Numbers 8:19
17 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.
18 But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”
20 So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.
21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.
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
- And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- 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, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons, from among the children of Israel, to perform 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 draw near to the sanctuary.
- BLB
- And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the sons of Israel, to do the work of the sons of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement upon the sons of Israel, and there will be no plague among the sons of Israel at the coming of the sons of Israel to the sanctuary.”
- ÅB
- Jeg tok levittene ut blant Israels barn og overgav dem helt til Aron og hans sønner, for at de skulle gjøre tjeneste ved sammenkomstens telt for Israels barn og gjøre soning for dem, så Israels barn ikke skal føre ulykke over seg ved å komme nær til helligdommen.
- OTB
- Jeg har gitt levittene som en gave til Aron og hans sønner fra blant israelittene, for å utføre tjenesten ved møteteltet på vegne av israelittene og for å gjøre soning for dem, slik at ingen plage skal komme over israelittene når de nærmer seg helligdommen."
- B1930
- Jeg tok levittene ut blandt Israels barn og overgav dem helt til Aron og hans sønner, forat de skulde gjøre tjeneste ved sammenkomstens telt for Israels barn og gjøre soning for dem, så Israels barn ikke skal føre ulykke over sig ved å komme nær til helligdommen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Numbers 1:53
But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
Read in contextNumbers 16:46
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”
Read in context2 Chronicles 26:16–20
But when Uzziah grew powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
Read in context1 Chronicles 23:28–32
but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,
Read in contextNumbers 3:6–9
“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
Read in contextEzekiel 44:11–14
Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them.
Read in contextNumbers 18:2–6
But bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony.
Read in context1 Samuel 6:19
But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.
Read in context