# Numbers 4.23

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Numbers](/codex/numbers/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 21. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 22. Take the sum of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses, by their families;
>
> **23. from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to wait upon the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting.**
>
> 24. This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: 25. they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is above upon it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting, (Numbers 4:21-25, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 21. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 22. “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families;
>
> **23. you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old; all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.**
>
> 24. “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: 25. they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is above on it, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, (Numbers 4:21-25, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 21. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 22. Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;
>
> **23. From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. <sup>to perform: Heb. to war the warfare</sup>**
>
> 24. This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: <sup>burdens: or, carriage</sup> 25. And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, (Numbers 4:21-25, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 21. And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 22. 'Take up the sum of the sons of Gershon also by the house of their fathers, by their families;
>
> **23. from a son of thirty years and upward, till a son of fifty years thou dost number them, every one who is going in to serve the host, to do the service in the tent of meeting.**
>
> 24. 'This [is] the service of the families of the Gershonite, to serve, and for burden, 25. and they have borne the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of the badger [skin] which [is] on it above, and the vail at the opening of the tent of meeting, (Numbers 4:21-25, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [H6635 - tzevaot](/codex/h6635-tzevaot/), *tzevaot*, Strong's H6635
- [H1121 - ben](/codex/h1121-ben/), *ben*, Strong's H1121

## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.