Numbers 4:27

27. ye shall appoint] The subject is apparently Moses and Aaron. LXX. (perhaps rightly) has a singular verb referring to Moses alone.

in charge] Perhaps, with LXX. , read by name (בְּשֵׁמֹת for בְּמִשְׁמֶרֶת) as in Num_4:32.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

From thirty years old and upward,.... The Septuagint version here, and in Num 4:3, renders it, from twenty five years old and upward, agreeable to Num 8:24, at the which age the Levites went into the tabernacle, to wait and to learn their business, but they did not enter upon it till thirty:

even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them; at which age they were discharged from business:

everyone that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation; See Gill on Num 4:3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Assigned. Hebrew, "you shall count over to them what they have to carry." Septuagint, "you shall call (the Levites) by name, and all that shall be intrusted to them," ver. 32. (Calmet) --- From the different offices of the priests and Levites in the old law, Innocent III takes occasion to shew the distinction of the orders in the Christian Church. (De S. Altar. 2. ad 7.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Their service was to be performed "according to the mouth (i.e., according to the appointment) of Aaron and his sons, with regard to all their carrying (all that they were to carry), and all their doing." - "And ye (the priests) shall appoint to them for attendance (in charge) all their carrying," i.e., all the things they were to carry. בּמשׁמרת פּקד, to give into keeping. The combination of פּקד with בּ and the accusative of the object is analogous to בּ נתן, to give into a persons' hand, in Gen 27:17; and there is no satisfactory reason for any such emendations of the text as Knobel proposes.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

must direct all the service of the descendants of the Gershonites

"must tell the descendants of the Gershonites how they are to serve Yahweh in the tent of meeting"

This is the service of the clans of the descendants of the Gershonites for the tent of meeting

Here the word "service" is an abstract noun that can be expressed by a verb. Here the word "This" refers to what Yahweh just said. AT: "This is how the clans of the descendants of the Gershonites will serve in the tent of meeting" (See: Abstract Nouns)

Ithamar

See how you translated this man's name in Numbers 1:2.

translationWords

Aaron

descend

assign

clan

priest

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

על פי אהרן ובניו AT THE APPOINTMENT OF AARON AND HIS SONS [SHALL BE ALL THE SERVICE OF THE SONS OF THE GERSHONITES] — and which of his sons shall be appointed over them? Everything was (v. 28) “under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest”.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AT THE COMMANDMENT OF AARON AND HIS SONS SHALL BE ALL THE SERVICE OF THE SONS OF THE GERSHONITES — “and which of Aaron’s sons shall be appointed over them? Ithamar” [as is stated in the following verse]. This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct for [if only Ithamar was appointed], why mention Aaron [at all — at the commandment of Aaron etc.]? Rather, the meaning of [the expression] at the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service is that the services of the Gershonites shall be at their command. They are to appoint the Gershonites to their work, saying: “This particular Gershonite shall be the overseer for such-and-such a matter” — “This one shall sing [at the services] in such-and-such a way, or attend to the gates in a certain manner, or shall carry a certain number of the curtains.” At the time of journeying they were also not permitted to dismantle the Tabernacle or to begin loading it until Aaron and his sons commanded them to do so. Thus all of them [Aaron and his sons] were needed for the appointed charge, Eleazar being the chief over the three princes [of the three main families of the Levites], Note 204. and Ithamar being the overseer over the sons of Gershon and Merari. Scripture states and ‘ye’ shall appoint unto them in charge [all which they have to carry] because Moses was to be with them at the time of the appointments, when the charges were given to them; but their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar, meaning that each one was to return the vessels to his control when the Tabernacle came to rest, saying to him: “Here you have the vessels that were handed over to me.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.