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Numbers 8

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Instructions for the Menorah 1–4

1
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
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Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick. ​
3
And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
4
And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work: according unto the pattern which Jehovah had showed Moses, so he made the candlestick. ​

Consecration of the Levites 5–22

5
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
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Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. ​
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And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. ​
8
Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.
9
And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel:
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and thou shalt present the Levites before Jehovah. And the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites: ​
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and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Jehovah for a wave-offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Jehovah. ​
12
And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and offer thou the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, unto Jehovah, to make atonement for the Levites. ​
13
And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering unto Jehovah.
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Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine. ​
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And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tent of meeting: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for a wave-offering.
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For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. ​
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For all the first-born among the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. ​
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And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.
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And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. ​
20
Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites: according unto all that Jehovah commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. ​
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And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes: and Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
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And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

Age Requirements for Levite Service 23–26

23
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
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This is that which belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service in the work of the tent of meeting: ​
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and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more, ​
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but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Numbers 8

Verse 2

the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick — 'Lightest' is alah, literally to cause to go up, the verb of kindling. The wording repeats Ex 25:37, 'they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it'; the lamps were to burn 'continually' (Lev 24:2).

Verse 4

of beaten gold — Miqshah, work hammered out of one mass, the word of Ex 25:31 and 37:17, where the whole is of a talent of pure gold (Ex 37:24). 'Pattern' is mareh, an appearance shown; Moses was told, 'look that thou make them after their pattern' (Ex 25:40; cf. Heb 8:5).

Verse 6

cleanse them — Taher, to be made clean or pure. The Levites are first taken 'from among the children of Israel' and then purified before serving. The same demand is made of all who handle sacred things: 'be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD' (Isa 52:11).

Verse 7

water of purifying — Literally water of sin (chattath), that is, water for removing uncleanness, sprinkled as in Num 19:19. The shaving is literally causing a razor to pass over the flesh (taar). With the washing of clothes, the cleansing covered the body and the garments.

Verse 10

put their hands upon the Levites — Samak, to lean on, the verb used of the offerer's hand on the animal (Lev 1:4). Here the people lay hands on the Levites, who stand for 'all the firstborn' (Num 3:45). Hands are laid on those sent to service in Acts 13:3.

Verse 11

offer the Levites — The verb is nuph, to wave, and 'offering' is tenuphah, the wave offering (Lev 8:27 uses both words of the ram's portions). The Levites are presented to the LORD 'for an offering of the children of Israel', that they may 'execute the service' (abodah).

Verse 12

to make an atonement for the Levites — Kaphar. The Levites lay hands on two bullocks, one a sin offering and one a burnt offering, as Aaron and his sons did at their own consecration (Lev 8:14). The sin offering comes first, then the burnt offering, which is wholly given to God.

Verse 14

the Levites shall be mine — Badal, to divide or set apart, the verb of separation. The claim is made in Num 3:12, 'therefore the Levites shall be mine', and repeated in Num 3:45. Moses later reminds Korah that God 'hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself' (Num 16:9).

Verse 16

wholly given unto me — 'Wholly given' is nathan, to give, in the passive form, as in Num 3:9, 'they are wholly given unto him'. 'Open every womb' translates peter rechem, the firstling that opens the womb; 'instead of' marks the exchange, whose basis is Ex 13:2.

Verse 17

I sanctified them for myself — Qadash, to set apart as holy. The claim rests on the night 'that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt', when Israel's firstborn were spared (Ex 13:12, 15). Luke 2:23 cites the same law: 'Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord'.

Verse 19

that there be no plague — Negeph, a blow or stroke of judgment. The Levites do the service and so stand between the people and the holy things, 'that there be no wrath upon the congregation' (Num 1:53). 'Given as a gift' repeats nathan; see Num 18:6, 'to you they are given as a gift for the LORD'.

Verse 20

according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses — The verse names Moses, Aaron and 'all the congregation' as doing the act, with asah, 'do', used twice, once in each half. The report of exact obedience matches that of Aaron with the lamps (v.3).

Verse 24

twenty and five years old — 'Wait upon' is tsaba, a word from the vocabulary of the host, used of military service. Num 4:3 and 4:23 give 'thirty years old and upward even until fifty' for the work of bearing the tabernacle; this verse sets the age of entry into service at twenty-five.

Verse 25

from the age of fifty years — 'Cease waiting' uses shub, to turn back, with tsaba, the host, the same military figure as v.24. Num 4:23 gives fifty as the upper limit of the numbered service; 'shall serve no more' (abad) refers to that labour, not to all duties (v.26).

Verse 26

keep the charge — Shamar mishmereth, to guard a post; the Levites are said to 'keep the charge of the tabernacle' (Num 1:53). Retired Levites 'minister' (sharat) alongside their brethren in this watch, but 'shall do no service' (abodah), the labour of v.24.