This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: The Hebrew word for service (ʿabodah) may also be rendered “task” or “responsibility” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). If the target language has a term for service that has some religious or ritual implications, that may be used here, unless the term has unwanted connotative associations with pagan worship practices, or it is too closely associated with one particular religious group or another.

The most holy things (literally “the holy [thing] of the holy [things]”) were the very holy objects that were in or near the Tent of Meeting for which the clans of Kohath were responsible. According to Rashi, the Jewish medieval commentator, this phrase refers to the most holy category of objects. An alternative translation for it is “the most holy” (De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) or “that which is the most holy.” (Things is lacking, but implied, in the Hebrew.)

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 .