“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
Parallel Translations
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“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
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Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
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'Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to Numbers 8:6 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Exodus 19:15 He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”
- Isaiah 52:11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Go out from among her! Cleanse yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (5 sources)
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Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Or, wash or purify them, which was also done…
Or, wash or purify them, which was also done with the priests and others when they were to approach to God and his service. See Exo 19:10,14; Le 14:9.
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 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel,....…
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel,.... Among whom they were mixed, as were all the tribes mixed together as Aben Ezra says, before they took their journey from Mount Sinai; however, from hence forward, they were distinguished from Israelites, as they are both in Scripture and in Jewish writings; see Ch1 9:2; though this seems to design no other but their appointment and separation to their work and service, as ministers to the priests of the Lord; and so as Aaron did not assume the honour of priesthood to himself but was called of God, the Levites did not take the honour of their office to themselves but had it by the appointment and call of God:
and cleanse them; with water, by sprinkling the water of purification on them, and by washing their bodies and clothes with water; which outward washing was a sign of moral purity, which was necessary to their employment in the service of the sanctuary; for though there was no particular uncleanness on them, either ceremonial or moral, but what was common to men; yet it was proper, by such outward rites, to put them and others in mind, that they which are employed about holy things should be eminently pure and holy; and as their business was to carry holy things, to bear the sacred vessels of the sanctuary from place to place when needful, they ought of all men to be clean, Isa 52:11, and in this they were emblems of the ministers of the word, who ought to be pure, as in heart, so in life and conversation, and be examples of purity to others, Co2 6:6.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES. (Num. 8:5-22)
THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES. (Num. 8:5-22)
Take the Levites . . . and cleanse them--This passage describes the consecration of the Levites. Although the tribe was to be devoted to the divine service, their hereditary descent alone was not a sufficient qualification for entering on the duties of the sacred office. They were to be set apart by a special ceremony, which, however, was much simpler than that appointed for the priests; neither washing nor anointing, nor investiture with official robes, was necessary. Their purification consisted, along with the offering of the requisite sacrifices (Lev 1:4; Lev 3:2; Lev 4:4), in being sprinkled by water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer (Num 19:9), and shaved all over, and their clothes washed--a combination of symbolical acts which was intended to remind them of the mortification of carnal and worldly desires, and the maintenance of that purity in heart and life which became the servants of God.
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 6. Take the Levites — Separation must precede consecration.…
6. Take the Levites — Separation must precede consecration. Exo_33:16; 2Co_6:17.
Cleanse them — This was done by three rites — sprinkling, shaving, and washing the clothes. This ceremonial purification of their bodies not only taught the necessity of spiritual sanctification, but to devout believers it had a tendency to this high end. Faith in God evinced by obedience is purifying.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And cleanse them. Before they actually entered upon their…
And cleanse them. Before they actually entered upon their new duties they were to be solemnly hallowed. This hallowing, however, is not called vDeq, as is that of the priests, (Exo_29:1) but rhef, cleansing.
There was in their case no ceremonial washing, no vesting in sacred garments, no anointing with holy oil, or sprinkling with the blood of sacrifices. The Levites, in fact, remained simply representatives of the congregation, whereas the priests were representatives also of Christ.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.