Numbers 4:19-20

4:19 but in order that they will live 1  and not die when they approach the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint 2  each man 3  to his service and his responsibility. 4:20 But the Kohathites 4  are not to go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, or they will die.”

1 tn The word order is different in the Hebrew text: Do this…and they will live. Consequently, the verb “and they will live” is a perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive to express the future consequence of “doing this” for them.

2 tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive continues the instruction for Aaron.

3 tn The distributive sense is obtained by the repetition, “a man” and “a man.”

4 tn In the Hebrew text the verse has as the subject “they,” but to avoid confusion the antecedent has been clarified in the translation.