The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: See the comments on 1.1. Good News Translation does not mention Aaron. But most Hebrew manuscripts, including the one on which Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia is based, mention both Moses and Aaron. Most translations, including Contemporary English Version and Bible en français courant, follow these manuscripts and mention both, which we recommend.

This verse introduces God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron concerning the duties of the Kohathites in verses 2-16. Good News Translation uses indirect speech here, which is a less emphatic way of communication in most languages. Translators should use direct speech, unless there is a good reason for following the Good News Translation model.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .