At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day.
Parallel Translations
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At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day.
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At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
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At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day.
Cross-references (34)
Passages linked to Deuteronomy 10:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Deuteronomy 21:5 The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.
- Deuteronomy 18:5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in Yahweh’s name, him and his sons forever.
- Numbers 3:6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
- Numbers 4:15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp moves forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. The sons of Kohath shall carry these things belonging to the Tent of Meeting.
- Numbers 6:23-26 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them, ‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.’
- Numbers 16:9-10 Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?
- 2 Chronicles 30:27 Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.
- Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore Yahweh says, “If you return, then I will bring you again, that you may stand before me; and if you take out the precious from the vile, you will be as my mouth. They will return to you, but you will not return to them.
- John 15:16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
- Exodus 29:1-37 “This is the thing that you shall do to them to make them holy, to minister to me in the priest’s office: take one young bull and two rams without defect, unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. You shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams. You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water. You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and clothe him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. You shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him. You shall bring his sons, and put tunics on them. You shall clothe them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them. They shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute. You shall consecrate Aaron and his sons. “You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. You shall kill the bull before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting. You shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. But the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. It is a sin offering. “You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar. You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head. You shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to Yahweh; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh. “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot; and sprinkle the blood around on the altar. You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh. You shall put all of this in Aaron’s hands, and in his sons’ hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before Yahweh: it is an offering made by fire to Yahweh. “You shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It shall be your portion. You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is raised up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons. It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering. It shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to Yahweh. “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them. Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place. “You shall take the ram of consecration and boil its meat in a holy place. Aaron and his sons shall eat the meat of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and sanctify them; but a stranger shall not eat of it, because they are holy. If anything of the meat of the consecration, or of the bread, remains to the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. “You shall do so to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days. Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it. You shall anoint it, to sanctify it. Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall be holy.
- Leviticus 9:22 Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.
- Numbers 1:47-53 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them. For Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel; but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”
- Numbers 18:1-32 Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony. They shall keep your commands and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they nor you. They shall be joined to you and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you. “You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel. Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to Yahweh, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.” Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever. This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you. “This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it. “I have given to you all the best of the oil, all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to Yahweh. The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it. “Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours. Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Yahweh, both of man and animal, shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs. “But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours. All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your offspring with you.” Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. “To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting. Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die. But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance. For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ ” Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe. Your wave offering shall be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press. Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give Yahweh’s wave offering to Aaron the priest. Out of all your gifts, you shall offer every wave offering to Yahweh, of all its best parts, even the holy part of it.’ “Therefore you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press. You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting. You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.’ ”
- 1 Chronicles 15:12-15 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it. For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.” So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel. The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.
- 1 Chronicles 15:26 When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
- Psalms 135:2 you who stand in Yahweh’s house, in the courts of our God’s house.
- Romans 12:7 or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;
- Leviticus 8:9 He set the turban on his head. He set the golden plate, the holy crown, on the front of the turban, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Numbers 3:1-4 Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that Yahweh spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.
- Numbers 3:31 Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service.
- Numbers 8:1-26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’ ” Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as Yahweh commanded Moses. This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which Yahweh had shown Moses. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering. You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel. You shall present the Levites before Yahweh. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh. “The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Yahweh. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. “After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me. 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. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 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.” Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before Yahweh and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting; and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more, but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”
- Deuteronomy 17:12 The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel.
- 1 Kings 8:3-4 All the elders of Israel came, and the priests picked up the ark. They brought up Yahweh’s ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The priests and the Levites brought these up.
- 1 Kings 8:6 The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings.
- 1 Chronicles 23:26 Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”
- 2 Chronicles 5:4-5 All the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark; and they brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the Levitical priests brought up.
- 2 Chronicles 29:11 My sons, don’t be negligent now; for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.”
- Psalms 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary. Praise Yahweh!
- Ezekiel 44:11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house. They shall kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.
- Ezekiel 44:15 “ ‘ “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord Yahweh.
