Numbers 4:11
New International Version
“Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.

New Living Translation
“Next they must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar and cover this cloth with fine goatskin leather. Then they must attach the carrying poles to the altar.

English Standard Version
And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles.

Berean Standard Bible
Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert the poles.

King James Bible
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

New King James Version
“Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.

New American Standard Bible
Over the golden altar they shall spread a violet cloth, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and they shall insert its carrying poles;

NASB 1995
“Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles;

NASB 1977
“And over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles;

Legacy Standard Bible
And over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin and shall insert its poles;

Amplified Bible
Over the golden [incense] altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its carrying poles;

Christian Standard Bible
“They are to spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, cover it with a covering made of fine leather, and insert its poles.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They are to spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, cover it with a covering made of manatee skin, and insert its poles.

American Standard Version
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in the staves thereof:

Contemporary English Version
The gold incense altar is to be covered with a blue cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before its carrying poles are put in place.

English Revised Version
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in the staves thereof:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"They will spread a violet cloth over the gold altar and cover the cloth with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place.

Good News Translation
Next they shall spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles.

International Standard Version
"On the golden altar, they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a leather-dyed skin covering, and then insert its poles.

Majority Standard Bible
Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert the poles.

NET Bible
"They must spread a blue cloth on the gold altar, and cover it with a covering of fine leather; and they must insert its poles.

New Heart English Bible
On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.

Webster's Bible Translation
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to it its staffs.

World English Bible
“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they spread a garment of blue over the golden altar, and have covered it with a covering of tachash skin, and have placed its poles,

Young's Literal Translation
'And on the golden altar they spread a garment of blue, and have covered it with a covering of badger skin, and have placed its staves;

Smith's Literal Translation
And upon the altar of gold they will spread a garment cerulean purple, and they covered it with a tahash skin covering, and they set up its bars.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they shall wrap up the golden altar also in a cloth of violet, and shall spread over it a cover of violet skins, and put in the bars.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And certainly they shall wrap the golden altar in a hyacinth garment, and they shall extend over it a covering of violet skins, and they shall draw in the bars.

New American Bible
Over the golden altar they shall spread a violet cloth, and cover this also with a covering of yellow-orange skin, and put the poles in place.

New Revised Standard Version
Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and shall put its poles in place;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon its poles;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And upon the altar of gold they shall cover with a perfect robe of dark blue and they shall cover it with a covering of leather of sky blue and they will set its poles.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall set the staves thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they shall put a blue cloth for a cover on the golden altar, and shall cover it with a blue skin cover, and put in its staves.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Duties of the Kohathites
10Then they shall wrap it and all its utensils inside a covering of fine leather and put it on the carrying frame. 11Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with fine leather, and insert the poles. 12They are to take all the utensils for serving in the sanctuary, place them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine leather, and put them on the carrying frame.…

Cross References
Exodus 25:23-30
You are also to make a table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. / Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. / And make a rim around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. ...

Exodus 37:10-16
He also made the table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. / He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. / And he made a rim around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. ...

Exodus 40:4
Then bring in the table and set out its arrangement; bring in the lampstand as well, and set up its lamps.

Exodus 40:22-27
Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. / He arranged the bread on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him. / He also placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle ...

Leviticus 24:5-9
You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf, / and set them in two rows—six per row—on the table of pure gold before the LORD. / And you are to place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread, a food offering to the LORD. ...

1 Kings 7:48
Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of the LORD: the golden altar; the golden table on which was placed the Bread of the Presence;

2 Chronicles 4:19
Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of God: the golden altar; the tables on which was placed the Bread of the Presence;

Hebrews 9:2
A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.

Exodus 30:1-10
“You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense. / It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece. / Overlay with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns, and make a molding of gold around it. ...

Exodus 37:25-28
He made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns were of one piece. / And he overlaid with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns. Then he made a molding of gold around it. / He made two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it. ...

Exodus 40:5
Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

1 Kings 6:20-22
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. / So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. / So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

2 Chronicles 29:18
Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils.

Matthew 12:4
He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.

