The Meaning of Leviticus 24:4 Explained

Leviticus 24:4

KJV: He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

YLT: by the pure candlestick he doth arrange the lights before Jehovah continually.

Darby: Upon the pure candlestick shall he arrange the lamps before Jehovah continually.

ASV: He shall keep in order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before Jehovah continually.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He shall order  the lamps  upon the pure  candlestick  before  the LORD  continually. 

What does Leviticus 24:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 24:1-23 - Light And Bread And The Holy Name
The words "Before the Lord" are twice repeated in the opening paragraph. The pure lamplight, emblematic of the influence of a religious life; and the showbread, set on the golden table, emblematic of lives of obedience and devotion, which are well-pleasing to God, are both said to be "before the Lord." We are reminded of the command to Abram, "Walk before me and be thou perfect;" and of the words of the dying Jacob, "The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk." This implies the continual consciousness of the presence of God. We all possess what may be termed a sub-consciousness, which lies beneath our ordinary sense. Let that be God filled!
What a pitiable condition that half-breed was in! May we be Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile! How they reverenced the very name of God. See 3 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 24

1  The oil for the lamps
5  The showbread
10  Shelomith's son blasphemes
13  The law of blasphemy
17  Of murder
18  Of damage
23  The blasphemer is stoned

What do the individual words in Leviticus 24:4 mean?

On the lampstand pure [gold] He shall be in charge of the lamps before Yahweh continually -
עַ֚ל הַמְּנֹרָ֣ה הַטְּהֹרָ֔ה יַעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־ הַנֵּר֑וֹת לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה תָּמִֽיד פ

הַמְּנֹרָ֣ה  the  lampstand 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְנׄורָה  
Sense: lamp stand.
הַטְּהֹרָ֔ה  pure  [gold] 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
יַעֲרֹ֖ךְ  He  shall  be  in  charge 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָרַךְ  
Sense: to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare.
הַנֵּר֑וֹת  the  lamps 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נִיר 
Sense: lamp.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תָּמִֽיד  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation