Numbers 4:21-28 meaning

Verses 21-28 cover the responsibilities given to the Gershonites. They were charged with transporting the curtains, coverings, and related items that comprised the tabernacle and the outer court.

Having described the duties of the Kohathites, one of the three sons of Levi, again the Lord spoke to Moses regarding the sons of Gershon, another son of Levi (v. 21). Verses 22-23 are almost an exact copy of verses 2-3. The LORD said to Moses totake a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ households, by their families (v. 22). Like the Kohathites, Moses was to count the number of males from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them (v. 23). He was to count all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting (v. 23). The males in this age range (from thirty to fifty) were designated to serve in the tabernacle.

Verses 24-26 contain the description of the service of the families of the Gershonites (v. 24). Their responsibilities were in serving and in carrying:

The curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting (v. 25) (Exodus 26:1-13; 36:8-17)
Its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it (Exodus 26:14; 36:19)
The screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting (Exodus 26:36; 36:37)
The hangings of the court (v. 26) (Exodus 27:9, 11, 12, 13, 14; 38:9, 11, 12, 13)
The screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar (Exodus 26:1-13, 36:8-17)
Their cords and all the equipment for their service (Exodus 35:18)

For an explanation of each item, see our commentary for Exodus 26, Exodus 27, Exodus 35, and Exodus 36.

So, for all that is to be done, they shall perform. This implies that these instructions must be obeyed explicitly.

In verse 27, the LORD declared that all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be performed at the command of Aaron and his sons (v. 27). Their “loads” seems to refer to their carrying the assigned parts of the tabernacle when they journeyed in the wilderness, when relocating their camp. And their “work” probably refers to the assembly and maintenance of the tabernacle’s parts when camped. All their work was considered “service.” Those who did the labor of transport were in service to God just as much as the priests were.

The LORD then tasked Moses to assign to them as a duty all their loads. Moses was to delegate to each family group what items they were to carry in the wilderness. In making this assignment, God was creating clear lines of authority to create order, that the work might be done effectively.

Verse 28 summarizes the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting (v. 28). All of their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. Again, only certain men in the priestly line of Aaron could handle the holy items related to the tabernacle, the LORD’s dwelling place amongst His people. Ithamar was assigned the task of directing the duties of the Gershonites. Their work was in the service of the worship of the tent of meeting.

Biblical Text:

²¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²²“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; ²³from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. ²⁴This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: ²⁵they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, ²⁶and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform. ²⁷All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be performed at the command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. ²⁸This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The book of Numbers is the fourth of the five books of Moses that comprise the Torah, which means “Law.” It gets its English name from the Greek Old Testament called the Septuagint (or LXX). The LXX named this book, “Arithmoi,” meaning “Numbers.” Its Hebrew name means “in the desert” or “in the wilderness.” Both names are appropriate. The Hebrew name is appropriate because Numbers covers the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness (or “desert”) from Sinai to the plains of Moab. The Greek name is also appropriate because of the many lists, and the numbers within those lists.

At the beginning of the book, the Israelites had been camped at Mount Sinai for about a year. The book of Exodus covered their escape from Egypt and their journey to Sinai. The LORD commanded Moses to organize the people in preparation to leave Sinai and go to the Promised Land. The book covers around 38 years of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, and describes many of Israel’s failures, including mutinies against Moses and outright disobedience to the word of the LORD. In Numbers, the LORD declares that the generation that left Egypt would die in the wilderness due to their disobedience. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, were allowed to enter the Promised Land, due to their faithfulness. Even Moses died without entering the Land due to disobedience.