- Acts 13:2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”
- Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,
- 2 Corinthians 6:17 Therefore “ ‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.
- Galatians 1:15 But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, to offer sacrifice, and to declare the…
That is, to offer sacrifice, and to declare the Law to the people.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Deu 10:8 At that time the LORD separated the…
Deu 10:8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
Ver. 8. At that time,] viz., While they were yet at Mount Sinai; for the two former verses are inserted by a parenthesis.
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The Lord separated the tribe of Levi.] This setting up of the ministry amongst them is reckoned as a sign of God’s singular love to them. And so it is to us, no doubt, albeit a late pamphleteer {a} makes that sacred and tremendous function of the ministry to be as mere an imposture, as very a mystery of iniquity, as arrant a fruad, as the Papacy itself. Now the Lord rebuke thee, Satan.
To stand before the Lord.] As also the angels do. {Luk 1:19}
{a} The Compassionate Samaritan.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain At that time, about that time, i.e. when I…
At that time, about that time, i.e. when I was come down from the mount, as was said Deu 10:5; for these words manifestly look to that verse, the sixth and seventh verses being put in by way of parenthesis, as was said before. Or, if it relate to the words immediately foregoing, this may be meant of a second separation of them upon Aaron’s death; and having mentioned the separation of Eleazar to the office of the high priest in his father’s stead, Deu 10:6, he now repeats it, that the Levites who were his, as they had been his father’s servants, were separated as before, or were confirmed in their office.
To stand before the Lord; a phrase used concerning the prophets, 1Ki 17:1; 18:15, this being the posture of ministers. Hence the angels are said to stand, 2Ch 18:18; Luk 1:19.
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To bless in his name; either,
1. Particularly, to pronounce the solemn blessing of God upon the congregation, which was done in God’s name, of which see Lev 9:23; Num 6:23, &c. But that work was peculiar to the priests, not common to all the Levites. Or, more generally, to bless, either,
1. God, i.e. to praise him, which being a considerable part of the Levites’ work, 1Ch 16, it is not probable it would be omitted here, where their office is so particularly described. Or,
2. The people, whom they did bless by performance of those holy ministrations for the people, and giving those instructions to them, to which God’s blessing was promised and usually given; and this they did in God’s name, i.e. by command and commission from him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain At that time the Lord separated the tribe of…
At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi,.... Not at the time that Moses came down from the mount with the tables of the law, but some considerable time after, even after the tabernacle was erected; nor at the time that Aaron died, and Eleazar succeeded him, but many years before that; unless there was a fresh separation of them, or a renewal of it when Eleazar became high priest in his father's stead; and so that being mentioned is the reason of its being repeated here:
to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord; even that into which the law, sometimes called the covenant, was put, and therefore here called the ark of the covenant: when this was carried from place to place, as it was especially in the wilderness, it was the business of the Levites to bear it, particularly the Kohathites; Num 3:31,
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to stand before the Lord to minister unto him; that is, to his priests, in the tabernacle, and to keep and guard that:
and to bless in his name unto this day; not to bless the people, which was the work of the priest, but to sing praise in the name of the Lord, to give thanks unto him, and bless and praise him.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain At that time - About that time, that is,…
At that time - About that time, that is, when I was come down from the mount, as was said, ver. 5. To stand before the Lord - A phrase used concerning the prophets, 1 Kings xvii, 1; xviii, 15, this being the posture of ministers. Hence the angels are said to stand, 2Chr xviii, 18 Luke i, 19. To bless - The people, by performance of those holy ministrations for the people, and giving those instructions to them, to which God's blessing was promised; and this they did in God's name, that is, by command, and commission from him.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Deu 10:8. At that time — About that time,…
Deu 10:8. At that time — About that time, that is, when I was come down from the mount, as was said, Deu 10:5. To stand before the Lord — A phrase used concerning the prophets, 1Ki 17:1; 1Ki 18:15, this being the posture of servants, Hence the angels are said to stand, 2Ch 18:18; and Luk 1:19. To bless — The people, by performing those holy ministrations for them, and giving those instructions to them, to and with which God’s blessing was promised; and this they did in God’s name, that is, by command and commission from him. Let it be observed here, that a settled ministry is a great blessing to a people, and a special token of God’s love to them. But they who are blessed with it should take care that it do not become a curse through their abuse or non-improvement of it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Time, during the pontificate of Aaron, Numbers iii. 6.…
Time, during the pontificate of Aaron, Numbers iii. 6. (Menochius) --- God had made this appointment at Sinai, (Exodus xxviii. 1,) where he ordered the tabernacle and the priests to be consecrated. Upon the sedition of Core, which probably took place at Jetebata, he confirmed the rights of the Levitical tribe, Numbers xvi. 17, 18. (Calmet) --- Ark. The priests carried it, on more solemn occasions, (Josue iii. 3,) as they also blessed the people. (Menochius) --- Yet the Levites sung the praises of God, in which sense the word is often used, 1 Paralipomenon xxiii. 13. Hence Castalio translates, "to celebrate his name."
