The Meaning of Numbers 3:38 Explained

Numbers 3:38

KJV: But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

YLT: And those encamping before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting, at the east, are Moses and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel, and the stranger who cometh near is put to death.

Darby: And those who encamped before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, who kept the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.

ASV: And those that encamp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But those that encamp  before  the tabernacle  toward the east,  [even] before  the tabernacle  of the congregation  eastward,  [shall be] Moses,  and Aaron  and his sons,  keeping  the charge  of the sanctuary  for the charge  of the children  of Israel;  and the stranger  that cometh nigh  shall be put to death. 

What does Numbers 3:38 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 3:38 mean?

Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east before the tabernacle of meeting toward the sunrise [were] Moses and Aaron and his sons keeping charge of the sanctuary to meet the needs of the sons of Israel but the outsider who came near was to be put to death
וְהַחֹנִ֣ים לִפְנֵ֣י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֡ן קֵ֣דְמָה לִפְנֵי֩ אֹֽהֶל־ מוֹעֵ֨ד ׀ מִזְרָ֜חָה מֹשֶׁ֣ה ׀ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן וּבָנָ֗יו שֹֽׁמְרִים֙ מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת הַמִּקְדָּ֔שׁ לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהַזָּ֥ר הַקָּרֵ֖ב יוּמָֽת

וְהַחֹנִ֣ים  Moreover  those  who  were  to  camp 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמִּשְׁכָּ֡ן  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
קֵ֣דְמָה  on  the  east 
Parse: Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
לִפְנֵי֩  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֹֽהֶל־  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
מוֹעֵ֨ד ׀  of  meeting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
מִזְרָ֜חָה  toward  the  sunrise 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִזְרָח  
Sense: place of sunrise, east.
מֹשֶׁ֣ה ׀  [were]  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן  and  Aaron 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
וּבָנָ֗יו  and  his  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שֹֽׁמְרִים֙  keeping 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת  charge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
הַמִּקְדָּ֔שׁ  of  the  sanctuary 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִקְדָּשׁ  
Sense: sacred place, sanctuary, holy place.
לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת  to  meet  the  needs 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְהַזָּ֥ר  but  the  outsider 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
הַקָּרֵ֖ב  who  came  near 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
יוּמָֽת  was  to  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.