Numbers 4:27 (KJV)

What does Numbers 4:27 mean?

Numbers 4:27 places the Gershonites’ work under the direction of Aaron and his sons. The verse also calls for the Gershonites’ loads to be assigned to their care, so that their responsibilities are established as the people travel.

God is giving Moses and Aaron instructions about the Gershonites, a family within the tribe of Levi. The “burdens” are items associated with the tent of meeting, the portable sacred tent used by the Israelites. The verse moves from naming who directs the work to requiring that the loads be placed in the workers’ charge.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 4:27

• “appointment” — פֶּה (peh): The word commonly means “mouth” and can refer to what someone says. Here the phrase carries the sense of work being done according to Aaron and his sons’ spoken direction.
• “appoint” — פָּקַד (paqad): This word can carry the sense of assigning or entrusting. Here the instruction concerns placing particular loads under the Gershonites’ responsibility.

Why Numbers 4:27 matters

• The Gershonites’ work involved more than carrying. The verse refers to both “burdens” and “service,” while the surrounding passage names tent coverings, curtains, and related equipment among the things in their care.
• The direction came through the priestly family. Aaron and his sons were responsible for directing the work, and verse 28 names Aaron’s son Ithamar as the one overseeing the Gershonites’ service.