Deuteronomy 33:8
6 Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”
7 And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”
Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
9 He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.
10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
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
- Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
- KJV
- And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
- WEB
- About Levi he said, “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.
- ASV
- And of Levi he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with thy godly one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, With whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
- DARBY
- And of Levi he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are for thy godly one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, With whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
- BLB
- And of Levi he said, “Your Thummim [are unto Levi] and Your Urim unto Your godly man, whom You tested at Massah, and with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
- ÅB
- Og om Levi sa han: Dine tummim og urim hører din fromme mann til, han som du fristet ved Massa, som du trettet med ved Meribas vann,
- OTB
- Om Levi sa han: “La dine Tummim og Urim tilhøre din trofaste tjener, som du prøvde ved Massa og som du kjempet med ved Meribas vann.
- B1930
- Og om Levi sa han: Dine tummim og urim hører din fromme mann til, han som du fristet ved Massa, som du trettet med ved Meribas vann,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Exodus 17:7
He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
Read in contextExodus 28:30
And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.
Read in contextNumbers 20:13
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.
Read in contextLeviticus 8:8
Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece.
Read in contextPsalms 106:16
In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
Read in contextHebrews 7:26
Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 8:2–3
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.
Read in contextRevelation 3:7
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
Read in context