Numbers 4:24 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Numbers 4:24 kjv

This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:

Numbers 4:24 nkjv

This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying:

Numbers 4:24 niv

"This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work:

Numbers 4:24 esv

This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens:

Numbers 4:24 nlt

"These Gershonite clans will be responsible for general service and carrying loads.

Numbers 4 24 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Num 1:49	“You shall not number the tribe of Levi, nor take a census of them...	Levites uniquely appointed for Tabernacle service.
Num 3:6-7	“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, tending to the service of the tabernacle."	Levites appointed to serve Aaron and minister the Tabernacle.
Num 3:21-26	Of Gershon were the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites... Their guard duty in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent... and the curtain for the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the cords of the tabernacle.	Details specific Gershonite responsibilities (Tabernacle coverings, hangings).
Num 4:1-3	The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, "Take a census of the sons of Kohath... from thirty years old up to fifty years old... for all who can enter the army to do work in the tent of meeting."	Establishes the age for Levitical service.
Num 4:4-15	This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting... carrying the most holy things.	Contrast: Kohathites' distinct duty of carrying holy vessels.
Num 4:29-33	“As for the sons of Merari... you shall count them by their families... their duties of serving in the tent of meeting were to carry the frames...	Contrast: Merarites' distinct duty of carrying heavy Tabernacle structures.
Num 7:7	To the sons of Gershon, he gave two wagons and four oxen, according to their service.	Confirmation of their transportation duty and provision for it.
Ex 26:1-14	“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains... you shall make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red...	Describes the Tabernacle coverings that were the Gershonites' responsibility.
Ex 35:25	Every skillful woman spun with her hands...	The fabrics for the Tabernacle (which Gershonites transported) were made by dedicated labor.
Ex 40:18-19	Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, set up its frames... He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.	Illustration of assembling the Tabernacle parts, highlighting each piece's importance.
Lev 8:36	And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded through Moses.	Emphasizes obedience to divine commands for Tabernacle service.
1 Chr 6:31-32	These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord...	Levitical duties extended to other forms of service, including worship.
1 Chr 23:26-32	For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy...	Broader Levitical duties in the established Temple era, reflecting organized service.
Isa 52:11	Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from her midst; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.	Spiritual application: purity required for those who bear holy things, even the physical items.
Rom 12:4-5	For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ...	Spiritual parallel: Diverse functions (like Levite clans) for the unity and effective operation of the body of Christ.
Rom 12:6-8	Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving...	Calls for dedicated service according to differing gifts in the New Covenant.
1 Cor 12:12-27	For just as the body is one and has many members... God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.	Explains how each part of the body (spiritual gifts) is vital, like each Levite clan.
Eph 4:11-12	And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry...	New Covenant roles are for "work of ministry" (Greek: ergon diakonias), a parallel to Levitical avodah.
Col 3:23-24	Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.	Applies the principle of service to all work done with divine purpose.
Heb 8:5	They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed... to make everything according to the pattern.	Tabernacle service, including the Gershonites' tasks, points to heavenly realities and God's precise order.
1 Pet 2:5	you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.	The New Testament believer as part of a "spiritual house" with priestly service, superseding literal Tabernacle duties.
1 Pet 4:10-11	As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace...	Service (diakoneō) through gifts in the New Covenant.

Numbers 4 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

Numbers 4 24 Meaning

This verse details the specific and primary role assigned to the families of the Gershonites among the Levites. Their divinely ordained duty was to perform service related to the Tabernacle, specifically concerning the handling and transportation of its lighter, but essential, coverings and hangings. It highlights the structured and precise nature of their ministry within the mobile sanctuary in the wilderness.

Numbers 4 24 Context

Numbers chapter 4 meticulously details the specific responsibilities of the three Levitical clans—Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites—for the dismantling, transporting, and reassembling of the Tabernacle during Israel's journey through the wilderness. This chapter is a continuation of God's emphasis on order, holiness, and proper protocol for His dwelling place among His people, building upon the initial census and assignments in Chapters 1-3. Numbers 4:24 specifically introduces the designated service for the Gershonite families, distinguishing their duties from those of the Kohathites (who carried the holy articles) and the Merarites (who transported the heavy frames and pillars). This intricate division of labor underscored the sanctity of the Tabernacle and the divine appointment of its maintenance.

