Numbers 4 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

1. Preparing to leave Sinai (1:1–10:10) * Counting and assembling the tribes (1:1–4:49)This chapter describes the assignments Yahweh gave to each of the families who descended from Levi with regard to taking care of and transporting the sacred tent. (See: tabernacle)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

“Keeping,” “service,” and “burden”

As in the previous chapter, the word “keeping” refers to keeping watch or guarding. No one else was supposed to approach the sacred items, so the Levites were required to guard these items, especially when they were transporting them. The word “service” refers to physical labor, particularly taking down and setting up the sacred tent and the items that were in it. The Levites were also responsible for these tasks. Finally, the word “burden” refers to the specific task of carrying the pieces of the sacred tent and the items in it when the Israelites moved from one campsite to another. See how you translated “keeping” and “service” in chapter 3.

“Clan” and “house of their fathers”

As in chapter 3, the phrase “house of the father” and the word “clan” refer to divisions of an Israelite tribe. The “house of the father” was the larger division, and each “house of the father” contained several “clans.” For example, one “house of the father” within the tribe of Levi was named after Levi’s son, Gershon. Within the “house of the father” of the Gershonites were two clans named after Gershon’s sons (Levi’s grandsons): Libni and Shimei. Translate “house of the father” and “clan” as you did in chapter 3. (See: clan)

“Skin of a porpoise”

This phrase refers to leather made from the skin of a specific animal. Scholars debate exactly what animal the word refers to. Some argue that it is a land animal like a goat. Others argue that it is a sea animal like a dolphin or porpoise. The ULT identifies the animal as a porpoise, and the UST models how to refer to leather without identifying the animal. Consider how the word is translated in any translations your readers might know. If you do identify a specific animal, you could include a footnote indicating that this identification is uncertain. (See: translate-unknown)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

“Sons of”

Throughout this chapter, the phrase “sons of” refers to the men who were part of the tribal group named after the word “of.” So, the phrase “the sons of Merari” refers to the men who were part of the Merari tribal group. Consider how you translated this phrase in chapter 3. (See: figs-metaphor)

The “army”

In this chapter, serving at the sacred tent is sometimes described as if it were being part of an army and fighting. The rest of the Israelite men had to serve in the army when necessary, but the Levites were exempt from serving in the army. Instead, they served at the tent of meeting. Because of this, their duties as Levites can be described as if they were service in the army. The ULT preserves the army metaphor, and the UST models how to express the idea without this metaphor. (See: figs-metaphor)

“A son of 30 years and upward and up to a son of 50 years”

The phrase “a son of … years” is an idiom that refers to the age of a man. The longer phrase here refers to a man who is at least 30 years old and at most 50 years old. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. (See: figs-idiom)

Repetition in 4:34–48

In [4:34–48](../04/34.md), the author records the number of men who were 30–50 years old in each of the three ancestral families of the Levites. The same phrases and structures are often repeated for each of the ancestral families. Once you translate the first section, in most cases you should use the same forms and phrases with the other two sections. The notes on these verses will indicate when a phrase or whole verse is identical to a previous phrase or whole verse.