What Does Numbers 31:47 Mean in the King James?
Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Levites’ share is tied to their watch: “kept” and “charge” are forms of שׁמר (shamar, to guard), naming both the keepers and their duty from one root.
THE MEANING
The verse holds a measured transfer before the reader: one of every fifty people and animals from Israel’s half goes to the Levites who guard the LORD’s dwelling. Human beings and livestock share one count, and the distribution is under the LORD’s command.
THE ROOT
שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת
shomrei mishmeret
GROWS FROM
שׁמר
shamar
To keep watch, guard, or preserve.
“kept the charge” in this verse is shomrei mishmeret. The Hebrew pairs shomrei (“keepers”) with mishmeret (“watch” or “charge”): both come from שׁמר (shamar, to guard). The root makes the Levites’ role and their duty sound as one continuous act of keeping watch over the dwelling.
ALSO GROWS
shomer: Keeper, guard, watcher.
שֹׁמֵר
This branch names the Levites through the active work of guarding.
mishmeret: Watch, guard duty, charge.
מִשְׁמֶרֶת
This is the word rendered “charge”; paired with shomrei, it repeats the same root in the keeper and the keeping.
THE PATTERN
Those assigned to sacred service receive a defined share from communal goods.
And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?THE THREAD
And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.Here too, “keep” and “charge” translate forms of שׁמר (shamar, to guard). The repeated root makes the Levites’ portion in Numbers 31 part of the same continuing watch over the tabernacle.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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