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8. At that time — This expression is to…
8. At that time — This expression is to be understood, not as referring to the time subsequent to the death of Aaron, but as in the first verse of this chapter and in Deu_9:20, to the time when the covenant was renewed on Sinai. The apostasy of the people when the golden calf was made and worshipped is present to the mind of the speaker. The tribe of Levi, the great lawgiver’s own tribe, showed their fidelity to him. “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.” Exo_32:26. The tribe of Levi was set apart for special service connected with worship and sacrifice. It is evident from Num_4:4, and following verses, that the office of carrying the ark on the march devolved on the non-priestly Levites, namely, the Kohathites, but on some special occasions it was borne by the priests. See Jos_3:3; Jos_3:6; Jos_3:8; also Deu_6:6, and 1Ki_8:3. Comp. Deu_31:9, of this book.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. At that time] Cp. Deu_9:20, Deu_10:1. If, as…
8. At that time] Cp. Deu_9:20, Deu_10:1. If, as we have seen to be most probable, Deu_10:6-7 are a later intrusion and out of place where they stand, that time is not that of the sojourn at Yoṭbathah after Aaron’s death (though the editor who inserted Deu_10:6-7 may have meant to imply this; see the general note to these vv.), but the time at Ḥoreb (Deu_10:1). This conclusion is confirmed (a) by the subsequent Deu_10:10, in which the retrospect still rests on Ḥoreb; (b) by the natural connection between the mention of the making of the Ark and that of the appointment of its bearers; (c) by the fact that another line of tradition, P, assigns to Ḥoreb the consecration of Levites to priestly duties, and also makes this follow the order to build the ark (and sanctuary); and (d) because, although no such setting apart is recorded in JE, these lines of the tradition may also have originally contained it and even hint at it in Exo_32:29, immediately after the account of the zeal of all the sons of Levi in the punishment of the people’s apostasy with the golden calf (see Dillmann on that and on this passage; also Driver’s note on Exo_32:29).
the Lord separated] set apart, with a solemn religious sense, as for Himself; the verb is used when He takes Israel from other peoples, Lev_20:24 (H); or when Moses is directed to separate the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, Num_16:9 (P), that the Levites may be mine, Num_8:14 (P); or of the separation of the cities of refuge, Deu_4:41, Deu_19:2; Deu_19:7; and even of separating a person to evil, Deu_29:21 (20), and putting aside beasts that are unclean, Lev_20:25.