Numbers 4 24 Word analysis

This: Introduces the subject, emphasizing that what follows is a direct declaration of assigned duty, establishing a clear command.
is the service: Hebrew: עֲבֹדָה (avodah). This term is rich in meaning, encompassing "work," "labor," "ministry," and "worship." It signifies not merely a job but a dedicated, solemn, and often worshipful duty performed for God. For the Levites, their labor was an act of sacred devotion.
of the families: Highlights that the responsibility was communal and passed down through generations within each distinct clan, emphasizing the importance of corporate obedience and family lineage in the divine plan.
of the Gershonites: Hebrew: גֵרְשׁוּנִּי (Gershunni), descendants of Gershon, the eldest son of Levi (Gen 46:11). This explicitly names the clan responsible for these specific tasks, showcasing the highly organized and individualized assignment of roles within God's camp.
in serving: Repeats the root avodah (implicitly, in Hebrew the word for "service" covers both general duty and the specific act). It underscores the encompassing nature of their role as perpetual servants of the Tabernacle system, not just during travel.
and carrying: Hebrew: מַשָּׂא (massa), meaning "burden," "load," or "something lifted and borne." This word specifies the practical aspect of their service, detailing that a significant part of their duty involved transporting physical components of the Tabernacle, specifically the curtains, coverings, and associated ropes and tools as detailed in Num 3:25-26.
Words-Group Analysis:

"This is the service...": Acts as a heading or introductory statement for the specific instructions concerning the Gershonites, setting the tone for a detailed and commanded list of duties.
"families of the Gershonites": Precisely identifies the group to whom these instructions apply, emphasizing the familial and tribal basis of their inherited sacred duty within the Israelite community.
"in serving and carrying": Combines the broader concept of dedicated spiritual labor (avodah) with the very concrete, physical task of bearing loads (massa). This pairing perfectly encapsulates the nature of the Gershonites' work, which required both sacred devotion and diligent manual effort for the portability of God's sanctuary.

Numbers 4 24 Bonus section

The careful enumeration of each Levitical family's task (Kohath, Gershon, Merari) underscores the meticulousness of God's instructions for the Tabernacle, reflecting His perfect order and holiness. No part of the sacred structure was to be moved or handled carelessly. The Gershonites, responsible for the outer layers and coverings, symbolized the maintenance of the sanctuary's "appearance" and integrity against the elements, protecting the sacred inner spaces. The provision of specific wagons for them (Num 7:7) while the Kohathites carried their loads by shoulder highlights the differing weight and nature of their burdens, perfectly suited to each clan's specific charge. This divine management ensured that every aspect of the Tabernacle, from the holiest vessel to the outermost covering, was handled with utmost care and in accordance with divine ordinance, a testament to the fact that God is a God of perfect design and not of chaos.

Numbers 4 24 Commentary

Numbers 4:24 serves as the precise command for the Gershonite families regarding their dedicated role in the wilderness Tabernacle. Their service was neither incidental nor optional; it was a divine assignment within the highly ordered operation of Israel's journey with God. While the Kohathites had the solemn charge of the most holy items and the Merarites the heavy structural components, the Gershonites were entrusted with the care and transport of the lighter, yet vital, fabrics—the curtains, coverings, and screens that made up the visual and atmospheric essence of the Tabernacle. This division of labor illustrates God's principle of differentiated service within a united purpose, where every task, however seemingly "lesser" or "lighter," was indispensable for the functioning of the whole sanctuary. It teaches the value of specialized roles in God's work, where the precise fulfillment of each duty contributes to the successful accomplishment of the greater mission—in this case, God's presence dwelling among His people and moving with them. This passage implicitly celebrates the dignity of diligent and obedient service, whatever its specific form, when it is rendered unto the Lord according to His explicit instructions.