The Meaning of Numbers 4:6 Explained

Numbers 4:6

KJV: And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

YLT: and have put on it a covering of badger skin, and have spread a garment completely of blue above, and have placed its staves.

Darby: and shall put thereon a covering of badgers' skin, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put its staves to it.

ASV: and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And shall put  thereon the covering  of badgers'  skins,  and shall spread  over  [it] a cloth  wholly  of blue,  and shall put  in the staves  thereof. 

What does Numbers 4:6 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Numbers 4:6 mean?

And they shall put on it a covering of skins badger and spread a cloth entirely of blue over [that] and they shall insert its poles
וְנָתְנ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו כְּסוּי֙ ע֣וֹר תַּ֔חַשׁ וּפָרְשׂ֧וּ בֶֽגֶד־ כְּלִ֛יל תְּכֵ֖לֶת מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְשָׂמ֖וּ בַּדָּֽיו

וְנָתְנ֣וּ  And  they  shall  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עָלָ֗יו  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כְּסוּי֙  a  covering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כָּסוּי  
Sense: covering, outer covering.
ע֣וֹר  of  skins 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
תַּ֔חַשׁ  badger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תַּחַשׁ  
Sense: a kind of leather, skin, or animal hide.
וּפָרְשׂ֧וּ  and  spread 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
בֶֽגֶד־  a  cloth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
כְּלִ֛יל  entirely 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: כָּלִיל  
Sense: entire, all, perfect adv.
תְּכֵ֖לֶת  of  blue 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּכֵלֶת  
Sense: violet, violet stuff.
מִלְמָ֑עְלָה  over  [that] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
וְשָׂמ֖וּ  and  they  shall  insert 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
בַּדָּֽיו  its  poles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.