Numbers 4:21

"And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Take the sum of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses, by their families; 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. This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving, and in bearing burdens: 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, and the hanging of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatsoever shall be done with them: therein shall they serve. At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden, and in all their service; and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burden. This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."

"All that enter in to wait upon the service ..." (Numbers 4:23). "Literally, this is, `to war the warfare.' The same phrase is rendered in Numbers 4:3, `enter into the host to do the work.' The language is military. The service of God is a sacred warfare."[12]

The Levites were not to look, even for a moment, (Numbers 4:20) upon the sacred furniture or the sanctuary itself. The words from which "even for a moment" are rendered have the meaning of "even as long as it takes to swallow."[13] Orlinsky gave the meaning here as, "They shall not witness the dismantling of the sanctuary."[14]

The duties of the Gershonites included their bearing the curtains and the tent of meeting, the covering of the tent, the exterior sealskin covering, the screen for the door of the tent, the screen for the door of the gate of the court, together with cords, instruments, etc., connected therewith. Whereas all of the sacred articles assigned to the Kohathites were to be carried by hand, using the staves repeatedly mentioned, the Gershonites were provided wagons for the transportation of the far heavier loads assigned to them.

Dummelow pointed out that:

"The curtains of the tabernacle and of the court were of great weight, and two ox-wagons were required for their transport. The Merarites, charged with the even heavier transport of the framework of the tabernacle were given four ox-wagons for the purpose (Numbers 7:7)."[15]