Deuteronomy 18:5

5 For the Lord your God has chosen Levi out of all your tribes, to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.

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 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

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

Deuteronomy 18:5 In-Context

3 This shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two jowls, and the stomach.
4 The first fruits of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
5 For the Lord your God has chosen Levi out of all your tribes, to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.
6 If a Levite leaves any of your towns, from wherever he has been residing in Israel, and comes to the place that the Lord will choose (and he may come whenever he wishes),
7 then he may minister in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow-Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord.

Footnotes 1

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.