And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue: Good News Translation renders the conjunction And as “Next,” but it is not specified in the Hebrew that the action here is the next stage in a process. And only marks the start of another instruction. Perhaps no conjunction at all is the best way of introducing this distinct element of the LORD’s instructions to Aaron and Moses (so Contemporary English Version). The golden altar refers to the altar for burning incense in the Tabernacle (see 3.31). Contemporary English Version says “The gold incense altar” and has the following footnote concerning it: “This altar for offering incense was inside the sacred tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with gold.” For a cloth of blue, see verse 6.

And cover it with a covering of goatskin: Aaron and his sons had to cover the blue cloth with fine leather. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by saying “and then with a piece of fine leather.” For the Hebrew expression rendered goatskin, which refers to “fine leather” (Good News Translation), see verse 6.

And shall put in its poles: Like the sacred chest and the table for the sacred bread, the incense altar had rings on its sides through which poles were placed to carry it (see Exo 30.4-5; 37.27-28). Good News Translation renders poles as “carrying poles” to express more clearly that they were used to carry the altar.

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 .