Numbers 10:17
New International Version
Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.

New Living Translation
Then the Tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonite and Merarite divisions of the Levites were next in the line of march, carrying the Tabernacle with them.

English Standard Version
And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.

King James Bible
And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.

New King James Version
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

New American Standard Bible
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out.

NASB 1995
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out.

NASB 1977
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out.

Amplified Bible
Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, moved out.

Christian Standard Bible
The tabernacle was then taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting the tabernacle.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The tabernacle was then taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting the tabernacle.

American Standard Version
And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bare the tabernacle, set forward.

Contemporary English Version
The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp.

English Revised Version
And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bare the tabernacle, set forward.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the tent [of meeting] was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, broke camp.

Good News Translation
Then the Tent would be taken down, and the clans of Gershon and Merari, who carried it, would start out.

International Standard Version
The tent was taken down, and the descendants of Gershon and Merari carried the tent.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.

NET Bible
Then the tabernacle was dismantled, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

New Heart English Bible
The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari moved forward, bearing the tabernacle.

World English Bible
The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the Dwelling Place has been taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari have journeyed, carrying the Dwelling Place.

Young's Literal Translation
And the tabernacle hath been taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari have journeyed, bearing the tabernacle.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the dwelling was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari removed, lifting up the dwelling.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gerson and Merari set forward, bearing it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the tabernacle was taken down, because the sons of Gershon and Merari, who carry it, were departing.

New American Bible
Then, after the tabernacle was dismantled, the Gershonites and Merarites who carried the tabernacle set out.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites, who carried the tabernacle, set out.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, carrying the tabernacle.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they took down the Tabernacle and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, the bearers of the Tabernacle, picked up.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, set forward.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they shall take down the tabernacle, and the sons of Gedson shall set forward, and the sons of Merari, who bear the tabernacle.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
From Sinai to Paran
16and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun. 17Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it. 18Then the divisions of the camp of Reuben set out under their standard, with Elizur son of Shedeur in command.…

Cross References
Exodus 40:36-38
Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out through all the stages of their journey. / If the cloud was not lifted, they would not set out until the day it was taken up. / For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel through all their journeys.

Numbers 2:16-17
The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Reuben is 151,450; they shall set out second. / In the middle of the camps, the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the Levites. They are to set out in the order they encamped, each in his own place under his standard.

Numbers 9:17-23
Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set out, and wherever the cloud settled, there the Israelites would camp. / At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at the LORD’s command they camped. As long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle, they remained encamped. / Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the Israelites kept the LORD’s charge and did not set out. ...

Numbers 1:51-53
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death. / The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard. / But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

Numbers 3:25-26
The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, / the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.

Numbers 4:4-15
This service of the Kohathites at the Tent of Meeting regards the most holy things. / Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. / They are to place over this a covering of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles. ...

Deuteronomy 1:33
who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.

Joshua 3:3-4
and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it. / But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”

1 Samuel 4:4
So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

2 Samuel 6:2-3
And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. / They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,

1 Chronicles 15:2
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”

Psalm 68:7
O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wasteland, Selah

Psalm 132:8
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

Isaiah 52:12
For you will not leave in a hurry nor flee in haste, for the LORD goes before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.

Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.


Treasury of Scripture

And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.

the tabernacle

Numbers 1:51
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Hebrews 9:11
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Hebrews 12:28
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

the sons

Numbers 3:25,26,36,37
And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, …

Numbers 4:24-33
This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: …

Numbers 7:6-8
And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites…

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Numbers 10
1. The use of the silver trumpets
11. The Israelites move from Sinai to Paran
14. The order of their march
29. Hobab is entreated by Moses not to leave them
33. The blessing of Moses at the removing and resting of the ark














Then the tabernacle was taken down
The "tabernacle" in Hebrew is "מִשְׁכָּן" (mishkan), meaning "dwelling place." It was the portable earthly dwelling place of God among the Israelites. The act of taking it down signifies a transition, a readiness to move as God directs. This reflects the transient nature of life and the need for obedience and readiness to follow God's leading. Historically, the tabernacle was central to Israelite worship and community, symbolizing God's presence and covenant with His people.