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the tribe of Levi] Unambiguous, leaving no question possible as to whether they are meant in part or whole—a question which would have arisen had the term the Levites (in view of its narrower meaning in P) been used. Cp. Deu_18:1, all the tribe of Levi.
to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord] D’s name for the Ark; see on Deu_10:2. The O.T. data of the bearing of the Ark are summarily these. In JE, Jos_3:6, the priests bear the Ark; and the priests bear it also at the consecration of Solomon’s Temple, 1Ki_8:3; 1Ki_8:6. Here in D the office is assigned to the whole (see above) tribe of Levi. These terms are combined in Deu_31:9 according to which the Ark is borne by the priests the sons of Levi; cp. the deuteronomic verse, Jos_3:3, the priests the Levites bearing it. But in P, Num_4:1; Num_4:4; Num_4:15, the bearing of the Ark is specially allotted to one clan of Levi, the Kohathites, who are distinguished from the priests—in P, Aaron and his sons—by being forbidden to perform the more sacred priestly functions, Num_4:15; Num_4:17-20. Clearly then P differs from D, in which the whole tribe of Levi is regarded as priests and as such carry the Ark, besides performing the other more sacred functions which now follow.
to stand before the Lord to minister unto him] Both vbs, which are used of a servant’s attitude and duty to his human master (stand before, 1Ki_10:8; minister, Gen_39:4) are also employed (with and without the name of God, and either together or separately), specially to express religious service and in particular the distinctive office and functions of the priests, Deu_17:12 (before Jehovah); Jdg_20:28 (before the Ark), Eze_44:15; 2Ch_29:11. In D these are laid upon the whole tribe of Levi as here, in Deu_18:5; Deu_18:7, God hath chosen him, Levi, out of all thy tribes to stand to minister in the name of Jehovah, him and his sons for ever; and Deu_21:5, the priests the sons of Levi … for them hath Jehovah chosen to minister unto him. P uses the phrase to stand before Jehovah neither of the priests nor of the Levites, but says that the Levites stand before the congregation. The verb to minister (shârçth) P, both of Aaron and his sons, the priests, and of the Levites. Of the priests either absolutely Exo_28:35; Exo_39:26, or within the holy place Exo_28:43, Exo_29:30, Exo_39:1, and in the priests’ office Exo_35:19, Exo_39:41; or of their ministry of the altar, i.e. the sacrifices, Exo_30:20; and only once with regard to God Himself, Exo_28:41, to minister unto me. Of the Levites P never uses to minister to Jehovah; but either to minister alone, Num_3:31; or to the camp, Num_4:9; or in the sanctuary, Num_4:12, cp. Num_1:50; or at the altar (in preparing it for the priests), Num_4:24; or to Aaron, Num_18:2. P and D then differ thus, that while D uses the double phrase, stand before and minister to Jehovah of the whole tribe of Levi, P says that the Levites stand before the congregation, and uses the phrase minister to Jehovah only of the priests, and intends by it the most sacred priestly functions of sacrifice, etc., the Levites’ ministering being confined to less sacred duties in regard to the care of the fabric of the Tabernacle and the Camp and in assisting the priests.
to bless in his name] So Deu_21:5 again of the sons of Levi, the priests. This is another of the distinctive priestly duties (though sometimes discharged by kïngs, 2Sa_6:18; 1Ki_8:14; 1Ki_8:55). It is twice assigned by P to Aaron: Lev_9:22, Num_6:23; and it is included in 1Ch_23:18 among the offices to which Aaron was set apart.
unto this day] Cp. for ever in Deu_18:5.
Our detailed examination of this verse, and other O.T. passages relevant to the subject, makes it clear that in the Book of Deuteronomy all the tribe of Levi or sons of Levi are regarded as priests; and that every son of Levi, or Levite, could perform the distinctive priestly functions; whereas in P all these functions are limited to Aaron and his sons, except the bearing of the Ark, which is assigned to a Levite clan the Kohathites; while Levite has become a technical name for the non-Aaronic members of the tribe, to whom priestly functions were forbidden and who had less sacred duties about the altar and sanctuary. These distinctions are unknown to D: to him Levites and priests are identical terms. It is impossible to suppose that D silently presupposed the distinctions in P. There is not the slightest sign anywhere in his language that this was the case. On the contrary his addition, that the exercise of the priests’ office by all Levites continued to his own day and was for ever proves that he did not know P. And this is confirmed with its consequence, a late date for P, by the evidence of the earlier historical writings and especially by a comparison of Samuel and Kings with Chronicles. See further Chapman in Int. to the Pent. (in this series), pp. 154 ff., and App. vii. 5 and cp. below on Deu_18:1-8.
