---
title: "Barnes"
description: "About the most holy things - Omit “about.” The sense is, “this is the charge of the sons of Kohath, the most holy things:” i. e. the ark of the covenant,"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/barnes-notes-on-the-whole-bible/numbers/4"
---

**About the most holy things -**Omit “about.” The sense is, “this is the charge of the sons of Kohath, the most holy things:” i. e. the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the candlestick, and the golden altar, together with the furniture pertaining thereto. It appears, from a comparison of [Numbers 4:16](../../../kjv/numbers/4/16), [Numbers 4:28](../../../kjv/numbers/4/28), [Numbers 4:33](../../../kjv/numbers/4/33), that the ministry of the Kohathites was superintended by Eleazar, the older of the two surviving sons of Aaron; and that of the two other families by Ithamar.

**wholly of blue -**Compare [Exodus 25:4](../../../kjv/exodus/25/4) note. The third and external covering of the ark only was to be of this color. The table of showbread had [Numbers 4:8](../../../kjv/numbers/4/8) an outer wrapping of scarlet; the altar [Numbers 4:13](../../../kjv/numbers/4/13) one of purple.
**Put in the staves -**Probably, “put the staves in order.” These were never taken out of the golden rings by which the ark was to be borne (see [Exodus 25:14-15](../../../kjv/exodus/25/14-15)), but would need adjustment.

**to see when the holy things are covered -**Render: to see the holy things for an instant. The expression means Iiterally” as a gulp,” i. e. for the instant it takes to swallow.

**enter in to perform the service -**literally, as in the margin, “to war the warfare,” or, as the same phrase in part is rendered, [Numbers 4:3](../../../kjv/numbers/4/3), “enter into the host to do the work.” The language is military. The service of God is a sacred warfare ([Numbers 8:24-25](../../../kjv/numbers/8/24-25) marginal reading).

**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.

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