11 And Aaron H175 shall offer H5130 the Levites H3881 before H6440 the LORD H3068 for an offering H8573 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they may execute H5647 the service H5656 of the LORD. H3068
Only thou shalt not number H6485 the tribe H4294 of Levi, H3878 neither take H5375 the sum H7218 of them among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 But thou shalt appoint H6485 the Levites H3881 over the tabernacle H4908 of testimony, H5715 and over all the vessels H3627 thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear H5375 the tabernacle, H4908 and all the vessels H3627 thereof; and they shall minister H8334 unto it, and shall encamp H2583 round about H5439 the tabernacle. H4908 And when the tabernacle H4908 setteth forward, H5265 the Levites H3881 shall take it down: H3381 and when the tabernacle H4908 is to be pitched, H2583 the Levites H3881 shall set it up: H6965 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall pitch their tents, H2583 every man H376 by his own camp, H4264 and every man H376 by his own standard, H1714 throughout their hosts. H6635 But the Levites H3881 shall pitch H2583 round about H5439 the tabernacle H4908 of testimony, H5715 that there be no wrath H7110 upon the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 and the Levites H3881 shall keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the tabernacle H4908 of testimony. H5715
And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Bring H7126 the tribe H4294 of Levi H3878 near, H7126 and present H5975 them before H6440 Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 that they may minister H8334 unto him. And they shall keep H8104 his charge, H4931 and the charge H4931 of the whole congregation H5712 before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle. H4908 And they shall keep H8104 all the instruments H3627 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and the charge H4931 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle. H4908 And thou shalt give H5414 the Levites H3881 unto Aaron H175 and to his sons: H1121 they are wholly given H5414 unto him out of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And thou shalt appoint H6485 Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 and they shall wait on H8104 their priest's office: H3550 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 And I, behold, I have taken H3947 the Levites H3881 from among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 instead of all the firstborn H1060 that openeth H6363 the matrix H7358 among the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 therefore the Levites H3881 shall be mine; Because all the firstborn H1060 are mine; for on the day H3117 that I smote H5221 all the firstborn H1060 in the land H776 of Egypt H4714 I hallowed H6942 unto me all the firstborn H1060 in Israel, H3478 both man H120 and beast: H929 mine shall they be: I am the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses H4872 in the wilderness H4057 of Sinai, H5514 saying, H559 Number H6485 the children H1121 of Levi H3878 after the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 by their families: H4940 every male H2145 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward H4605 shalt thou number H6485 them. And Moses H4872 numbered H6485 them according to the word H6310 of the LORD, H3068 as he was commanded. H6680 And these were the sons H1121 of Levi H3878 by their names; H8034 Gershon, H1648 and Kohath, H6955 and Merari. H4847 And these are the names H8034 of the sons H1121 of Gershon H1648 by their families; H4940 Libni, H3845 and Shimei. H8096 And the sons H1121 of Kohath H6955 by their families; H4940 Amram, H6019 and Izehar, H3324 Hebron, H2275 and Uzziel. H5816 And the sons H1121 of Merari H4847 by their families; H4940 Mahli, H4249 and Mushi. H4187 These are H1992 the families H4940 of the Levites H3881 according to the house H1004 of their fathers. H1 Of Gershon H1648 was the family H4940 of the Libnites, H3846 and the family H4940 of the Shimites: H8097 these are the families H4940 of the Gershonites. H1649 Those that were numbered H6485 of them, according to the number H4557 of all the males, H2145 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward, H4605 even those that were numbered H6485 of them were seven H7651 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967 The families H4940 of the Gershonites H1649 shall pitch H2583 behind H310 the tabernacle H4908 westward. H3220 And the chief H5387 of the house H1004 of the father H1 of the Gershonites H1649 shall be Eliasaph H460 the son H1121 of Lael. H3815 And the charge H4931 of the sons H1121 of Gershon H1648 in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 shall be the tabernacle, H4908 and the tent, H168 the covering H4372 thereof, and the hanging H4539 for the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 And the hangings H7050 of