidden from the wise and prudent. They saw only the coverings, not the holy things themselves (Hebrews 10:1); but now Christ has destroyed the face of the covering, Isaiah 25:7.
(3.)When all the holy things were covered, then the Kohathites were to carry them on their shoulders. These things that had staves were carried by their staves (Numbers 4:6, Numbers 4:8, Numbers 4:11, Numbers 4:14); those that had not were carried upon a bar, or bier, or bearing barrow, Numbers 4:10, Numbers 4:12. See how the tokens of God's presence in this world are movable things; but we look for a kingdom that cannot be moved.
2.Eleazar, now the eldest son of Aaron, is appointed overseer of the Kohathites in this service (Numbers 4:16); he must take care that nothing was forgotten, left behind, or displaced. As a priest he had more honour than the Levites, but then he had more care; and that care was a heavier burden, no doubt, upon his heart, than all the burdens that were laid upon their shoulders. It is much easier to do the work of the tabernacle than to discharge the trusts of it, to obey than to rule.
3.Great care must be taken to preserve the lives of these Levites, by preventing their unseasonable irreverent approach to the most holy things: Cut you not off the Kohathites, Numbers 4:18. Note, Those who do not what they can to keep others from sin do what they can to cut them off. [1.] The Kohathites must not see the holy things till the priests had covered them, Numbers 4:20. Even those that bore the vessels of the Lord saw not what they bore, so much were even those in the dark concerning the gospel whose office it was to expound the law. And, [2.] When the holy things were covered, they might not touch them, at least not the ark, called here the holy thing, upon pain of death, Numbers 4:15. Uzza was struck dead for the breach of this law. Thus were the Lord's ministers themselves then kept in fear, and that was a dispensation of terror, as well as darkness; but now, through Christ, the case is altered; we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handles, the word of life (1 John 1:1), and we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace.
Continue studying Numbers 4:17 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Written with AI assistance. Always check it against Scripture.
This verse
The LORD speaks to Moses and Aaron together, opening a fresh charge whose authority is his own, about the Levites who carried the holiest things.
“And the LORD spake”
God takes the first step. The commands that follow are his, given by the covenant God of Israel, and dâbar is the plain verb for speaking.
“unto Moses and unto Aaron,”
The prophet and the high priest together, because this charge needs God’s word declared and the priests’ work done.
“saying,”
Brings in God’s own words, the warning that fills verses 18 to 20.
Passage studyNumbers 4:17–20
Protecting the Kohathites from Death
Summary
While Israel was still camped at Sinai, the LORD gave Moses and Aaron a charge about the Kohathites, the Levite clan who carried the holiest furnishings of the tabernacle. They were to keep this clan from being cut off. Aaron and his sons would go in first, cover the holy things and give each Kohathite his task and his load, so that the carriers would live and not die. The Kohathites themselves were forbidden to go in and look while the holy things were being covered. In four verses God shows how holy he is, and in the same breath how much he wants those who serve him to live.
Who were the Kohathites, and why were they in danger?
The Kohathites were one of the three main clans of the tribe of Levi, descended from Kohath, a son of Levi. Numbers 4 gives each clan its share in taking down, carrying and setting up the tabernacle on Israel’s journeys through the wilderness. The Gershonites and Merarites carried the coverings, the boards and the pillars. The Kohathites carried the holiest things of all: the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10), the table of shewbread, the lampstand, the altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering, with the holy vessels that belonged to them. They bore these on their shoulders, with poles.
Their charge is set out in Numbers 4:1–16. Aaron and his sons wrapped each piece in its own cloths and coverings (Numbers 4:5–15), and only then did the sons of Kohath come to carry it, under the warning that if they touched a holy thing they would die (Numbers 4:15). Eleazar the priest was given oversight of the whole sanctuary and its vessels in verse 16. These four verses come straight after, and they make the safety of the carriers a charge laid on Israel’s leaders. The whole Kohathite section, Numbers 4:1–20, ends with them.
All of this took place soon after God gave the law at Sinai and the tabernacle was set up as the place of his presence among his people. Its building and its service, laid out at length in Exodus and Leviticus, teach the same lesson again and again: God is holy, and he is to be approached in the way he has commanded. Other nations also kept their sacred places and objects behind strict rules and gave them to priests to tend. Israel’s laws came from the LORD himself, and he asked for moral holiness and obedience to his word as well as ritual purity.
