Numbers 3:10
◄  Numbers 3:10  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death."

New Living Translation (©2007)
Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death."

English Standard Version (©2001)
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death."

International Standard Version (©2012)
Appoint Aaron and his sons so that they are to take responsibility for their priesthood. Any unauthorized person who approaches it is to be put to death."

NET Bible (©2006)
So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will be responsible for their priesthood; but the unauthorized person who comes near must be put to death."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests' duties must be put to death."

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

American King James Version
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

American Standard Version
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Douay-Rheims Bible
To Aaron and to his sons, to whom they are delivered by the children of Israel. But thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The stranger that approacheth to minister, shall be put to death.

Darby Bible Translation
And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

World English Bible
You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

Young's Literal Translation
'And Aaron and his sons thou dost appoint, and they have kept their priesthood, and the stranger who cometh near is put to death.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:1-13 There was much work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only Aaron and his two sons to do it; God appoints the Levites to attend them. Those whom God finds work for, he will find help for. The Levites were taken instead of the first-born. When He that made us, saves us, as the first-born of Israel were saved, we are laid under further obligations to serve him faithfully. God's right to us by redemption, confirms the right he has to us by creation.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - The stranger that cometh nigh. This constantly recurring formula has not always quite the same meaning: in Numbers 1:51 it signified any one not of the tribe of Levi; here it includes even the Levite who was not also a priest. The separation of the Levites for the ministry of the tabernacle was not to infringe in the least upon the exclusive rights of Aaron and his sons.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons,.... To the priestly office; this was done before, but is renewed for the confirmation of it, and repeated to put them in mind of it, that they be careful to execute it, as follows:

and they shall wait on their priest's office, to do what was peculiar to it, both in the holy and in the most holy place, at the altar, and within, the vail, where the Levites had nothing to do; and this is observed that the priests might take notice, that by the gift of the Levites to them, they were not excused from doing any part of service which was proper to them as priests; for they were given them that they might more readily attend their office, and be wholly employed in it; just as, under the Gospel dispensation, deacons were appointed to take care of the secular affairs of the church, that the apostles might give up themselves to the word of God and prayer, Acts 6:2,

and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; that comes nigh to perform any part of the priest's office peculiar to him as to offer sacrifice, burn incense, &c. whether he be a common Israelite, or even a Levite, as Korah was; any that was not a priest was reckoned a stranger, and so to be put to death for intruding into the office, as the above mentioned person was: so Aben Ezra interprets it of anyone that came nigh to a priest, to be with him or join with him in the execution of his office, whether an Israelite or a Levite, he shall die: the Targum of Jonathan adds, by flaming fire before the Lord.

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Duties of the Levites
…9And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel. 10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death. 11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, …

Exodus 29:9 and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. "Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.
Leviticus 22:10 "'No one outside a priest's family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.
Numbers 1:51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death.
Numbers 3:11 The LORD also said to Moses,
Numbers 16:10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.
Judges 17:5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest.
2 Chronicles 26:18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God."