the court, H2691 and the curtain H4539 for the door H6607 of the court, H2691 which is by the tabernacle, H4908 and by the altar H4196 round about, H5439 and the cords H4340 of it for all the service H5656 thereof. And of Kohath H6955 was the family H4940 of the Amramites, H6020 and the family H4940 of the Izeharites, H3325 and the family H4940 of the Hebronites, H2276 and the family H4940 of the Uzzielites: H5817 these are the families H4940 of the Kohathites. H6956 In the number H4557 of all the males, H2145 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward, H4605 were eight H8083 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred, H3967 keeping H8104 the charge H4931 of the sanctuary. H6944 The families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Kohath H6955 shall pitch H2583 on the side H3409 of the tabernacle H4908 southward. H8486 And the chief H5387 of the house H1004 of the father H1 of the families H4940 of the Kohathites H6956 shall be Elizaphan H469 the son H1121 of Uzziel. H5816 And their charge H4931 shall be the ark, H727 and the table, H7979 and the candlestick, H4501 and the altars, H4196 and the vessels H3627 of the sanctuary H6944 wherewith they minister, H8334 and the hanging, H4539 and all the service H5656 thereof. And Eleazar H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest H3548 shall be chief H5387 over the chief H5387 of the Levites, H3881 and have the oversight H6486 of them that keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the sanctuary. H6944 Of Merari H4847 was the family H4940 of the Mahlites, H4250 and the family H4940 of the Mushites: H4188 these are the families H4940 of Merari. H4847 And those that were numbered H6485 of them, according to the number H4557 of all the males, H2145 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward, H4605 were six H8337 thousand H505 and two hundred. H3967 And the chief H5387 of the house H1004 of the father H1 of the families H4940 of Merari H4847 was Zuriel H6700 the son H1121 of Abihail: H32 these shall pitch H2583 on the side H3409 of the tabernacle H4908 northward. H6828 And under the custody H6486 and charge H4931 of the sons H1121 of Merari H4847 shall be the boards H7175 of the tabernacle, H4908 and the bars H1280 thereof, and the pillars H5982 thereof, and the sockets H134 thereof, and all the vessels H3627 thereof, and all that serveth H5656 thereto, And the pillars H5982 of the court H2691 round about, H5439 and their sockets, H134 and their pins, H3489 and their cords. H4340 But those that encamp H2583 before H6440 the tabernacle H4908 toward the east, H6924 even before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 eastward, H4217 shall be Moses, H4872 and Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 keeping H8104 the charge H4931 of the sanctuary H4720 for the charge H4931 of the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191 All that were numbered H6485 of the Levites, H3881 which Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 numbered H6485 at the commandment H6310 of the LORD, H3068 throughout their families, H4940 all the males H2145 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward, H4605 were twenty H6242 and two H8147 thousand. H505 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Number H6485 all the firstborn H1060 of the males H2145 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward, H4605 and take H5375 the number H4557 of their names. H8034 And thou shalt take H3947 the Levites H3881 for me (I am the LORD) H3068 instead of all the firstborn H1060 among the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 and the cattle H929 of the Levites H3881 instead of all the firstlings H1060 among the cattle H929 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And Moses H4872 numbered, H6485 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 him, all the firstborn H1060 among the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And all the firstborn H1060 males H2145 by the number H4557 of names, H8034 from a month H2320 old H1121 and upward, H4605 of those that were numbered H6485 of them, were twenty H6242 and two H8147 thousand H505 two hundred H3967 and threescore and thirteen. H7657 H7969
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 8
Commentary on Numbers 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
Nu 8:1-4. How the Lamps Are to Be Lighted.
1. the Lord spake unto Moses—The order of this chapter suggests the idea that the following instructions were given to Moses while he was within the tabernacle of the congregation, after the princes had completed their offering. But from the tenor of the instructions, it is more likely that they were given immediately after the Levites had been given to the priests (see on Nu 3:1-4:49), and that the record of these instructions had been postponed till the narrative of other transactions in the camp had been made [Patrick].
