Numbers 4:28

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י

Gêrᵉshunnîy

H1649

“the · Gershonite”

Particle, Definite Article + Noun, Gentilic, Masculine, Singular, Absolute

Appears 13× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Numbers 3:21

Full BDB Definition

Origin: patronymically from H1648

TWOT: None

Gershonite = see Geshur - a descendant of Gershon, firstborn son of Levi

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

13: words
12: distinct lemmas
Pentateuch: section

Notable vocabulary

The rarest word here is הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י Gershonite H1649 — appearing just 13 times in the whole Hebrew Bible.

Shared distinctive vocabulary

הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י Gershonite H1649 occurs in 12 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

12 nouns
1 pronoun

Repetition

A word recurs within this verse — often emphatic in Hebrew:

בְּנֵ֥י son H1121 ×2

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 34 words from the Hebrew and 28 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 13 Hebrew tokens and 23 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Numbers 4:28 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Numbers 4:33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."
1 Corinthians 12:5–6 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Numbers 4:28 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

זֹ֣את עֲבֹדַ֗ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּמִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן

This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Numbers 4:28 Septuagint · lemma form

οὗτος ὁ λειτουργία ὁ υἱός γεδσων ἐν ὁ σκηνή ὁ μαρτύριον καί ὁ φυλακή αὐτός ἐν χείρ ιθαμαρ ὁ υἱός ἀαρών ὁ ἱερεύς

This is the service of the sons of Gedson in the tabernacle of witness, and their charge by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Onkelos Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

דֵין פּוּלְחַן זַרְעֲיַת בְּנֵי גֵרְשּׁוֹן בְּמַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא וּמַטַרְתְּהוֹן בִּידָא דְאִיתָמָר בַּר אַהֲרֹן כַּהֲנָא

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Onkelos — Aramaic: “Onkelos Genesis” (public domain); “Onkelos Exodus” (public domain); “Onkelos Leviticus” (public domain); “Onkelos Numbers” (public domain); “Onkelos Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “J.W. Etheridge. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch. London: Longmans, Green, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

דָא הִיא פוּלְחָנַת גְנִיסַת בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן בְּמַשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא וּמַטַרְתְּהוֹן בְּיַד אִיתָמָר בַּר אַהֲרן כַּהֲנָא

This is the ministry of the family of the Beni Gershon, in the tabernacle of ordinance; and the care of them shall be in the hand of Ithamar bar Aharon the priest.

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan — Aramaic: “Targum Jonathan on Genesis” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Exodus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Leviticus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Numbers” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, trans. J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on Numbers 4:28 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Geneva Bible (1599)

Geneva Bible translators

Under the charge and oversight.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown

their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron, &c.--The Levites were generally subject to the official command of the priests in doing the ordinary work of the tabernacle. But during the journeyings Eleazar, who was next in succession to his father, took the special charge of the Kohathites [Num 4:16], while his brother Ithamar had the superintendence of the Gershonites and Merarites [Num 4:33].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) Under the hand of Ithamar.—It appears from Exo_38:21 that Ithamar had been actively concerned in the construction of the Tabernacle. As the special duties of Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron, had been already assigned (Num_4:16), so also are those of Ithamar, the younger son. These duties consisted in the superintendence of the Gershonites, as stated in this verse, and in the superintendence of the Merarites, as stated in Num_4:33.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

28. Ithamar superintends both the Gershonites and the Merarites (Num_4:33).

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.

John Gill's Exposition

And this is the charge of their burden,.... What should be committed to their care and charge, and they should bear and carry:

according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; which was assigned to them as their part, and which was very heavy and cumbersome, and therefore they had wagons allowed them, Num 7:8,

the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof; all these belonged to the holy and to the most holy place; see Exo 26:15.

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

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Gershonites and Merarites are superintended by Ithamar, Aaron’s younger son, who had already had the oversight of the tabernacle in its construction Exo 38:21. Thus, readily do the permanent offices of the leaders of the Israelite community spring out of the duties which, under the emergencies of the first year of the Exodus, they had been led, from time to time, to undertake.

Num 4:32

By name ye shall reckon the instruments - Or, assign them to their bearers singly, and “by name.” These “instruments” comprised the heavier parts of the tabernacle; and the order seems intended to prevent individual Merarites choosing their own burden, and so throwing more than the proper share on others.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

Under his conduct and direction. Thus the hand of Hege, Est 2:3, is his care and custody.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

Under the hand of Ithamar, as also were the Merarites. He had been already engaged in overseeing the construction of the tabernacle. (Exo_38:21)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Under the hand - Under his conduct and direction.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Keil & Delitzsch

C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch

"Their charge (mishmereth) is in the hand of Ithamar," i.e., is to be carried out under his superintendence (cf. Exo 38:21).

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.)

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Numbers, in the Pentateuch, opens this verse with 13 words (12 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is Gêrᵉshunnîy (“Gershonite”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

What does “Gershonite” (Gêrᵉshunnîy) contribute to the verse as a whole?
Numbers 3:21 shares the word «Gershonite» with this verse. How do the two illuminate each other?
“son” occurs 2× in this one verse. What is the effect of the repetition?
These translations render this verse differently. What is at stake in choosing one wording over another?
Reading how Geneva Bible (1599) and Jamieson, Fausset & Brown read this verse, where do the two commentators agree and where do they part?

Things to notice

This verse counts 13 Hebrew ↔ 23 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 13 words in this verse.
“son” occurs 2× in this single verse.
12 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 13 words in this verse.