Then the tabernacle was taken down
This phrase indicates the beginning of the Israelites' journey from one location to another in the wilderness. The tabernacle, a portable sanctuary, was central to Israelite worship and symbolized God's presence among His people. The process of taking it down was a carefully orchestrated task, reflecting the order and reverence required in handling sacred objects. This act also signifies a transition, as the Israelites moved according to God's guidance, represented by the cloud over the tabernacle (Numbers 9:15-23).

and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out
The Gershonites and Merarites were two of the three Levitical clans responsible for the care and transportation of the tabernacle. The Gershonites were tasked with carrying the curtains, coverings, and hangings (Numbers 4:24-26), while the Merarites handled the frames, bars, pillars, and bases (Numbers 4:31-32). This division of labor highlights the importance of community and cooperation in fulfilling God's commands. It also underscores the specialized roles within the body of believers, as seen in the New Testament's depiction of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-31).

transporting it
The transportation of the tabernacle was a significant logistical undertaking, requiring precision and care. This movement was not merely a physical task but a spiritual one, as it involved the relocation of the place where God met with His people. The careful handling of the tabernacle's components reflects the holiness of God and the need for purity and reverence in worship. This act can be seen as a type of Christ, who is the ultimate dwelling place of God among men (John 1:14), and whose body was "taken down" and "transported" in His death and resurrection, fulfilling the ultimate purpose of God's presence with humanity.

1. The Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the presence of God among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness. It symbolizes God's presence and guidance.

2. The Gershonites
A Levitical family responsible for carrying the curtains, coverings, and hangings of the Tabernacle. Their role was crucial in maintaining the sacred space.

3. The Merarites
Another Levitical family tasked with transporting the frames, bars, pillars, and bases of the Tabernacle. They ensured the structural integrity of the Tabernacle during the journey.

4. The Wilderness Journey
The context of this passage is the Israelites' journey from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land, a time of testing, learning, and reliance on God.

5. The Camp of Israel
The organized community of the Israelites, moving in a specific order as directed by God, reflecting order and obedience.The Importance of Order and Obedience
The structured movement of the Israelites, including the specific roles of the Gershonites and Merarites, underscores the importance of order and obedience in our spiritual journey.

The Role of Service in Worship
The Gershonites and Merarites exemplify how service and seemingly mundane tasks are integral to worship and maintaining God's presence among His people.

God's Presence in Transition
As the Tabernacle was taken down and moved, it symbolizes God's presence with us during times of transition and change, reminding us of His constant guidance.

Community and Cooperation
The successful transport of the Tabernacle required cooperation among different groups, teaching us the value of community and working together in the body of Christ.

Faithfulness in Assigned Roles
Each group had a specific role, and their faithfulness in these roles contributed to the greater purpose. This encourages us to be faithful in our God-given responsibilities.(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 ...


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.)