2. Speak unto Aaron, &c.—The candlestick, which was made of one solid, massive piece of pure gold, with six lamps supported on as many branches, a seventh in the center surmounting the shaft itself (Ex 25:31; 37:17), and completed according to the pattern shown in the mount, was now to be lighted, when the other things in the sanctuary began to be applied to religious service. It was Aaron's personal duty, as the servant of God, to light His house, which, being without windows, required the aid of lights (2Pe 1:19). And the course he was ordered to follow was first to light the middle lamp from the altar-fire, and then the other lamps from each other—a course symbolical of all the light of heavenly truth being derived from Christ, and diffused by His ministers throughout the world (Re 4:5).
the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick—The candlestick stood close to the boards of the sanctuary, on the south side, in full view of the table of showbread on the north (Ex 26:35), having one set of its lamps turned towards the east, and another towards the west; so that all parts of the tabernacle were thus lighted up.
Nu 8:5-22. The Consecration of the Levites.
6, 7. Take the Levites … and cleanse them—This passage describes the consecration of the Levites. Although the tribe was to be devoted to the divine service, their hereditary descent alone was not a sufficient qualification for entering on the duties of the sacred office. They were to be set apart by a special ceremony, which, however, was much simpler than that appointed for the priests; neither washing nor anointing, nor investiture with official robes, was necessary. Their purification consisted, along with the offering of the requisite sacrifices (Le 1:4; 3:2; 4:4), in being sprinkled by water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer (Nu 19:9), and shaved all over, and their clothes washed—a combination of symbolical acts which was intended to remind them of the mortification of carnal and worldly desires, and the maintenance of that purity in heart and life which became the servants of God.
9, 10. thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together, &c.—As it was plainly impossible that the whole multitude of the Israelites could do this, a select portion of them must be meant. This party, who laid their hands upon the Levites, are supposed by some to have been the first-born, who by that act, transferred their peculiar privilege of acting as God's ministers to the Levitical tribe; and by others, to have been the princes, who thus blessed them. It appears, from this passage, that the imposition of hands was a ceremony used in consecrating persons to holy offices in the ancient, as, from the example of our Lord and His apostles, it has been perpetuated in the Christian Church.
11-13. And Aaron shall offer the Levites—Hebrew, "as a wave offering"; and it has been thought probable that the high priest, in bringing the Levites one by one to the altar, directed them to make some simple movements of their persons, analogous to what was done at the presentation of the wave offerings before the Lord. Thus were they first devoted as an offering to God, and by Him surrendered to the priests to be employed in His service. The consecration ceremonial was repeated in the case of every Levite who was taken (as was done at a later period) to assist the priests in the tabernacle and temple. (See on 2Ch 29:34).
14. and the Levites shall be mine—that is, exempt from all military duty or secular work—free from all pecuniary imposition and wholly devoted to the custody and service of the sanctuary.
15. after that, shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation—into the court, to assist the priests; and at removal into the tabernacle—that is, into the door of it—to receive the covered furniture.
19. to make an atonement for the children of Israel, &c.—to aid the priests in that expiatory work; or, as the words may be rendered, "to make redemption for" the Levites being exchanged or substituted for the first-born for this important end, that there might be a sanctified body of men appointed to guard the sanctuary, and the people not allowed to approach or presumptuously meddle with holy things, which would expose them to the angry judgments of Heaven.
24. from twenty and five years old, &c.—(Compare Nu 4:3). They entered on their work in their twenty-fifth year, as pupils and probationers, under the superintendence and direction of their senior brethren; and at thirty they were admitted to the full discharge of their official functions.
25. from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, &c.—that is, on the laborious and exhausting parts of their work.
26. But shall minister with their brethren—in the performance of easier and higher duties, instructing and directing the young, or superintending important trusts. "They also serve who only wait" [Milton].