Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 3:38
But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, [even] before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, [shall be] Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
38. Moses ] The mention of his name in a command given to him is strange. It would be still stranger if he were the writer of the passage.
the charge ] i.e. that which has to be attended to.
for the charge of the children of Israel ] An idiomatic use of ‘for’ confined to late writings. It is virtually equivalent to ‘and.’ (Cf. Num 3:26 ‘ for all the service’ with Num 3:31 ; Num 3:36 ‘ and all the service.’) That which had to be attended to for the laity was the offering of sacrifice on the altar in the court.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For the charge of the children of Israel; either in their stead. that charge which they were obliged to keep either by themselves. or by others appointed by them, if God had not committed it to those; or for their good, and service, and benefit; for their preservation, as the word may be rendered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
38. those that encamp, &c.Thatbeing the entrance side, it was the post of honor, and consequentlyreserved to Moses and the priestly family. But the sons of Moses hadno station here.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east,…. At which was the entrance into the tabernacle:
[even] before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward; that is, before the court of the tabernacle, where the people assembled together:
[shall be] Moses, Aaron, and his sons; Moses the chief ruler, and Aaron the high priest, and his sons priests under him; these had the most honourable place of all, beings at the front of the tabernacle, between that and the camp of Judah. There is an extraordinary prick on the word Aaron, to show, as Jarchi says, that he was not in the number of Levites, though of the tribe of Levi, being high priest:
keeping the charge of the sanctuary, for the charge of the children of Israel; either in their room and stead, which otherwise they must have kept; or rather for their safety and security, keeping out all persons from entering into the sanctuary, who had no business there, that they died not, as it follows:
and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; that is, whoever came nigh to enter into the holy place, and did, who was no priest, though an Israelite, and even a Levite, or into the most holy place, excepting the high priest, it was death unto him, either by the civil magistrate, or by the hand of heaven; so the Targum of Jonathan.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Moses and Aaron, with the sons of the latter (the priests), were to encamp in front, before the tabernacle, viz., on the eastern side, “ as keepers of the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel, ” i.e., to attend to everything that was binding upon the children of Israel in relation to the care of the sanctuary, as no stranger was allowed to approach it on pain of death (see Num 1:51).
Num 3:39 The number of the Levites mustered, 22,000, does not agree with the numbers assigned to the three families, as 7500 + 8600 + 6200 = 22,300. But the total is correct; for, according to Num 3:46, the number of the first-born, 22,273, exceeded the total number of the Levites by 273. The attempt made by the Rabbins and others to reconcile the two, by supposing the 300 Levites in excess to be themselves first-born, who were omitted in the general muster, because they were not qualified to represent the first-born of the other tribes, is evidently forced and unsatisfactory. The whole account is so circumstantial, that such a fact as this would never have been omitted. We must rather assume that there is a copyist’s error in the number of one of the Levitical families; possibly in Num 3:28 we should read for (8300 for 8600). The puncta extraordinaria above are intended to indicate that this word is either suspicious or spurious (see at Gen 33:5); and it is actually omitted in Sam., Syr., and 12 MSS, but without sufficient reason: for although the divine command to muster the Levites (Num 3:5 and Num 3:14) was addressed to Moses alone, yet if we compare Num 4:1, Num 4:34, Num 4:37, Num 4:41, Num 4:45, where the Levites qualified for service are said to have been mustered by Moses and Aaron, and still more Num 4:46, where the elders of Israel are said to have taken part in the numbering of the Levites as well as in that of the twelve tribes (Num 1:3-4), there can be no reason to doubt that Aaron also took part in the mustering of the whole of the Levites, for the purpose of adoption in the place of the first-born of Israel; and no suspicion attaches to this introduction of his name in Num 3:39, although it is not mentioned in Num 3:5, Num 3:11, Num 3:14, Num 3:40, and Num 3:44.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 38, 39:
Moses and Aaron occupied the central and honored place in Israel’s camp: immediately to the east of the Tabernacle, and near its entrance. These two brothers represented the sacred and the civil authority in Israel.
The “stranger” in this text refers to any not descended from these two men, Moses and Aaron.
The total number of males counted among the families of the Levites was 22,000. This was the smallest of the tribes of Israel, numerically. No explanation is given in Scripture to account for this.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(38) Keeping the charge of the sanctuary . . . The word mikdash (sanctuary) appears to be of a more comprehensive import than mishkan, the shittimwood building, or ohel, the tent which covered it, and it seems to include the court which surrounded the Tabernacle, as in Lev. 12:4; Lev. 21:12.
For the charge of the children of Israeli.e., to attend to everything which was commanded the children of Israel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
vi). The Positioning of the Priests.
Num 3:38
‘And those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel, and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.’
The Levites would be encamped to the north, the west and the south, but to the east of the Dwellingplace would be encamped Moses, and Aaron and his sons, and their households. That was where the entrance to the Dwellingplace was, and it was their responsibility to ensure that no one approached to enter, unless such approach was valid in accordance with God’s Instruction.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
final regulations
v. 38. But those that encamp before the Tabernacle toward the east, even before the Tabernacle of the Congregation eastward, v. 39. All that were numbered of the Levites which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand, v. 40. And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
v. 41. And thou shalt take the Levites for Me (I am the Lord) instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, v. 42. And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.
v. 43. And all the first-born males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen v. 44. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, v. 45. Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine. I am the Lord.
v. 46. And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; v. 47. thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll v. 48. and thou shalt give the money wherewith the odd, v. 49. And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites, v. 50. of the first-born of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary v. 51. and Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
charge of the children of Israel. The whole nation responsible. Compare Num 3:8 and Num 41:45.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
toward: Num 3:23, Num 3:29, Num 3:35, Num 1:53, Num 2:3
keeping: Num 3:10, Num 18:1-5, 1Ch 6:48, 1Ch 6:49
for the charge: Num 3:7, Num 3:8, Num 3:10
Reciprocal: Exo 29:33 – a stranger Num 1:51 – the stranger Num 2:17 – tabernacle Num 4:15 – they shall Num 16:40 – that no Num 18:7 – the stranger Num 18:22 – come nigh 1Ch 23:32 – the charge of the sons 2Ch 23:7 – whosoever Eze 40:45 – the keepers
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 3:38. For the charge Either in their stead, that charge which they were obliged to keep, if God had not committed it to those: or for their benefit; for their preservation, as the word may be rendered.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, [even] before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, [shall be] Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary {n} for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
(n) That no one should enter into the tabernacle contrary to God’s appointment.