Bamidbar 8

1 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

2 Speak unto Aharon and say unto him, When thou set up the Nerot (lamps), the seven Nerot (lamps) shall cast light in front of the Menorah.

3 And Aharon did so; he set up the Nerot (lamps) thereof to give light in front of the Menorah, as Hashem commanded Moshe.

4 And the Menorah was made thus of hammered zahav, from its base unto its flower was it hammered out; according unto the mar’eh (pattern) which Hashem had shown Moshe, so he made the Menorah.

5 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

6 Take the Levi’im from among the Bnei Yisroel, and make them tahor.

7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to make them tahor: Sprinkle water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over their basar, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves tahor.

8 Then let them take a young bull with its minchah, even fine flour mixed with shemen, and another young bull shalt thou take for a chattat.

9 And thou shalt bring the Levi’im before the Ohel Mo’ed: and thou shalt gather Kol Adat Bnei Yisroel together;

10 And thou shalt bring the Levi’im before Hashem; and the Bnei Yisroel shall lay their hands upon the Levi’im;

11 And Aharon shall offer the Levi’im before Hashem for a tenufah from the Bnei Yisroel, that they may perform the Avodat Hashem.

12 And the Levi’im shall lay their hands upon the rosh of the bulls; and thou shalt offer the one for a chattat, and the other for an olah, unto Hashem, to make kapporah for the Levi’im.

13 And thou shalt set the Levi’im before Aharon, and before his Banim, and offer them for a tenufah unto Hashem.

14 Thus shalt thou set apart as separate the Levi’im from among the Bnei Yisroel; and the Levi’im shall be Mine.

15 And after that shall the Levi’im go in to do the service of the Ohel Mo’ed; and thou shalt make them tahor and offer them for a tenufah.

16 For they are wholly given unto Me from among the Bnei Yisroel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the Bechor Kol Bnei Yisroel, have I taken them unto Me.

17 For Kol Bechor Bnei Yisroel are Mine, both adam and behemah; on the day that I struck down kol bechor in Eretz Mitzrayim I set them apart as kodesh for Myself.

18 And I have taken the Levi’im tachat (instead of) Kol Bechor Bnei Yisroel.

19 And I have given the Levi’im as a gift to Aharon and to his Banim from among the Bnei Yisroel, to do the Avodat Bnei Yisroel in the Ohel Mo’ed, and to make kapporah for the Bnei Yisroel; so that there be no plague among the Bnei Yisroel, when the Bnei Yisroel come near unto HaKodesh.

20 And Moshe, and Aharon, and Kol Adat Bnei Yisroel, did with the Levi’im according unto all that Hashem commanded Moshe concerning the Levi’im, so did the Bnei Yisroel unto them.

21 And the Levi’im purified themselves, and they immersed their clothes; and Aharon offered them as a tenufah before Hashem; and Aharon made kapporah for them to make them tahor.

22 And after that went the Levi’im in to do their Avodah in the Ohel Mo’ed before Aharon, and before his Banim; just as Hashem had commanded Moshe concerning the Levi’im, so did they with them.

23 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levi’im: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the Avodat Ohel Mo’ed;

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall retire from the service of the Avodah and shall serve no more;

26 But shall assist with their brethren in the Ohel Mo’ed, in performing their duties, and shall do no Avodah. Thus shalt thou do with the Levi’im regarding their duties.

Bamidbar 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The lamps of the sanctuary. (1-4) Consecration of the Levites, and their service. (5-26)

Verses 1-4 Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, ( 2 Peter. 1:19 ) the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps. The work of ministers is to light these lamps, by expounding and applying the word of God. Jesus Christ is the only Light of our dark, sinful world; and by his atonement, by his word and the Holy Spirit, he diffuses light around.

Verses 5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites must be cleansed. They must be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Moses must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them. This signifies the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, that we may be fit to serve the living God. God declares his acceptance of them. All who expect to share in the privileges of the tabernacle, must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's creatures are his necessary servants, he needs not the service of any of them; so none are merely honorary servants, to do nothing. All whom God owns, he employs; angels themselves have their services.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 8

In this chapter orders are given for the lighting the seven lamps of the candlestick, Nu 8:1-4; and for the consecration of the Levites to their office, by a purification of them, Nu 8:5-8; by a separation of them from the children of Israel, and the imposition of their hands on them, and of the hands of the Levites on the offerings offered for them, Nu 8:9-15; and being thus given to the Lord, and claimed as his, instead of the firstborn of Israel, they are given to Aaron and his sons to do service in the tabernacle, Nu 8:16-22; and their age at which they were to enter into service and cease from it is fixed, Nu 8:23-26.