Numbers 8:20-26

20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.

21 ¹The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement

23 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

24 "This is what applies to the Levites: from ²twenty-five * years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.

25 "But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.

26 "They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, ³to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations."

Numbers 8:20-26 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 8:7
• 2. Numbers 4:3; 1 Chr 23:3, 24, 27
• 3. Numbers 1:53

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "he"
• [b] Lit "return"
• [c] Lit "serve"