Numbers 4:30 kjv
From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 4:30 nkjv
From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
Numbers 4:30 niv
Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.
Numbers 4:30 esv
From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
Numbers 4:30 nlt
List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle.
Numbers 4 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nu 4:3 | "from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to perform the work..." | General age for Kohathites in the prior enumeration. |
| Nu 4:23 | "from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them..." | Age requirement for Gershonites for tabernacle service. |
| Nu 4:39 | "from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered for service..." | Age requirement for Merarites for tabernacle service. |
| Nu 8:24 | "This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service..." | Levites start training at 25, active duty at 30. |
| Nu 8:25 | "But from the age of fifty years they shall retire from service... and serve no more." | Levites retired from laborious duties at 50. |
| Dt 10:8 | "At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant..." | Establishes the unique duty of Levites. |
| 1 Ch 23:3 | "and those from thirty years old and upward, their number, head by head, was thirty-eight thousand." | Reiteration of Levite census at age 30 for service during David's reign. |
| 1 Ch 23:24 | "These were the sons of Levi... from twenty years old and upward, who were to do the work..." | David's adjustment of the age requirement to 20 for non-portable tabernacle service. |
| 1 Ch 23:27 | "For by the last instructions of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and upward." | Confirms the later, revised age for settled temple service. |
| Ezr 3:8 | "from twenty years old and upward to oversee the work..." | Levites engaged in rebuilding the temple, similar age. |
| Jer 1:6-7 | "Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am only a youth,' for to all to whom I send you, you shall go..." | God can call outside typical age expectations, but the principle of readiness holds. |
| Lk 3:23 | "Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry..." | Christ's age for public ministry aligns with the traditional age of mature service. |
| 1 Ti 3:6 | "He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit..." | Requirement of maturity and experience for leadership. |
| Heb 5:12-14 | "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles... for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the mature..." | Emphasizes the need for maturity in spiritual understanding and service. |
| 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; the one who teaches, in his teaching..." | Divine calling involves specific gifts and service. |
| Ex 27:21 | "In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil..." | References the place of service, indicating holiness. |
| Nu 1:50-53 | "But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony..." | Setting apart of Levites for unique duties. |
| Nu 3:7-8 | "And they shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting..." | Defines the Levites' role in guarding holy items. |
| Nu 7:9 | "But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the holy things belonged to them; they carried them upon their shoulders." | Unique heavy and sacred responsibility for Kohathites. |
| 1 Co 14:20 | "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature." | Maturity required for understanding and engaging in divine service. |
Numbers 4 verses
Numbers 4 30 Meaning
This verse specifies the age demographic for Kohathite Levites who were tasked with the most sacred and arduous duties of serving the Tent of Meeting. It defines a functional age window from thirty years to fifty years old, during which they were deemed mature and capable enough to "enter the service to perform the work" of handling, transporting, and managing the holy furnishings and items of the Tabernacle. This period ensured both physical strength for strenuous duties and the spiritual maturity and reverence required for approaching the Lord's most holy presence.
Numbers 4 30 Context
Numbers chapter 4 meticulously details the specific responsibilities of the three Levitical clans—Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites—concerning the dismantling, transportation, and re-erection of the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle) during Israel's wilderness wanderings. Verses 1-20 focus specifically on the Kohathites, who were uniquely entrusted with the most holy articles: the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand, the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary. Verse 30 specifically pertains to this priestly line, emphasizing that only those within the defined age range of 30 to 50 years old were permitted to "enter the service to perform the work" related to these extremely sacred objects, highlighting the importance of physical vigor, wisdom, and profound reverence for handling the direct implements of divine worship.
Numbers 4 30 Word analysis
- from thirty years old: Hebrew, "מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה" (mi-ben shloshim shana). Signifies a minimum age, emphasizing that service commenced after a period of reaching full physical and mental maturity. Thirty years old was also the age Jesus began His public ministry (Lk 3:23) and when a priest typically began full service (Nu 4:3). It indicates readiness, strength, and accumulated knowledge.
- and upward: The phrase establishes the lower bound for active, strenuous duty.
- even to fifty years old: Hebrew, "וְעַד בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה" (v'ad ben chamishim shana). Defines the maximum age for performing the physically demanding tasks. After 50, Levites were expected to retire from heavy labor but could still oversee younger Levites and share their wisdom (Nu 8:25-26). This reflects a practical consideration for diminishing physical strength while upholding continued spiritual mentorship.