Mark 2:26
During the high priesthood of Abiathar, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests. And he gave some to his companions as well.”


Treasury of Scripture

And on the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

Exodus 30:1-19
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it…

Exodus 37:25-28
And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same…

Exodus 39:38
And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,

Jump to Previous
Altar Badger Badgers Blue Cloth Cover Covered Covering Cows Garment Goatskin Gold Hides Insert Leather Placed Poles Porpoise Rods Sea Sealskin Skin Skins Spread Staffs Staves Thereof
Jump to Next
Altar Badger Badgers Blue Cloth Cover Covered Covering Cows Garment Goatskin Gold Hides Insert Leather Placed Poles Porpoise Rods Sea Sealskin Skin Skins Spread Staffs Staves Thereof
Numbers 4
1. The age at which the Levites were to serve, and the duration of the service
4. The duty of the Kohathites
16. The charge of Eleazar
17. The office of the priests
21. The duty of the Gershonites
29. Of the Merarites
34. The number of the Kohathites
38. Of the Gershonites
42. And of the Merarites














Over the gold altar
The "gold altar" refers to the Altar of Incense, a sacred object within the Tabernacle used for burning incense, symbolizing the prayers of the people ascending to God. The Hebrew word for "altar" is "mizbeach," which signifies a place of sacrifice and offering. Historically, the gold altar was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, representing the divine nature and purity of God. This altar was central to the worship practices of the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of prayer and intercession in their relationship with God.

they are to spread a blue cloth
The "blue cloth" is significant in its color, often associated with the heavens and divinity in biblical symbolism. The Hebrew word for "blue" is "techelet," a color derived from a specific dye, possibly from a sea snail, which was rare and valuable. This blue cloth covering the altar signifies the heavenly nature of the worship and the divine presence of God. It serves as a reminder of the holiness and set-apart nature of the objects within the Tabernacle.

cover it with fine leather
The "fine leather" mentioned here is often translated as "badger skins" or "porpoise skins" in other versions. The Hebrew term "tachash" is somewhat ambiguous, but it indicates a durable and protective covering. This layer of protection underscores the care and reverence the Israelites were to have for the sacred objects. It also symbolizes the need for spiritual protection and the covering of God's grace over His people.

and insert the poles
The "poles" were used for carrying the altar, as the Israelites were a nomadic people during their wilderness journey. The Hebrew word "bad" refers to these poles, which were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The insertion of the poles signifies readiness for movement and obedience to God's leading. It reflects the idea that worship and the presence of God are not confined to a single place but are to be carried with the people wherever they go.

(11) And shall put to the staves thereof.--Better, And shall put in the staves thereof, as in Numbers 4:6; Numbers 4:8; so also in Numbers 4:14.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Over
וְעַ֣ל ׀ (wə·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the gold
הַזָּהָ֗ב (haz·zā·hāḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

altar
מִזְבַּ֣ח (miz·baḥ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4196: An altar

they are to spread
יִפְרְשׂוּ֙ (yip̄·rə·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6566: To break apart, disperse

a blue
תְּכֵ֔לֶת (tə·ḵê·leṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8504: The cerulean mussel, the color, obtained therefrom, stuff dyed therewith

cloth,
בֶּ֣גֶד (be·ḡeḏ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

cover
וְכִסּ֣וּ (wə·ḵis·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3680: To plump, fill up hollows, to cover

it
אֹת֔וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with
בְּמִכְסֵ֖ה (bə·miḵ·sêh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4372: A covering, weatherboarding

fine leather,
תָּ֑חַשׁ (tā·ḥaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8476: Perhaps porpoise (a kind of leather or skin)

and insert
וְשָׂמ֖וּ (wə·śā·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

the poles.
בַּדָּֽיו׃ (bad·dāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 905: Separation, a part of the body, branch of a, tree, bar for, carrying, chief of


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OT Law: Numbers 4:11 On the golden altar they shall spread (Nu Num.)
Numbers 4:10
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