The Meaning of Numbers 8:4 Explained

Numbers 8:4

KJV: And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

YLT: And this is the work of the candlestick: beaten work of gold; unto its thigh, unto its flower it is beaten work; as the appearance which Jehovah shewed Moses, so he hath made the candlestick.

Darby: And this was the work of the candlestick: it was of beaten gold; from its base to its flowers was it beaten work; according to the form which Jehovah had shewn Moses, so had he made the candlestick.

ASV: And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work: according unto the pattern which Jehovah had showed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And this work  of the candlestick  [was of] beaten  gold,  unto the shaft  thereof, unto the flowers  thereof, [was] beaten work:  according unto the pattern  which the LORD  had shewed  Moses,  so he made  the candlestick. 

What does Numbers 8:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 8:1-13 - Lights In God's House Clean Workmen
It is strange to come on this paragraph about the candlestick amid the preparations for leaving Sinai. But typically it is appropriate, because the people of God are called, in their earthly pilgrimage, to shine as lights in the world.
The beaten work of gold is significant of persecution, and the one lump of gold indicates the essential unity of the Church. The Levites were symbolically cleansed by the water and the razor. This was required for those who were sprung from a stock so cruel, Genesis 49:7.
Next they were offered to God, i.e., Israel transferred to them the obligations of ministry, which up to this time had been performed by the firstborn. As the priest was wont to wave a portion of the sacrifice before God, so Aaron, Numbers 8:11. The counterpart of this is Acts 13:3. Missionaries, teachers and others who perform certain functions for us all, may be regarded as wave-offerings. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 8

1  How the lamps are to be lighted
5  The consecration of the Levites
23  The age and time of their service

What do the individual words in Numbers 8:4 mean?

And this workmanship of the lampstand [was] hammered gold from its shaft to its flowers hammered work it [was] According to the pattern which had shown Yahweh - Moses so he made the lampstand -
וְזֶ֨ה מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה הַמְּנֹרָה֙ מִקְשָׁ֣ה זָהָ֔ב עַד־ יְרֵכָ֥הּ עַד־ פִּרְחָ֖הּ מִקְשָׁ֣ה הִ֑וא כַּמַּרְאֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶרְאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֵּ֥ן עָשָׂ֖ה הַמְּנֹרָֽה פ

וְזֶ֨ה  And  this 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה  workmanship 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
הַמְּנֹרָה֙  of  the  lampstand 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְנׄורָה  
Sense: lamp stand.
מִקְשָׁ֣ה  [was]  hammered 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִקְשָׁה  
Sense: hammered work, finely decorated cultic objects of gold or silver.
זָהָ֔ב  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
יְרֵכָ֥הּ  its  shaft 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵךְ  
Sense: thigh, side, loin, base.
פִּרְחָ֖הּ  its  flowers 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּרַח  
Sense: bud, sprout.
מִקְשָׁ֣ה  hammered  work 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִקְשָׁה  
Sense: hammered work, finely decorated cultic objects of gold or silver.
הִ֑וא  it  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
כַּמַּרְאֶ֗ה  According  to  the  pattern 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַרְאֶה  
Sense: sight, appearance, vision.
הֶרְאָ֤ה  had  shown 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
כֵּ֥ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
עָשָׂ֖ה  he  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַמְּנֹרָֽה  the  lampstand 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְנׄורָה  
Sense: lamp stand.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation