The Meaning of Numbers 3:10 Explained

Numbers 3:10

KJV: 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.

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

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 3:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 3:1-13 - 44-51, The Substitute For The First-Born
The Levites were taken, instead of the firstborn sons of Israel, to perform the service of the Tabernacle. There were nearly as many Levites as first-born, and the difference was made good by the payment of redemption money on the part of the overplus, Numbers 3:45-48. So each of us has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb to belong to God and to minister to Him! Aaron's family provided the priesthood, Leviticus 3:9-10. The rest of the tribe performed the more irksome duties of ministry and transport.
The Gershonites, as eldest, pitched westward of the Tabernacle, and cared for the hangings and curtains. The Kohathites, because related to Aaron, pitched southward, and had charge of the sacred vessels. The Merarites pitched northward, and had charge of the boards and sockets. It was enough for each to know that his place and charge were God-appointed. Even to carry a pin became honorable, when God had allotted that to a man as his share. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 3

1  The sons of Aaron
5  The Levites are given to the priests instead of the firstborn
14  Are numbered by their families
21  The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27  Of the Kohathites
33  Of the Merarites
38  The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40  The firstborn are freed by the Levites
44  The balances are refunded

What do the individual words in Numbers 3:10 mean?

So Aaron and his sons you shall appoint and they shall attend - to their priesthood but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death -
וְאֶת־ אַהֲרֹ֤ן וְאֶת־ בָּנָיו֙ תִּפְקֹ֔ד וְשָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת־ כְּהֻנָּתָ֑ם וְהַזָּ֥ר הַקָּרֵ֖ב יוּמָֽת פ

וְאֶת־  So 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַהֲרֹ֤ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
בָּנָיו֙  his  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
תִּפְקֹ֔ד  you  shall  appoint 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
וְשָׁמְר֖וּ  and  they  shall  attend 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כְּהֻנָּתָ֑ם  to  their  priesthood 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כְּהֻנָּה  
Sense: priesthood.
וְהַזָּ֥ר  but  the  outsider 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
הַקָּרֵ֖ב  who  comes  near 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
יוּמָֽת  shall  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation