Deuteronomy 18:5

5 For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord's name from now on.^[a]

Deuteronomy 18:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:5

For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes,
&c.] That is, has chosen the tribe of Levi out of all the other tribes of Israel:

to stand to minister in the name of the Lord;
the priests to minister to the Lord by offering sacrifices, and the Levites to minister to the priests in assisting them in their service; and both their ministry were in the name of the Lord, and for his glory, and done standing; for there was no sitting in the sanctuary ^F23; the priestly ministry was only performed standing ^F24, whatever was done sitting was rejected {y}; see ( Hebrews 10:11 ) ,

him and his sons for ever;
Levi and his posterity, or the posterity of the tribe of Levi, were chosen by the Lord to this service, to be employed in it as long as the ceremonial law continued, on which stood the Levitical priesthood; but both are now abolished by Christ, having their accomplishment in him, ( Hebrews 7:11 ) ( 12:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Maimon. in Misn. Zebachim, c. 2. sect. 1.
F24 Bartenora in ib.
F25 Misn. ib.

Deuteronomy 18:5 In-Context

3 This is the priests' share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox, a sheep, or a goat; the priests are to be given the shoulder, jaws, and stomach.

4 You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first sheared [wool] of your flock.

5 For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord's name from now on.

6 When a Levite leaves one of your towns where he lives in Israel and wants to go to the place the Lord chooses,

7 he may serve in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who minister there in the presence of the Lord.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit name all the days