And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.

And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

And observe whatsoever appertaineth to the service of the multitude before the tabernacle of the testimony,

and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole assembly, before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

and kept his charge, and the charge of all the company before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle;

In order that they may be responsible to him and to all Israel for the care of the Tent of meeting, and to do the work of the House;

and let them observe whatever pertains to the ritual for the multitude, in front of the tabernacle of the testimony,

Et custodiant custodiam ejus, et custodiam universi coatus coram tabernaculo conventionis, ut exequantur cultum tabernaculi.

keep his charge - i. e. so assist him that the obligations incumbent on him and on the congregation may be fulfilled.

The charge of the whole congregation - They shall work for the whole congregation; and instead of the first-born.

And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation (e) before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
(e) Which belonged to the executing of the high priests commandment, to the oversight of the people, and the service of the tabernacle.

And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation,.... The charge of Aaron and of all the people of Israel, which was to secure the sanctuary from being polluted or plundered: this the Levites were to be employed about, and thereby ease the high priest and the other priests, and the people, of what otherwise would have been incumbent on them:
before the tabernacle of the congregation; not within it, neither in the holy place, nor in the most holy place, where they might not enter, to do any service peculiar thereunto, but at the door of the tabernacle, and in the court of it, and in the rooms and chambers in it: and do the service of the tabernacle; not to offer sacrifices on the altar of the burnt offering, which stood in the court, and much less to burn incense on the altar of incense, and to him the lamps, and set on the shewbread in the holy place; and still less to enter into the most holy place, and do there what was to be done on the day of atonement; but to do all that is before observed, and to bring the people's offerings to the priest, and to assist in slaying them; and to keep all profane and polluted persons out of it, the tabernacle, as we find in later times; they were porters at it, and some of them were singers in it, and had the care of various things belonging to it: see 1-Chronicles 9:14.

His charge - That is, Aaron's, or those things which are committed principally to Aaron's care and oversight. Of the congregation - That is, of all the sacrifices and services which are due to the Lord from all the people, because the people might not perform them, in their own persons, therefore they were to be performed by some particular persons in their stead; formerly by the first - born, Numbers 8:16, and now by the Levites. Before the tabernacle - Not within the tabernacle, for the care of the things within the holy place was appropriated to the priests, as the care of the most holy place was to the high - priest.