Numbers 8
Tree of Life Version
Parashat Beha’alotecha
Dedication of the Levites
8 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you erect the lamps, the seven lamps are to illuminate the area in front of the menorah.” 3 Aaron did so. He erected the lamps facing forward so they illuminated the area in front of the menorah, just as Adonai had commanded Moses. 4 Now this is how the menorah was made: hammered gold from its base to its blossoms. Just as was the pattern that Adonai had shown to Moses, so he made the menorah.
5 Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among Bnei-Yisrael and ceremonially cleanse them. 7 This is what you must do to them to make them clean: Sprinkle the purifying water on them,[a] then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, thus purifying themselves.
8 “Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and gather the whole community of Bnei-Yisrael. 10 Bring the Levites before Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael will lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron will present the Levites before Adonai as a wave offering from Bnei-Yisrael. Then they may go about the work of the service of Adonai.
12 “The Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Adonai to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and present them as a wave offering to Adonai. 14 In this way you are to set apart the Levites from Bnei-Yisrael to be Mine. 15 After you have purified them and presented them as a wave offering, the Levites will come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. 16 For they are the ones from among Bnei-Yisrael given to Me in place of all the first from the wombs of Bnei-Yisrael. I have taken them for Myself.
17 “For every firstborn among Bnei-Yisrael is Mine, whether human or animal. On the day I struck down the firstborn of the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself. [b] 18 So I am taking the Levites in place of the firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael, 19 and I am giving the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among Bnei-Yisrael, to do the work on behalf of Bnei-Yisrael in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for them—so that there would be no plague among them for coming too close to the Sanctuary.”
20 So Moses, Aaron and the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael did so with the Levites. All that Adonai had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, so Bnei-Yisrael did to them. 21 The Levites also purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Adonai, and, he made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their tasks before Aaron and his sons in the Tent of Meeting, just as Adonai had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
23 Adonai again spoke to Moses saying, 24 “This is for the Levites. Men 25 years old and upward are to present themselves for service to work in the Tent of Meeting. 25 But at the age of 50 he is to retire from his service and work no longer. 26 He may assist his brothers in the Tent of Meeting to do their duties, but he himself will no longer do the work. Thus, you are to assign to the Levites their responsibilities.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 8:7 cf. Heb. 9:13-14.
- Numbers 8:18 cf. Luke 2:23.
Numbers 8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
8 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Say to Aaron, When you set up and light the lamps, the seven lamps shall be made to give light in front of the lampstand.
3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps of the lampstand to give light in front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses.
4 And this was the workmanship of the candlestick: beaten or turned gold, beaten work [of gold] from its base to its flowers; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
5 And the Lord said to Moses,
6 Take the [a]Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them.
7 And thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification [water to be used in case of sin] upon them, and let them pass a razor over all their flesh and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.(A)
8 Then let them take a young bull and its cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.
9 You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and you shall assemble the whole Israelite congregation.
10 And you shall present the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites shall put their hands upon the Levites,
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites and on their behalf, that they may do the service of the Lord.
12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 And you shall present the Levites before Aaron and his sons and offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.
14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites shall be Mine [in a very special sense].
15 And after that the Levites shall go in to do service at the Tent of Meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering.
16 For they are wholly given to Me from among the Israelites; instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites, I have taken the Levites for Myself.
17 For all the firstborn of the Israelites are Mine, both of man and beast; on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt [not of Israel], I consecrated them and set them apart for Myself.
18 And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the Israelites.
19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the Israelites to do the service of the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement for them, that there may be no plague among the Israelites if they should come near the sanctuary.
20 So Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the Israelites did thus to the Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning [them], so did the Israelites to them.
21 The Levites cleansed and purified themselves and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting with the attendance of Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they to them.
23 And the Lord said to Moses,
24 This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the work of the service of the Tent of Meeting,
25 And at the age of fifty years, they shall retire from the warfare of the service and serve no more,
26 But shall help their brethren in the Tent of Meeting [attend to protecting the sacred things from being profaned], but shall do no regular or heavy service. Thus shall you direct the Levites in regard to their duties.
Footnotes
- Numbers 8:6 There are many lessons for the Christian in this section (Num. 8:5-22). He sees here the importance of each member of God’s family having his own particular task (I Cor. 12). It is necessary that special men be designated for particular duties in order that the work of God’s kingdom shall be done in orderly fashion. Those who do the work of God must be cleansed from all defilement of flesh and spirit. No one is fit in himself to serve God. It is only as we see ourselves as guilty sinners saved through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary that we can do anything that is worthwhile in God’s sight. Apart from Him, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6 kjv). (F. Davidson, ed., The New Bible Commentary).
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
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