The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron
Verse 17 opens with words that come again and again in the law: “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying”. They mark the start of a fresh word from God and tell us whose word it is. The name Yᵉhôvâh, printed “LORD” in capitals, is the covenant name of Israel’s God, which Strong’s explains as the self-existent or eternal one. He is the God bound to Israel by his covenant and faithful to it, and he is the one who sets the rules for his own house. The verb dâbar (“spake”) is the everyday word for speaking or telling. The weight of these words comes from the one who speaks them. The tabernacle was made after the pattern God showed Moses (Exodus 25:9), and its service was ordered by God’s word in the same way.
God speaks to both leaders here. Moses (Môsheh, a name meaning drawing out, of the water) was the prophet and lawgiver, through whom God gave his covenant at Sinai (Exodus 19). Aaron (ʼAhărôwn, a name of uncertain origin) was the high priest, consecrated with his sons for the sacrifices and the service of the tabernacle (Leviticus 8). The charge that follows needs them both. Moses receives God’s word and declares it, and Aaron and his sons do the part that only priests may do. The closing word, “saying”, brings in God’s own words, the warning of verses 18 to 20.
“Cut ye not off”: a charge to keep the Kohathites alive
God’s first word is a command to Moses and Aaron: “Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites”. The verb kârath means to cut off or cut down, and so to destroy, and Hebrew also uses it for making a covenant. Here it is forbidden, and the command puts the Kohathites’ lives in their leaders’ hands. Moses and Aaron were to see that every safeguard God had given was kept, above all the covering of the holy things before the Kohathites came near. If the safeguards were neglected, the Kohathites would fall under God’s judgment, whether the fault was their own or their leaders’.
That danger was real. Uzzah died beside the ark when he took hold of it (2 Samuel 6:7), and Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD (Leviticus 10:1–2), an event that was still a recent memory when these words were given.
“The tribe of the families of the Kohathites” takes in the whole clan. The word mishpâchâh means a family or clan, so God’s care reaches the whole line of Kohath and its place in his service, as well as each man in it. “From among the Levites” (Lêvîyîy, a descendant of Levi) sets them within the tribe that God set apart for the sanctuary.
What does “cut ye not off” mean here?
It means first that the Kohathites must be kept from dying under God’s judgment for mishandling the holy things. It also reaches further. A clan cut off from among the Levites would lose its appointed place among God’s servants, and the order of worship God had set up for the tabernacle would be broken. Peter writes that “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17), and here, at the tabernacle, those who served nearest to God’s holy things were the ones who needed the most care.
“That they may live, and not die”
Verse 19 gives the way to keep the charge: “But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die”. God sets his purpose beside the danger. The verb châyâh means to live, and mûwth means to die, or causatively to kill. Every strict rule in this chapter was given for the life of God’s servants. He wanted the Kohathites alive and still serving.
The danger came “when they approach unto the most holy things”. The verb nâgash means to come or draw near. Coming near was itself the risk, because these things belonged to a holy God and the men who carried them were sinful, even when they meant no wrong.
God’s answer is “Aaron and his sons shall go in.” The priests alone could enter the holy place. They went in first, covered each piece as the earlier verses describe, and made it ready to carry, so that the Kohathites would neither see nor touch the bare holy things. The priests stood between the holy things and the Levites who bore them, and that standing between is the priestly work of mediation.
What are the most holy things?
They are the holiest furnishings of the tabernacle: the ark of the covenant, which held the tablets of the law, the table of shewbread, the lampstand, the altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering, with the vessels used at each. The word qôdesh means a holy place or holy thing, and the phrase behind “most holy things”, qodesh haqqodashim, is a Hebrew superlative for the highest degree of holiness. These pieces were tied to God’s presence and to his covenant with Israel. Only the consecrated priests could see or handle them uncovered, and even they only in the way God prescribed.
Every one to his service and to his burden
Aaron and his sons were also to “appoint them every one to his service and to his burden”. Each Kohathite received his task from the priests: his service, the work he did, and his burden, the load he carried. God’s order reached down to every single man, and each one’s task was weighty and called for faithfulness.
Forbidden even to look
The last verse closes the gap: “But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.” The verb bôwʼ means to go or come, here to go in, and râʼâh is the ordinary word for seeing, looking or beholding. The Kohathites were Levites, set apart for this very work, and still they were forbidden to enter the sanctuary and watch while the priests covered the holy things. The moment of danger was the covering itself, when the holy things were not yet wrapped. A look at that moment would bring death, and the word for it is mûwth once again, the death God himself would bring for crossing this boundary.
