But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath, because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.
Parallel translations
- WEB But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they carried it on their shoulders.
- KJV But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.
- BSB But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since they were to carry on their shoulders the holy objects for which they were responsible.
- NKJV But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders.
- NLT But he gave none of the wagons or oxen to the Kohathite division, since they were required to carry the sacred objects of the Tabernacle on their shoulders.
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 sons of Kohath receive no wagons, because they carried the holy objects on their shoulders.
Overview
The Kohathites bore the ark and the most sacred furnishings, which were to be carried by hand, not on carts (Num 4:15). The most holy things demanded the most personal, reverent handling. Later, neglect of this very rule cost Uzzah his life (2 Sam 6:6-7), underscoring the seriousness of approaching holy things God's way.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Num 3:31Their 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.
- Num 4:4–16“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things.
- 2 Sam 6:13When those who bore Yahweh’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
- 1 Chr 15:13For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”
- 2 Sam 6:6When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for God’s ark, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled.
- 1 Chr 23:26Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”
- 1 Chr 15:3David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.
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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 7:9 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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