The book of Numbers can be outlined in many ways. The most general outline involves the generation that leaves Egypt and the one after it, as seen below:
• Events Involving the Exodus Generation (Num. 1 – 25)
• Events Involving the Second Generation (Num. 26 – 36)

Another outline sees the book having three major divisions based on the major encampments of the Israelites:
• Israel at Sinai (Num. 1:1 – 10:10)
• Israel at Kadesh Barnea (Num. 10:11 – 19:22)
• Israel on the Plains of Moab (Num. 20:1 – 36:13)

Still another outline (the one followed here) is as follows:
• The Exodus Generation in the Wilderness (chaps. 1 – 25)
◦ The Israelites Prepare to Leave Mount Sinai (1:1 – 10:10)
◦ The Israelites Depart to Kadesh Barnea (10:11 – 14:45)
◦ The Israelites Journey to the Plains of Moab (15:1 – 22:1)
◦ The Israelites Are Confronted by Balaam the Prophet (22:2 – 25:18)
• The Second Generation Prepares to Enter the Promised Land (26:1 – 36:13)
◦ The Rules Concerning Inheritance (Num. 26:1 – 27:11)
◦ The Provision for Moses’ Successor (Num. 27:12 – 23)
◦ The Laws Concerning Offerings (Num. 28:1 – 29:40)
◦ The Laws Concerning Vows (Num. 30:1 –16)
◦ The LORD’s Judgment Against the Midianites (Num. 31:1 – 54)
◦ The Inheritance of the Eastern Tribes (Num. 32:1 – 42)
◦ The Review of the Journey to Canaan (Num. 33:1 – 56)
◦ The LORD’s Instructions Before Conquering Canaan (Num. 33:50 – 36:13)

There are two themes that flow from the book of Numbers. The first concerns the LORD’s infinite grace in light of the people’s many failures and transgressions. There is hardly a book in the Bible where the LORD had to exercise His grace to His people more often than this one. The book of Numbers contains a record of Israel’s failure after failure and the LORD’s gracious forgiveness after forgiveness. Even when He judged them, there was grace.

Second, and related to the first, the book stresses the importance of obedience. God chose the Israelites unconditionally; they were the LORD’s chosen people regardless of their behavior. However, He demanded obedience to show His people that their obedience results in blessing. God set forth a way of life for His people in the covenant He and the people entered into at Sinai (Exodus 19:5-8). The Ten Commandments made it clear that God would make the law, and that the pinnacle requirement of His law was for the people to respect and serve one another. The strong were to serve the weak. This was in stark contrast to the surrounding cultures, which centered around the strong exploiting the weak (Leviticus 18). God’s judgment brought discipline upon Israel in order to shepherd them toward living in harmony and service to one another.

Chapter Context

Numbers chapter 4 continues the section that began in chapter 3 concerning the Levites. It contains another census of the three major families of the Levites. The purpose of this census was to discover how many Levites were available to carry and maintain the items that comprised the tabernacle itself, the items in the tabernacle, and the courtyard. The census numbers were to be based on the three sons of Levi-Kohath, Gershon, and Merari.

Numbers 4 can be outlined as follows:

The Command to Take a Census of the Levite Families (Numbers 4:1-33)
- The Kohathites (Numbers 4:1-20)
  - The Command to Number the Gershonites (Numbers 1:1-4)
  - Preparations by the Priests (Numbers 1:5-15)
  - Other Instructions About the Kohathites (Numbers 1:16-20)
- The Gershonites (Numbers 4:21-28)
- The Merarites (Numbers 4:29-33)
The Census of the Levite Families (Numbers 4:34-45)
- The Kohathites (Numbers 4:34-37)
- The Gershonites (Numbers 4:38-41)
- The Merarites (Numbers 4:42-45)
Summary of the Census (Numbers 4:46-49)

Numbers 4:21-28 meaning

Check out our other commentaries:

Numbers 13:3-16 meaning

Exodus 6:10-13 meaning

Exodus 13:1-2 meaning

Genesis 18:6-8 meaning

Exodus 39:27-29 meaning

Additional Resources

Book Theme

Chapter Context

Maps and Charts

Videos

The Bible Project - Numbers Summary

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