Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 3:10
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
10. keep their priesthood ] i.e. perform the duties of their priesthood. LXX. adds ‘and everything about the altar and within the veil’; cf. Num 18:7.
cometh nigh ] approaches the sanctuary to perform a priestly office.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 10. Aaron and his sons – shall wait on their priest’s office] It was the business of the priests to offer the different sacrifices to God; to consecrate the shew-bread, pour out the libations, burn the incense, sprinkle the blood of the victims, and bless the people. In a word, they were the servants of God alone.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They shall wait, in their own persons, not by the Levites.
The stranger, i.e. every one who is of another family than Aarons, yea, though he be a Levite. See Num 1:53; 16:40.
That cometh nigh, to wit, to execute any part of the priests office.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5-10. Bring the tribe of LevinearThe Hebrew word “bring near” is asacrificial term, denoting the presentation of an offering to God;and the use of the word, therefore, in connection with the Levites,signifies that they were devoted as an offering to the sanctuary, nolonger to be employed in any common offices. They were subordinate tothe priests, who alone enjoyed the privilege of entering the holyplace; but they were employed in discharging many of the humblerduties which belonged to the sanctuary, as well as in various officesof great utility and importance to the religion and morals of thepeople.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons,…. To the priestly office; this was done before, but is renewed for the confirmation of it, and repeated to put them in mind of it, that they be careful to execute it, as follows:
and they shall wait on their priest’s office, to do what was peculiar to it, both in the holy and in the most holy place, at the altar, and within, the vail, where the Levites had nothing to do; and this is observed that the priests might take notice, that by the gift of the Levites to them, they were not excused from doing any part of service which was proper to them as priests; for they were given them that they might more readily attend their office, and be wholly employed in it; just as, under the Gospel dispensation, deacons were appointed to take care of the secular affairs of the church, that the apostles might give up themselves to the word of God and prayer, Ac 6:2;
and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; that comes nigh to perform any part of the priest’s office peculiar to him as to offer sacrifice, burn incense, c. whether he be a common Israelite, or even a Levite, as Korah was any that was not a priest was reckoned a stranger, and so to be put to death for intruding into the office, as the above mentioned person was: so Aben Ezra interprets it of anyone that came nigh to a priest, to be with him or join with him in the execution of his office, whether an Israelite or a Levite, he shall die: the Targum of Jonathan adds, by flaming fire before the Lord.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(10) Thou shalt appoint.Or, number. The word is the same as that which is used for the numbering of the Israelites generally (Num. 1:19) and for the numbering of the Levites (Num. 3:15).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Num 3:10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Ver. 10. And the stranger. ] Though a Levite, yet if not of Aaron’s seed. Num 18:3 Heb 5:4 Let this be thought upon by our too bold intruders into the work of the ministry.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they shall: Num 18:7, 1Ch 6:32, Eze 44:8, Act 6:3, Act 6:4, Rom 12:7, 1Ti 4:15, 1Ti 4:16
and the stranger: Num 3:38, Num 1:51, Num 16:35, Num 16:40, Num 18:3, 1Sa 6:19, 2Sa 6:7, 2Ch 26:16-21, Eph 2:19, Heb 8:4, Heb 10:19-22
Reciprocal: Exo 29:33 – a stranger Num 18:2 – but thou Num 18:4 – a stranger Num 18:22 – come nigh Deu 18:5 – General 1Ki 12:31 – priests 1Ki 13:33 – whosoever 1Ch 13:7 – carried the ark 2Ch 23:7 – whosoever Ezr 2:62 – therefore Neh 12:44 – Judah rejoiced
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 3:10. The stranger That is, every one who is of another family than Aarons; yea, though he be a Levite. That cometh nigh To execute any part of the priests office.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the {g} stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
(g) Any that would minister not being a Levite.