- all who enter: Indicates an enrollment, a specific calling, or induction into the sacred duty. This was not a general or voluntary service but a divinely ordained, enumerated role.
- the service: Hebrew, "לַצָּבָא" (lat-tzava'), root צָבָא (tsava'). This term literally means "army," "host," or "to go forth to war/serve." In this context, it refers to military service in a spiritual sense, indicating a disciplined, organized, and dedicated "campaign" or "ministry." It highlights the rigorous and dedicated nature of the Levitical work, akin to soldiering for the Lord.
- to perform the work: Hebrew, "לַעֲבֹד עֲבֹדָה" (la'avod avodah), using the verb "avod" and the noun "avodah." The root means "to work," "to serve," or "to labor." It emphasizes the actual execution of the assigned duties. The repetition of the root underscores the totality and commitment to the "service" (lat-tzava'). This wasn't merely supervisory, but active, physical, and reverential labor.
- of the tent of meeting: Hebrew, "אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד" (ohel mo'ed). The "tent of meeting" is the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God met with His people. This term highlights the holiness of the place and the profound significance of the service within it. The work was not for human glory but centered around God's presence.
Words-group Analysis:
- "from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old": This specific age range signifies a period of peak human strength, maturity, and experience. It balances youthful vigor with the wisdom gained through living. It indicates a divinely set boundary, ensuring physical capability for heavy tasks (carrying the sacred articles) and spiritual gravity for holy service.
- "all who enter the service to perform the work": This phrase underlines the call, dedication, and active participation required. "Service" (tsava') implies a structured, disciplined spiritual 'military' role, while "work" (avodah) indicates the specific duties performed. This was not a passive role, but one demanding commitment and strenuous effort.
- "the work of the tent of meeting": This defines the ultimate purpose and location of their service. Their labor was solely for the Tabernacle, underscoring its holiness and central role in Israel's worship. This specific phrasing limits the scope of their designated work to cultic activities, emphasizing the sacred and distinct nature of their tasks related to God's dwelling place.
Numbers 4 30 Bonus section
The strict age requirements for Levite service in Numbers served several crucial purposes beyond mere practicality. Firstly, they ensured that individuals undertaking the physically demanding work of the Tabernacle possessed sufficient strength. The Kohathites, in particular, carried the most sacred objects, including the Ark of the Covenant, on their shoulders—a task that prohibited the use of carts (Nu 7:9), further highlighting the strenuous nature of their divine calling. Secondly, spiritual maturity was paramount. Handling items infused with God's holiness required deep reverence, understanding of ritual purity laws, and discretion, which typically developed with age and experience. A young or elderly person might lack either the physical stamina or the spiritual gravitas needed to perform these critical functions without risking divine displeasure, as seen in the consequence for unauthorized approaches to God's presence (Lev 10:1-2). This structured system prefigures principles found in the New Testament concerning maturity and readiness for spiritual leadership and service (1 Ti 3:6, Heb 5:12-14), emphasizing that sacred ministry demands preparation and suitable disposition rather than mere enthusiasm.
Numbers 4 30 Commentary
Numbers 4:30 is a precise demarcation of qualifications for those performing the weightiest sacred duties in ancient Israel's mobile sanctuary. The age requirement of thirty to fifty years was crucial for the Kohathites. The commencement at age thirty indicated readiness in physical strength and mental discernment, an age where men in the ancient Near East were generally considered mature and stable enough for significant responsibilities. This aligns with a cultural understanding of when one was truly an adult, capable of grave duties and spiritual commitment, resonating also with the commencement of Jesus's public ministry (Lk 3:23). The upper limit of fifty years acknowledged the physical toll of repeatedly disassembling, carrying on shoulders, and reassembling heavy holy articles. After fifty, while physical duties ceased, Levites could transition to roles of mentorship and supervision, sharing accumulated wisdom (Nu 8:25-26). The "service" (tsava') implied a rigorous, almost military-like devotion, not unlike soldiers in a campaign, serving under a divine commander. "The work of the Tent of Meeting" denoted the specific, highly sacred nature of their labor, demanding meticulousness, reverence, and ritual purity for the direct care of God's most holy presence among His people. This verse therefore underlines divine order, accountability, maturity, and the solemnity required for all those appointed to serve God directly within the Levitical priesthood.