And they shall take a cloth of blue: Next Aaron and his sons had to take another blue cloth. For a cloth of blue, see verse 6.

And cover the lampstand for the light: They had to cover the lampstand (see 3.31) in the Tabernacle with the blue cloth. The lampstand for the light is literally “the lampstand of the luminary [source of light].” Compare New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which says “the lampstand for lighting.” The lampstand was not a holder of candles but rather a stand commonly used at that time for holding seven oil lamps. In cultures where “lampstands” are unknown, translators may say “lamp holder,” “thing on which lamps are placed,” or even “pole that has lamps on top.”

With its lamps, its snuffers, its trays: The lamps were probably small bowl-shaped objects, filled with olive oil, with a wick floating in them. One end of the wick extended onto a lip of the bowl, where the oil in the wick burned and provided. The Hebrew word for snuffers refers to a pair of “tongs” (Good News Translation), a tool similar to pliers or tweezers, which was used to remove the burned wick. The Hebrew word for trays refers to the small pans or receptacles where the burned wicks were placed. Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh say “firepans.” The same Hebrew word occurs in verse 14, where Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation translate it “firepans” as well. Exo 25.37-38 and 37.23 mention the same three items, so translators should refer back to those verses in order to use consistent terminology.

And all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied: Good News Translation renders the vessels for oil as “the olive oil containers.” “Olive oil” makes explicit what kind of oil was used, but “containers” may give the wrong impression that the vessels were large. A better rendering is “small vessels of olive oil.” With which it is supplied is literally “with which they [Aaron and his sons] service it [the lampstand].” Good News Translation omits this clause, but it should be kept. A model that keeps it is “with which they supply the lampstand with oil.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “that are used in its service.”

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 .