8, 9. The setting apart of the tribe of Levi to bear the Ark and perform other priestly functions. It is not wholly certain whether this passage belongs to the address itself or is another intrusion; yet with its opening clause (cp. Deu_10:1) the deuteronomic phraseology is resumed, and the appointment of the bearers of the Ark follows naturally upon 1–5, which record the making of the Ark; see further on Deu_10:8. The general question arising from the difference between the data of Deut. (and the pre-deuteronomic writers) and those of P regarding the tribe of Levi and the offices here assigned to the whole tribe, will be more suitably discussed later on.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (8) At that time—i.e., at Sinai, after Moses’ second…
(8) At that time—i.e., at Sinai, after Moses’ second descent from the mount, not at the time of Aaron’s death. Yet the death of Aaron and the separation of the tribe of Levi are similar events in their way: both alike lose territorial inheritance through bearing the burden of the Law.
To bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name.—A recent critic has said that the writer of Deuteronomy knows no distinction between priests and Levites. (See on this point Deu_11:6.) Rashi’s note on this verse is better: “To bear the ark (He separated)—the Levites; to stand before Jehovah to minister to Him, and to bless in His name—the priests.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 8, 9. Moses, here resuming the form of…
Vers. 8, 9. Moses, here resuming the form of address, refers to the separation of the tribe of Levi to the holy service.
At that time; the time when the covenant was restored at Sinai, not the time when Aaron died. The appointment of the tribe of Levi for service took place in connection with that of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. (Num_3:4) The service to which the tribe of Levi was chosen appertained to the tribe as such, including the priests as well as the non-priestly Levites, though parts of it specially belonged to the one class rather than the other. Thus the bearing of the ark was the special duty of non-priestly Levites, the Kohathites (Num_4:4, etc.; 1Ch_15:15) but was also, on peculiarly solemn occasions, discharged by the priests. (Jos_3:6, etc.; Jos_6:6 Jos_8:33 1Ki_8:3, 1Ki_8:6, etc.) To stand before the Lord to minister unto him was the special function of the priests; (Deu_17:12 Deu_21:5 Eze_40:46 Eze_44:15, Eze_44:16) but as the service of the Levites was also a sacred service, they too are said to stand to minister before the Lord (Deu_18:7; 1Ch_15:2 2Ch_23:6 2Ch_29:4, 2Ch_29:5, 2Ch_29:11, 2Ch_29:12) To bless in his name does not mean, as some propose, to invoke the Name of God, or to praise his Name, but to pronounce a benediction or invoke a blessing on the people in his Name (cf. 2Sa_6:18; 1Ch_16:2) This was the special duty of the priests (cf. Num_6:22-27; Deu_21:5; 1Ch_23:13) but might also be done by others (as by David), and in this benediction the Levites might join. (2Ch_25:27)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
The writer gives background information about the tribe of Levi. (See: Background Information)
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to stand before Yahweh to serve him
This is an idiom. "to offer the sacrifices that Yahweh requires" (See: Idiom)
in his name
Here "name" refers to authority. AT: "as representatives of Yahweh" (See: Metonymy)
as today
"as they are doing today"
no portion nor inheritance of land
The tribe of Levi did not receive a portion of the promised land when they arrived there. The full meaning of this statement may be made explicit. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Yahweh is his inheritance
Yahweh speaks of the special relationship that Aaron and his descendants will have with him as if Yahweh were something that they will inherit. AT: "Yahweh is what they will have" or "Yahweh will allow them to serve him and he will provide for them through that service"
Yahweh your God
Moses speaks to the Israelites as if they were one man, so the word "your" here is singular. (See: Forms of You)
spoke to him
"spoke to the tribe of Levi"
translationWords
Yahweh
tribe
Levi
ark of the covenant
servant
bless
name
inherit
brother
God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.