Deuteronomy 10:8

8 `At that time hath Jehovah separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, to stand before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day,

Deuteronomy 10:8 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 10:8

At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi
Not at the time that Moses came down from the mount with the tables of the law, but some considerable time after, even after the tabernacle was erected; nor at the time that Aaron died, and Eleazar succeeded him, but many years before that; unless there was a fresh separation of them, or a renewal of it when Eleazar became high priest in his father's stead; and so that being mentioned is the reason of its being repeated here;

to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord;
even that into which the law, sometimes called the covenant, was put, and therefore here called the ark of the covenant: when this was carried from place to place, as it was especially in the wilderness, it was the business of the Levites to bear it, particularly the Kohathites; ( Numbers 3:31 ) ( 10:21 ) ( 1 Chronicles 6:1 ) ,

to stand before the Lord to minister unto him;
that is, to his priests, in the tabernacle, and to keep and guard that:

and to bless in his name unto this day;
not to bless the people, which was the work of the priest, but to sing praise in the name of the Lord, to give thanks unto him, and bless and praise him.

Deuteronomy 10:8 In-Context

6 `And the sons of Israel have journeyed from Beeroth of the sons of Jaakan to Mosera, there Aaron died, and he is buried there, and Eleazar his son doth act as priest in his stead;

7 thence they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water.

8 `At that time hath Jehovah separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, to stand before Jehovah, to serve Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day,

9 therefore there hath not been to Levi a portion and inheritance with his brethren; Jehovah Himself [is] his inheritance, as Jehovah thy God hath spoken to him.

10 `And I -- I have stood in the mount, as the former days, forty days and forty nights, and Jehovah hearkeneth unto me also at that time; Jehovah hath not willed to destroy thee.