Numbers 8:7-17

7 Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean.

8 Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering.

9 Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

10 When you present the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them.

11 Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the LORD as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the LORD ’s service.

12 “Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to purify the Levites and make them right with the LORD .

13 Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the LORD .

14 In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me.

15 After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering.

16 “Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.

17 For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.

Numbers 8:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew the Tent of Meeting; also in 8:15, 19, 22, 24, 26 .
• [b]. Or to make atonement for the Levites.