Numbers 4:49

So that Moses neither added, nor diminished, from that which the Lord commanded him.

Hebrew, according to the mouth, or word.

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

49. thus were they numbered of him, as &c.] This is a paraphrase which gives the required sense. The Heb. is corrupt, but the LXX. reads and they were numbered, as &c.1 [Note: Apparently וַיְפֻקְדוּ כַאֲשֶׁר for וּפְקֻדָיו אֲשֶׁר.]

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.

"According to the commandment of Jehovah, they appointed them through the hand of Moses (i.e., under his direction), each one to his service, and his burden, and his mustered things (פּקדיו), i.e., the things assigned to him at the time of the mustering as his special charge (see 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.)

At Yahweh's command

"As Yahweh commanded"

keeping count of each by the type ... He counted each man by the kind of responsibility he would bear

These two phrase have similar meaning and are used together to emphasize how Moses counted all the men.

by the type of work he was assigned to do

This can be stated in active form. AT: "by his type of work assignment" or "by the type of work he had assigned each man to do" (See: Active or Passive)

he would bear

"he would have"

they obeyed what Yahweh had commanded them

Here "they" and "them" refer to Moses and Aaron.

translationWords

assign

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

ופקדיו אשר צוה ה' את משה — This means, and those appointed by him (Moses) were appointed under the terms of the command which God had given to Moses (v. 43): from thirty years to fifty years old.

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.

UPHKUDAV’ (THUS WERE THEY NUMBERED OF HIM) ‘ASHER’ THE ETERNAL COMMANDED MOSES. “A Masorah is the tradition handed down from generation to generation of the exact Scriptural text, and also refers to a collection of exegetical notes on the Scriptural text. The comment before us is of this second class. has it: Five [words in the Scriptures] are written asher (‘which,’ or ‘that’) but they are to be understood as ka’asher (‘as’), literally meaning: [and his countings] “which the Eternal commanded,” and Rashi on the basis of a Masorah interpreted it to mean: ka’asher tziva Hashem — [thus were they numbered] “‘as’ the Eternal commanded.” Ramban later on interprets the text asher tziva Hashem in its literal meaning. [this being one of the five cases, and therefore the above expression is to be interpreted as follows: thus were they numbered of him ‘as’ the Eternal commanded Moses]. And those counted were, in accordance with the command, from thirty to fifty years old.” This is Rashi’s language. If this is so, the word, uphkudav refers to Moses [thus were they numbered ‘of him’ — by Moses]. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that [the meaning of the verse is as follows]: every one, that is to say, of the three [Levitical] families — namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari — Moses appointed to his service, and to his burden as Scripture mentioned above [that he should appoint them]. And this is the meaning of [the word] uphkudav, namely “[the appointment] of every one” mentioned.But it is possible that the expression ‘asher’ tziva be understood in its plain sense [i.e., “which” He commanded, and not, as Rashi has it, as if it said ‘ka’asher’ tziva — “as” He commanded]. Scripture would thus be saying that Moses appointed [each of the sons of] these three brothers [i.e., Gershon, Kohath, and Merari] to his service and to his burden as explained above; ‘uphkudav’ (and the numbered individuals) of each of them ‘which’ the Eternal commanded Moses to count by their polls, he appointed to his service, and to his burden. Thus the verse mentioned that Moses numbered them by their families, and also that he appointed the [numbered] individuals by their polls, every one to his service, and to his burden. is to be understood as ka’asher tziva (“as” the Eternal commanded). b) Rashi explains uphkudav as meaning “his countings,” i.e., those of Moses. Ibn Ezra interprets it as “his appointments,” the pronoun “his” referring to each of the three Levitical families. c) Ramban explains asher tziva in its literal sense, “which” the Eternal commanded [as explained in the text], the word uphkudav he understands as does Rashi, i.e., as “countings,” but the pronoun [“his”] Ramban explains as referring to each of the three brothers [Gershon, Kohath, and Merari — not personally, but in the sense of the descendants of each of them] ‘which G-d commanded’ Moses to count by their polls — each of them he assigned to his individual work. And such indeed is the law, that a Levite [of one group] is not permitted to do the work of another group or to assist therein, just as the Rabbis have said: “It once happened that Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Chananyah wanted to help [his fellow-Levite] Rabbi Yochanan the son of Gudgada to close the gates [of the Sanctuary]; whereupon [the latter] said to him: ‘Turn back, [for if you do not do so] your life is already forfeit, since I am one of the gatekeepers, and you are one of the singers.’”

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.