Numbers 18:22
New International Version
From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.

New Living Translation
“From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die.

English Standard Version
so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.

Berean Standard Bible
No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting, or they will incur guilt and die.

King James Bible
Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

New King James Version
Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.

New American Standard Bible
And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bring sin on themselves and die.

NASB 1995
“The sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.

NASB 1977
“And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, lest they bear sin and die.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.

Amplified Bible
The Israelites shall never again approach the Tent of Meeting [the covered sanctuary, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies], or they [who do] will incur sin and die.

Christian Standard Bible
The Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting, or they will incur guilt and die.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting, or they will incur guilt and die.

American Standard Version
And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.

English Revised Version
And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The other Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting. Otherwise, they'll suffer the consequences of their sin and die.

Good News Translation
The other Israelites must no longer approach the Tent and in this way bring on themselves the penalty of death.

International Standard Version
Therefore, the Israelis need no longer come to the Tent of Meeting, so they won't suffer the consequences of their sin and die.

Majority Standard Bible
No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting, or they will incur guilt and die.

NET Bible
No longer may the Israelites approach the tent of meeting, or else they will bear their sin and die.

New Heart English Bible
Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

World English Bible
Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the sons of Israel no longer come near to the Tent of Meeting, to bear sin, to die,

Young's Literal Translation
'And the sons of Israel come no more near unto the tent of meeting, to bear sin, to die,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel shall no more come near the tent of appointment, to bear sin and to die.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
That the children of Israel may not approach any more to the tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin,

Catholic Public Domain Version
so that the sons of Israel may no longer approach to the tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin.

New American Bible
The Israelites may no longer approach the tent of meeting, thereby incurring the penalty of death.

New Revised Standard Version
From now on the Israelites shall no longer approach the tent of meeting, or else they will incur guilt and die.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Neither shall the children of Israel henceforth come near the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin and die.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the children of Israel shall not come near again to the Time Tabernacle lest they bear sin and they will die.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the children of Israel shall no more draw nigh to the tabernacle of witness to incur fatal guilt.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Offerings for Priests and Levites
21Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting. 22No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting, or they will incur guilt and die. 23The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.…

Cross References
Hebrews 9:6-8
When everything had been prepared in this way, the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties. / But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. / By this arrangement the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.

Hebrews 7:18-19
So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless / (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, / by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, / and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ...

Leviticus 22:9
The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

Leviticus 10:1-2
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. / So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.

1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Exodus 19:22
Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”

2 Chronicles 26:16-21
But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. / Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. / They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.” ...

Matthew 27:51
At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split.

Romans 5:2
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:18
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Leviticus 16:2
And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

Leviticus 17:3-4
‘Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp or outside of it / instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before His tabernacle—that man shall incur bloodguilt. He has shed blood and must be cut off from among his people.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


Treasury of Scripture

Neither must the children of Israel from now on come near the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

come nigh

Numbers 18:7
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Numbers 1:52
And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

Numbers 3:10,38
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death…

bear sin

Leviticus 20:20
And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

Leviticus 22:9
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

and die.

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Numbers 18
1. The charge of the priests and Levites
8. The priests, portion
21. The Levites,
25. The heave offering to the priests out of the Levites' portion














No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting
This phrase indicates a change in the regulations concerning the approach to the Tent of Meeting, which was the central place of worship and the dwelling place of God's presence among the Israelites. Previously, the Israelites had access to the outer areas of the Tabernacle, but this restriction emphasizes the holiness of God and the need for a mediator. The Levites were appointed to serve in the Tabernacle, acting as intermediaries between God and the people. This separation underscores the concept of holiness and the need for purity when approaching God, a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament. The Tent of Meeting is a precursor to the Temple in Jerusalem and ultimately points to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).

or they will incur guilt and die
This warning highlights the seriousness of approaching God without the proper mediation and sanctification. In the Old Testament, the presence of God was both a source of blessing and a potential source of judgment. The holiness of God required that only those who were consecrated and appointed could come near, reflecting the gravity of sin and the need for atonement. This concept is echoed in the New Testament, where the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but through Jesus Christ, believers are granted access to God (Hebrews 10:19-22). The death penalty for unauthorized access to the Tent of Meeting serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the necessity of respecting divine boundaries.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were given the Law through Moses.

2. The Tent of Meeting
Also known as the Tabernacle, it was the portable earthly dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.

3. The Levites
A tribe set apart by God to perform duties related to the Tabernacle, including its care and the facilitation of worship.

4. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the Law from God and communicated His commands to the people.

5. Aaron
The brother of Moses and the first high priest, who was responsible for the priestly duties and the spiritual leadership of the Israelites.
Teaching Points
The Holiness of God
God's holiness requires reverence and obedience. The Israelites were warned not to approach the Tent of Meeting to prevent incurring guilt and death, emphasizing the need for respect towards God's commands.

The Role of Mediation
The Levites and priests served as mediators between God and the people, foreshadowing Christ's role as our ultimate mediator. This highlights the importance of intercession and the privilege of having direct access to God through Jesus.

The Consequences of Disobedience
The warning to the Israelites serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience. It encourages believers to live in accordance with God's will, understanding that sin separates us from His presence.

The Privilege of Access
In Christ, believers have the privilege of approaching God with confidence. This access should not be taken lightly but should inspire gratitude and a desire to live a life pleasing to Him.(22) Lest they bear sin and die.--i.e., lest they bring sin upon themselves, the penalty of which they would have to bear. This appears to be the primary meaning of the phrase, from which the secondary meaning, viz., that of bearing sin in the sense of atoning for it, is derived. (Comp. Leviticus 19:17; Leviticus 22:9.)

Verse 22. - Lest they bear sin, and die. לָשֵׂאת חֵטְא לָמוּת. Septuagint, λαβεῖν ἀμαρτίαν θανατηφόρον. In the sense of incurring sin, and the consequent wrath and death.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
No
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

longer
ע֛וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

may the Israelites
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

come
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

near
יִקְרְב֥וּ (yiq·rə·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

the Tent
אֹ֣הֶל (’ō·hel)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 168: A tent

of Meeting,
מוֹעֵ֑ד (mō·w·‘êḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting

or they will incur
לָשֵׂ֥את (lā·śêṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

guilt
חֵ֖טְא (ḥêṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2399: A crime, its penalty

and die.
לָמֽוּת׃ (lā·mūṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT Law: Numbers 18:22 Henceforth the children of Israel shall not (Nu Num.)
Numbers 18:21
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