From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,
Parallel translations
- WEB from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting,
- BSB from thirty to fifty years old who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting.
- NKJV from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tabernacle of meeting—
- NASB from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting—
- NLT All the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and for its transportation
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
All the Levites counted were aged thirty to fifty for the work of service and burden-bearing. The full eligible body is described.
Overview
This verse defines the total group: every Levite in his prime years engaged in either ministry or transport of the tabernacle. The mention of both 'work of service' and 'bearing burdens' captures the breadth of their duties. It highlights how God's house was sustained by ordered, dedicated labor.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Cor 12:4–31Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
- Rom 12:6–8Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
- Num 4:3From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
- Num 4:37These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
- Num 4:23–24From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
- Num 4:15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
- 1 Chr 23:27For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:
- 1 Chr 23:3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
- Num 4:30From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 4:47 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.