Numbers 1:50

1:50 But appoint 1  the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, 2  over all its furnishings and over everything in it. They must carry 3  the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they 4  must attend to it and camp around it. 5 

Numbers 8:26

8:26 They may assist 6  their colleagues 7  in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish 8  the Levites regarding their duties.”

1 tn The same verb translated “number” (פָּקַד, paqad) is now used to mean “appoint” (הַפְקֵד, hafqed), which focuses more on the purpose of the verbal action of numbering people. Here the idea is that the Levites were appointed to take care of the tabernacle. On the use of this verb with the Levites’ appointment, see M. Gertner, “The Masorah and the Levites,” VT 10 (1960): 252.

2 tn The Hebrew name used here is מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת (mishkan ha’edut). The tabernacle or dwelling place of the Lord was given this name because it was here that the tablets of the Law were kept. The whole shrine was therefore a reminder (הָעֵדוּת, a “warning sign” or “testimony”) of the stipulations of the covenant. For the ancient Near Eastern customs of storing the code in the sanctuaries, see M. G. Kline, Treaty of the Great King, 14-19, and idem, The Structure of Biblical Authority, 35-36. Other items were in the ark in the beginning, but by the days of Solomon only the tablets were there (1 Kgs 8:9).

3 tn The imperfect tense here is an obligatory imperfect telling that they are bound to do this since they are appointed for this specific task.

4 tn The addition of the pronoun before the verb is emphatic – they are the ones who are to attend to the tabernacle. The verb used is שָׁרַת (sharat) in the Piel, indicating that they are to serve, minister to, attend to all the details about this shrine.

5 tn Heb “the tabernacle.” The pronoun (“it”) was used in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

6 tn The verb is the Piel perfect of שָׁרַת (sharat, “to serve, minister”). Here the form has the vav (ו) consecutive, and so is equal to the imperfect tense stressing permission. After the Levites reached the age of retirement, they were permitted to assist the others, but were not permitted to do the work themselves.

7 tn Heb “brothers,” but the meaning in this context is “fellow Levites.”

8 tn Heb “you shall do, make.”