36 And the charge of the sons of Merari consisted in the oversight of the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its bases, and all its furniture, and all that belongs to its service,
And the boards for the tabernacle thou shalt make of acacia-wood, standing up; ten cubits the length of the board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of one board. One board shall have two tenons, connected one with the other: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. And thou shalt make forty bases of silver under the twenty boards; two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. And for the other side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards. And their forty bases of silver; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. And for the rear of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear; and they shall be joined beneath, and together shall be united at the top thereof to one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. And there shall be eight boards, and their bases, of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. And thou shalt make bars of acacia-wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward; and the middle bar in the midst of the boards reaching from one end to the other. And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make [of] gold their rings, the receptacles of the bars, and shalt overlay the bars with gold.
And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side, southward, hangings for the court of twined byssus; a hundred cubits the length for the one side, and the twenty pillars thereof, and their twenty bases of copper, the hooks of the pillars and their connecting-rods of silver. And likewise on the north side in length, hangings a hundred [cubits] long, and its twenty pillars, and their twenty bases of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their connecting-rods of silver. -- And the breadth of the court on the west side, hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their bases ten. -- And the breadth of the court on the east side, eastward, fifty cubits; the hangings on the one wing, of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their bases three. And on the other wing hangings of fifteen [cubits]; their pillars three, and their bases three. -- And for the gate of the court a curtain of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus, embroidered with needlework; their pillars four, and their bases four. All the pillars of the court round about shall be fastened together with [rods of] silver; their hooks of silver, and their bases of copper. The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty everywhere, and the height five cubits of twined byssus; and their bases of copper. All the utensils of the tabernacle for the service thereof and all the pegs thereof, and all the pegs of the court shall be of copper.
And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia-wood, standing up; ten cubits the length of the boards, and one cubit and a half the breadth of one board; two tenons in one board, connected one with the other: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle. And he made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side southward; and he made forty bases of silver under the twenty boards, two bases under one board, for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. And for the other side of the tabernacle, on the side toward the north, he made twenty boards, and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. And at the rear of the tabernacle, westward, he made six boards; and he made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear; and they were joined beneath, and were coupled together at the top thereof into one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners; and there were eight boards, and their silver bases: sixteen bases, under every board two bases. -- And he made bars of acacia-wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle at the rear, westward. And he made the middle bar in the midst of the boards reach from one end to the other. And he overlaid the boards with gold; and made their rings of gold [as] receptacles for the bars; and overlaid the bars with gold.
and the bases of the pillars of copper, the hooks of the pillars and their connecting-rods of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals of silver; and all the pillars of the court were fastened together with [rods of] silver. -- And the curtain of the gate of the court was of embroidery of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus; and the length was twenty cubits, and the height like the breadth, five cubits, just as the hangings of the court; and their pillars four, and their bases four, of copper; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their connecting-rods of silver. And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court round about were of copper.
The sons of Merari: after their families, according to their fathers' houses shalt thou number them; from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the labour, to perform the service of the tent of meeting. And this shall be the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and bases thereof, and the pillars of the court round about, and their bases, and their pegs, and their cords, all their instruments, according to all their service; and by name ye shall number to them the materials which are their charge to carry. This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 3
Commentary on Numbers 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
This chapter and the next are concerning the tribe of Levi, which was to be mustered and marshalled by itself, and not in common with the other tribes, intimating the particular honour put upon them and the particular duty and service required from them. The Levites are in this chapter considered,
Num 3:1-13
Here,
Num 3:14-39
The Levites being granted to Aaron to minister to him, they are here delivered to him by tale, that he might know what he had, and employ them accordingly. Observe,
Num 3:40-51
Here is the exchange made of the Levites for the first-born.