Numbers 3:9

9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him[a] from the Israelites.[b]

Numbers 3:9 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 3:9

And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons,
&c.] To be their ministers and servants:

they [are] wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel:
even all of them entirely, none excepted; the whole tribe which were not in the priestly office; those were separated from the rest of the tribes of Israel, and appointed for the service of the priests: or they were "given, given" F17; which is repeated not only to show that they were wholly given, as we render it, but to denote the certainty of it, that they were really given; and especially to declare the freeness of the gift; the priests had them as free gifts, nor did they pay them any thing for, their service; they were maintained another way, namely, by the tithes of the people; and indeed the priests received a tithe out of the tithe of the Levites; so far were they from contributing any thing to their support, or in consideration of the service they did them.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 (Mynwtn Mynwtn) "dati, dati", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius.

Numbers 3:9 In-Context

7 They are to perform duties for him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle.
8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.
9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him from the Israelites.
10 You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near [the sanctuary] must be put to death."
11 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Some Hb mss, LXX, Sam read Me; Nm 8:16
  • [b]. Nm 8:16,19,22; 18:6
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.