And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
- BSB Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”
- NKJV Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
- NASB Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to an area outside of the camp.”
- NLT Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. He said to them, “Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses summons cousins to carry the bodies out of the camp. The dead must be removed from the holy sphere of God's dwelling.
Overview
Mishael and Elzaphan, relatives outside the immediate priestly line, remove the corpses since the officiating priests must not be defiled. Even in tragedy, the holiness of the sanctuary is preserved and order maintained. The careful handling of death outside the camp underscores that death and defilement cannot dwell with the holy God — a separation finally overcome by Christ's victory over death.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Exod 6:22And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.
- Exod 6:18And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.
- Acts 5:6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
- Num 3:30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
- Num 3:19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
- Acts 5:9–10Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
- 1 Chr 6:2And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
- Luke 7:12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
- Acts 8:2And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 10:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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