The Meaning of Numbers 3:36 Explained

Numbers 3:36

KJV: And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

YLT: And the oversight -- the charge of the sons of Merari -- is the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all its service,

Darby: And the charge of the sons of Merari consisted in the oversight of the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its bases, and all its furniture, and all that belongs to its service,

ASV: And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the instruments thereof, and all the service thereof,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [under] the custody  and charge  of the sons  of Merari  [shall be] the boards  of the tabernacle,  and the bars  thereof, and the pillars  thereof, and the sockets  thereof, and all the vessels  thereof, and all that serveth  thereto, 

What does Numbers 3:36 Mean?

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 3:36 mean?

And the appointed duty of the sons of Merari [included] the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets and its utensils and all the work relating to them
וּפְקֻדַּ֣ת מִשְׁמֶרֶת֮ בְּנֵ֣י מְרָרִי֒ קַרְשֵׁי֙ הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וּבְרִיחָ֖יו וְעַמֻּדָ֣יו וַאֲדָנָ֑יו וְכָל־ כֵּלָ֔יו וְכֹ֖ל עֲבֹדָתֽוֹ

וּפְקֻדַּ֣ת  And  the  appointed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פְּקֻדָּה  
Sense: oversight, care, custody, mustering, visitation, store.
מִשְׁמֶרֶת֮  duty 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מְרָרִי֒  of  Merari 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְרָרִי  
Sense: the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family.
קַרְשֵׁי֙  [included]  the  boards 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: קֶרֶשׁ  
Sense: board, boards, plank.
הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן  of  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
וּבְרִיחָ֖יו  and  its  bars 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּרִיחַ  
Sense: bar.
וְעַמֻּדָ֣יו  and  its  pillars 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַמּוּד  
Sense: pillar, column.
וַאֲדָנָ֑יו  and  its  sockets 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶדֶן  
Sense: base, pedestal, socket (strong, firm).
כֵּלָ֔יו  its  utensils 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
וְכֹ֖ל  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֲבֹדָתֽוֹ  the  work  relating  to  them 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.