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Polyglot Bible: Numbers: Numbers 4

Book of ActsGreek New TestamentPolyglot Bible

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This is a passage of biblical scripture — Numbers chapter 4 — presented in a parallel-text scholarly format, with the King James Version (KJV) accompanied by embedded Strong's concordance numbers and the ancient Greek Septuagint (LXX) in a facing column. The passage records God's instructions to Moses and Aaron for conducting a census of the three Levite clans (Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites) eligible for tabernacle service, defined as males aged thirty to fifty years old. The bulk of the text details the precise, color-coded packing procedures each clan must follow when the Israelite camp breaks and moves: the Kohathites handle the most sacred objects (ark, altar, lampstand), the Gershonites transport the curtains and coverings, and the Merarites carry the structural components of boards, bars, and pillars. A strict prohibition is noted: the Kohathites must not see or touch the holy objects while they are being wrapped — that task belongs exclusively to Aaron and his sons — on penalty of death. The passage concludes with the census totals: 2,750 Kohathites, 2,630 Gershonites, and 3,200 Merarites, for a combined 8,580 Levites in active service. A notable textual variant appears between the versions: the KJV sets the minimum service age at thirty years, while the Septuagint reads twenty-five — a discrepancy of long-standing interest to biblical scholars studying the transmission history of the text.

Polyglot Bible: Numbers: Numbers 4

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