and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out
The "Gershonites" and "Merarites" were two of the Levitical families tasked with specific duties related to the tabernacle. The Gershonites, descendants of Gershon, were responsible for the care of the tabernacle's curtains, coverings, and hangings. The Merarites, descendants of Merari, handled the frames, bars, pillars, and bases. This division of labor highlights the importance of community and the body of Christ, where each member has a unique role. It also underscores the order and organization within God's plans, as each family had a specific, God-ordained responsibility.

transporting the tabernacle
The act of "transporting" the tabernacle was not merely a physical task but a spiritual duty. It involved careful attention to detail and reverence for the sacred. The Hebrew root for "transporting" is "נָשָׂא" (nasa), meaning to lift, carry, or bear. This reflects the honor and burden of carrying God's presence. In a broader spiritual sense, it reminds believers of the call to carry the presence of God within them, to be bearers of His light and truth in the world. The historical context of this journey through the wilderness serves as a metaphor for the Christian journey, where believers are called to move forward in faith, trusting in God's guidance and provision.

(17) And the tabernacle was taken down . . . --The order of precedence as regards the twelve tribes which were encamped on the four sides of the Tabernacle is clearly laid down in Numbers 2, where it is ordered that the camp of the Lervites should set forward "in the midst of the camps" (Numbers 10:17). The precise position which the three bodies of Levites were to occupy in the marches is defined in this chapter. The Gershonites, who had the charge of the curtains and hangings of the Tabernacle and the court (Numbers 4:25-26), with their two wagons, and the Merarites, who had the charge of the heavier and more bulky materials (Numbers 4:31-32), with their four wagons, were to set forward after the first or eastern camp, which was composed of the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon, in order that they might have time to erect the Tabernacle before the arrival of the Kohathites, "bearing the sanctuary" (or sacred things). Next in order after the Gershonites and Merarites followed the southern camp, consisting of the three tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. Then followed the Kohathites in the centre of the procession, "bearing the sanctuary." After them marched the three tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, who formed the western camp, and as the rereward, the three tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, which formed the northern camp. This arrangement serves to throw light upon Psalm 80:2 : "Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

Verse 17. - And the tabernacle was taken down. That is, the fabric of it; the boards, curtains, and other heavy portions which were packed upon the six wagons provided for the purpose (Numbers 7:5-9). And the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward. Between the first and second divisions of the host. In chapter 2 it had been directed in general terms that "the tabernacle" should set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the host, between the second and third divisions. At that time the duties of the several Levitical families had not been specified, and the orders for the taking down and transport of the tabernacle and its furniture had not been given in detail. It would be historically an error, and theologically a superstition, to imagine that Divine commands such as these had no elasticity, and left no room for adaptation, under the teaching of experience, or for the sake of obvious convenience. Whether the present modification was directly commanded by God himself, or whether it was made on the authority of Moses, does not here appear. There can be no question that subsequent theocratic rulers of Israel claimed and used a large liberty in modifying the Divinely-originated ritual and order. Compare the case of the passover, the arrangements of Solomon's temple as corresponding with those of the tabernacle, and even the use of the silver trumpets. The Septuagint has the future tense here, καθελοῦσι τὴν σκηνήν κ.τ.λ. as if to mark it as a fresh command.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the tabernacle
הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן (ham·miš·kān)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4908: A residence, the Tabernacle

was taken down,
וְהוּרַ֖ד (wə·hū·raḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

and the Gershonites
בְנֵֽי־ (ḇə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

and the Merarites
וּבְנֵ֣י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

set out,
וְנָסְע֤וּ (wə·nā·sə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

transporting
נֹשְׂאֵ֖י (nō·śə·’ê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

[it].
הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ (ham·miš·kān)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4908: A residence, the Tabernacle


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OT Law: Numbers 10:17 The tabernacle was taken down (Nu Num.)
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