Scripture shows this holiness elsewhere. At the burning bush God told Moses to put off his shoes, because the place where he stood was holy ground (Exodus 3:5). The people were warned at Sinai to keep their distance from the mountain (Exodus 19). Long after, the LORD struck the men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the ark (1 Samuel 6:19–20).
Why was the penalty for looking so severe?
The penalty shows how holy God is. The holy things were consecrated to him and stood for his presence, so to look on them against his command was an offence against his majesty. It also guarded the tabernacle and the covenant, because God was teaching Israel the difference between the holy and the common, and the penalty held his people back from irreverence and defilement. And it showed that the priests were needed. Only they, acting as God instructed, could handle the holy things safely, and in doing so they shielded the people from his consuming holiness. The same truth runs through the rest of the law, as on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16): God is approached on his terms. Hebrews calls believers to serve him “with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28–29).
Christ, our High Priest, opens the way into the holiest
The strictness of these verses shows how far sinful people stand from a holy God, and it points ahead to the Mediator who closes that distance. God, who spoke to Moses and Aaron, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1–2). Jesus is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). He entered the true sanctuary in heaven with his own blood and obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:11–12). At his death the veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom (Matthew 27:51), a sign that the barrier between God and his people was gone.
The Kohathites needed priests to cover the holy things before they could come near. Christ, by his once-for-all sacrifice, is the true covering that lets us come near to God without fear of death. Believers are now a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), with “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way”, and so we “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19–22). The warning “lest they die” gives way to an invitation: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and through him we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). The life God kept for the Kohathites through the priests’ covering is secured for ever for all who believe in his Son.
Does this command apply to believers today?
Its outward form belonged to the tabernacle, which Hebrews calls a copy and shadow of heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5) and of the good things to come (Hebrews 10:1). Christ’s sacrifice fulfilled the Levitical duties and their rules, so believers today face no death for coming near a physical sanctuary. The truth beneath the command still stands. God’s holiness is the same, and in Christ it has been satisfied, upheld and shown in full. The direct access we have is a gift of grace, and we use it with confidence and with awe together.
Holiness and mercy in one charge
These four verses show who God is. He is so holy that a single look at his holy things, out of turn, meant death. He is so merciful that he laid out the safeguards himself, so that his servants might live and not die. He spoke to Israel’s leaders and made them answerable for the people in their care, and he gave every carrier a task of his own. The order of his house was for the life of his people.
All of that stands behind the access believers have now. We come near through Christ, who atoned for sin once for all and removed the barrier, and the God who said “that they may live, and not die” has made a way for us to live before him for ever. And as each Kohathite had his own service and his own burden, each of God’s people has a calling within the body of Christ, given by him and carried out for his glory.
Numbers 4:17 This verse
“And the LORD spake”
God takes the first step. The commands that follow are his, given by the covenant God of Israel, and dâbar is the plain verb for speaking.
“unto Moses and unto Aaron,”
The prophet and the high priest together, because this charge needs God’s word declared and the priests’ work done.
“saying,”
Brings in God’s own words, the warning that fills verses 18 to 20.
Numbers 4:18
“Cut ye not off”
A command to the leaders. The Kohathites’ lives rest on Moses and Aaron keeping every safeguard God gave.
“the tribe of the families of the Kohathites”
The whole clan, the carriers of the holiest furnishings, as well as each man in it.
“from among the Levites:”
Their place in the tribe set apart for the sanctuary, which they would lose along with their lives if they were cut off.
Numbers 4:19
“But thus do unto them,”
“But” turns from the danger to God’s own remedy for it.
“that they may live, and not die,”
God states the purpose of all the rules. He wants his servants alive.
“when they approach unto the most holy things:”
Coming near is the moment of danger, because the things are holy and the men are sinful.
“Aaron and his sons shall go in,”
The priests alone enter, and they cover the holy things first.
“and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:”
Each man receives from the priests his own work and his own load.
Numbers 4:20
“But they shall not go in to see”
Even Levites set apart for this work have a boundary they must keep, and sight is included in it as well as touch.
“when the holy things are covered,”
The moment of covering, when the holy things are still bare, is when looking is forbidden.
“lest they die.”
The same end that verse 15 gives for touching the holy things, here for looking at them.
Last revised