“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’ ”
Parallel Translations
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“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’ ”
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Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
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'Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.'
Cross-references (15)
Passages linked to Numbers 8:2 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Exodus 25:37 You shall make its lamps seven, and they shall light its lamps to give light to the space in front of it.
- Exodus 37:18-19 There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side: three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower; so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand.
- Exodus 37:23 He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold.
- Exodus 40:25 He lit the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 24:1-2 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
- Leviticus 24:4 He shall keep in order the lamps on the pure gold lamp stand before Yahweh continually.
- Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
- Psalms 119:130 The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.
- Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.
- John 1:9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
- 2 Peter 1:19 We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star arises in your hearts:
- Revelation 1:12 I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands.
- Revelation 1:20–2:1 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies. “To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:
- Revelation 4:5 Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
- Isaiah 8:20 Turn to the law and to the covenant! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain To that part which is over against the Candlestick,…
To that part which is over against the Candlestick, Exod. 25:37.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain i.e. Either,
i.e. Either,
1. On every side of the candlestick. So the candlestick is here put for the bulk or shaft of the candlestick, as Exo 25:31,35, and the lamps, when they were lighted, were put into the branches of the candlestick, and take it out upon occasion. Thus the meaning is, that all the lamps were to be lighted on that part which was towards the middle, looking that way whence they had their light; for the middle lamp was lighted with the fire of the altar, and from that the other lamps received light. But against this sense it is objected, that the lamps could not be otherwise ordered, but that they must give light round about the candlestick, and therefore that sense seems to make this direction idle and frivolous. Or,
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2. On that part which is before the candlestick, Heb. over against the face of the candlestick, i.e. in that place towards which the candlestick looked, or where the candlestick stood in full view, i.e. upon the north side, where the table of shewbread stood, as appears from hence, because the candlestick stood close to the boards of the sanctuary on the south side, Exo 26:35. And thus the lights were on both sides of the sanctuary, which was fit and necessary, because it was wholly dark in itself, and had no window in it.
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 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him,.... It being…
Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him,.... It being his work to light the lamps, though, as Ben Gersom observes, it was not incumbent on an high priest alone to do this, for it also belonged to the sons of Aaron, who were common priests, Exo 27:21; though it is probable that as this was the first time of lighting them, it might be done by Aaron himself, his sons attending and assisting him; in which he was an eminent type of Christ, the great High Priest, who lights the lamps in all his golden candlesticks, the churches, Rev 1:20, and from whom they have all their light and all the supplies of it:
when thou lightest the lamps; which was done at evening, Exo 30:8; pointing at the great light set up by Christ, the light of the world, in the evening of it, in the last days:
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the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick; the Targum of Jonathan is,"at the same time of thy lighting the lamps over against the candlestick, there shall be seven lamps giving light: three on the west side and three on the east side, and the seventh in the middle:''and in the like order Jarchi places them, who observes, that the three eastward looked over against the middlemost, the wicks that were in them; and so the three westward, the tops of the wicks were over against the middlemost: and he also observes, that the middlemost lamp was no other than the body of the candlestick, and so all the rest of the lamps were over against and looked to that; and this is the sense of Maimonides (m), and other Jewish writers; but the truer meaning of the phrase is, that the seven lamps gave light, as they were to do, to that part of the holy place that was opposite to the candlestick, the north part of it, where stood the shewbread table, the candlestick being in the south, Exo 40:22; that the table of the Lord might have light, as it was proper it should; and the priests might see to set on and take off the bread, which otherwise they could not, there being no window in the place; See Gill on Exo 25:37.
(m) Hilchot Beth Hacbehirah, c. 3. sect. 8.
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 When thou lightest the lamps - The priests lighted…
When thou lightest the lamps - The priests lighted the middle lamp from the fire of the altar; and the rest one from another; signifying that all light and knowledge comes from Christ, who has the seven spirits of God, figured by the seven lamps of fire. Over against the candlestick - On that part which is before the candlestick, Hebrew. over against the face of the candlestick - That is, in that place towards which the candlestick looked, or where the candlestick stood in full view, that is, upon the north- side, where the table of shew-bread stood, as appears from hence, because the candlestick stood close to the boards of the sanctuary on the south-side, Exod. xxvi, 35. And thus the lights were on both sides of the sanctuary, which was necessary, because it was dark in itself, and had no window.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 2. The seven lamps shall give light] The…
Verse 2. The seven lamps shall give light] The whole seven shall be lighted at one time, that seven may be ever burning.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 8:2. When thou lightest the lamps — The…
Num 8:2. When thou lightest the lamps — The priests lighted the middle lamp from the fire of the altar, and the rest one from another. Thus, all light and knowledge comes from Christ, who has the seven spirits of God, signified by these seven lamps of fire. Shall give light over against the candlestick — On that part which is before the candlestick. Hebrew, over against the face; or, before the face of the candlestick. That is, in that place toward which the candlestick looked, or where it stood in full view. Or rather, the meaning of the order is, that the whole seven lamps should be lighted, which branched out from all sides of the shaft, called the candlestick, (Exo 25:35,) in order that the sanctuary might be all enlightened, there being no windows in it, so that all the light it had came from the candlestick.
