Bible Strands
Numbers 7:8
and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records this allocation during the tabernacle's dedication, immediately following the distribution to the Gershonites and preceding the exclusion of the Kohathites. The text places this event within the systematic organization of Levitical service.
The words — The verb נָתַן (na.Tan) means "he gave," and the noun עֲגָלֹת ('a.ga.Lot) denotes "carts." The passage explicitly states that four carts and eight oxen were provided to the descendants of Merari according to their specific service requirements.
The thread — This provision mirrors the earlier distribution to the Gershonites and contrasts with the Kohathites, who received none because they carried holy objects on their shoulders (Numbers 7:7; Numbers 7:9). The administrative oversight by Ithamar son of Aaron links to his broader supervision of Levitical duties at the Tent of Meeting (Numbers 4:28).
Why it lands — The text states that material provisions for sacred work are distributed precisely according to assigned tasks, not by uniformity or preference. It requires the reader to acknowledge that obedience to specific divine instructions dictates how resources and responsibilities are allocated within the community.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
Cross-references
- Numbers 3:36 The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,
- Numbers 4:28 This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.