Numbers 8:17
15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
19 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an 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.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.
- KJV
- For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
- WEB
- For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both of man and beast; on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed them to myself.
- BLB
- For Mine [are] all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, the man and the beast. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to Myself.
- ÅB
- For meg hører alt førstefødt til blant Israels barn, både folk og fe; den dag jeg slo alt førstefødt i Egypt, helliget jeg dem for meg.
- OTB
- For hver førstefødt i Israel, både menneske og dyr, er min. Den dagen jeg slo ned alle de førstefødte i Egypt, satte jeg dem til side for meg selv.
- B1930
- For mig hører alt førstefødt til blandt Israels barn, både folk og fe; den dag jeg slo alt førstefødt i Egyptens land, helliget jeg dem for mig.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Exodus 13:2
Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
Read in contextLuke 2:23
(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
Read in contextExodus 13:12–15
That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’s.
Read in contextJames 1:18
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Read in contextJohn 17:19
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Read in contextPsalms 135:8
Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
Read in contextPsalms 78:51
And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Read in contextHebrews 11:28
Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Read in context