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 Looketh. This candlestick stood on the south side, with…
Looketh. This candlestick stood on the south side, with one branch extending towards the altar of incense, on the east; and the other to the west, so as to give light to the loaves of proposition, on the north, Exodus xxv. 31. (Calmet) --- It was intended to illumine the holy of holies, where a sort of feast was prepared for God, and where no windows were found. (Menochius) --- Hebrew simply, "When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against," upon, or near to "the candlestick." (Haydock) --- The lamps might be separated from the branches and stem of the candlestick. (Du Hamel)
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Speak unto Aaron, &c.--The candlestick, which was made of…
Speak unto Aaron, &c.--The candlestick, which was made of one solid, massive piece of pure gold, with six lamps supported on as many branches, a seventh in the center surmounting the shaft itself (Exo 25:31; Exo 37:17), and completed according to the pattern shown in the mount, was now to be lighted, when the other things in the sanctuary began to be applied to religious service. It was Aaron's personal duty, as the servant of God, to light His house, which, being without windows, required the aid of lights (Pe2 1:19). And the course he was ordered to follow was first to light the middle lamp from the altar-fire, and then the other lamps from each other--a course symbolical of all the light of heavenly truth being derived from Christ, and diffused by His ministers throughout the world (Rev 4:5).
the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick--The candlestick stood close to the boards of the sanctuary, on the south side, in full view of the table of showbread on the north (Exo 26:35), having one set of its lamps turned towards the east, and another towards the west; so that all parts of the tabernacle were thus lighted up.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain THE LAMPS, Num_8:1-4.
THE LAMPS, Num_8:1-4.
2. The seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick — R.V., “in front of.” The Hebrew here is very explicit, yet it is difficult to imagine how the lamps on the candlestick are to give light over against its face or front. This face was the front shown by the seven arms, as they formed a straight line. Since the chandelier stood on the south side of the holy place, the face or front would be northward toward the table of show-bread, and not eastward toward the door of the tabernacle, so that more light was cast northward than eastward, inasmuch as a priest entering in would see the lamps all in a line as one light. The south side of the chandelier could not be called the front, because the lamps were not symmetrically constructed, the wick not being in the middle, but at the edge, so that the light was thrown upon one side, illumining this front space more than that behind. Throughout the Scriptures oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit by which believers are filled with light and life. Zec_4:2-12; Mat_25:1-13; Act_10:38; Heb_1:9; 1Jn_2:20; 1Jn_2:27. The show-bread typifies Christ, the Bread of life. The chandelier pouring its full blaze northward upon the showbread beautifully sets forth the great office of the Spirit in the “holy place” of the sanctified heart. “He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you.” Joh_16:14, note.
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 2. When thou settest up] So R.V. marg. correctly.…
2. When thou settest up] So R.V. marg. correctly. The lamps were small bowls of oil with wicks. They stood on the top of the central stem and of the three branching arms or shafts on either side. The verb describes Aaron as reaching up to put them in their place after the wicks have been lighted.
in front of the lampstand] i.e. towards the opposite (north) side, where the table of the Presence-bread stood.
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 (2) When thou lightest the lamps.—Better, When thou settest…
VIII.
(2) When thou lightest the lamps.—Better, When thou settest up the lamps. (Comp. Exo_25:37.) The golden candlestick was placed against the south wall of the Tabernacle, opposite to the table of shewbread, so that its seven branches were parallel to that wall, with its branches east and west, and consequently the seven lamps, one of which rested upon each of the seven branches, threw their light in front of the candlestick, i.e., towards the north wall, by which arrangement the furniture of the holy place was more effectually lighted than it would have been had the candlestick been placed facing the entrance, with its branches north and south.
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Over against.—Or, in front of.
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 When thou lightest the lamps. The command to light…
When thou lightest the lamps. The command to light the lamps had been given generally ("they shall light the lamps thereof") in Exo_25:37, and the care of them had been specially confided to Aaron and his sons ("from evening to morning") in Exo_27:21. The actual lighting of the lamps for the first time by Moses is recorded in Exo_40:25. In the face of these passages it is incredible that the lamps had not been regularly lighted by Aaron for more than a month before the offering of the princes. The seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. It is somewhat uncertain what this expression, here repeated from Exo_25:37, means. The Targums give no explanation of it; the Septuagint merely renders verbally, kata proswpon thv lucniav fwtiousin ; the Jewish expositors seem to have thought that the light was to be thrown inward towards the central shaft; most modern commentators, with more probability, understand it to mean that the lamps were to be so placed as to throw their light across the tabernacle towards the north side.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.