Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.
Parallel translations
- WEB Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.
- KJV And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
- NKJV Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
- NASB Now their duties included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, the curtain, and all the service concerning them;
- NLT These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.
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
The Kohathites cared for the ark, table, lampstand, altars, and sacred vessels. They were entrusted with the most holy furnishings of the sanctuary.
Overview
Their charge included the ark of the covenant and the other central objects of worship, the very items that represented God's presence and Israel's communion with Him. This was the most weighty Levitical duty, carried out under strict regulation. The holiness of these objects, especially the ark, points to the unapproachable holiness of God, now made accessible through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Exod 31:1–18Then the LORD said to Moses,
- Exod 39:33–42Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, and its posts and bases;
- Exod 36:35–36Next, he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Exod 25:10–40And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
- Num 4:4–16This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things.
- Exod 40:2–16“On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
- Exod 37:1Bezalel went on to construct the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
- Exod 26:31–33Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Exod 40:30He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing;
- Exod 30:1–10“You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.
- Exod 27:1–8“You are to build an altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 3:31 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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