Devarim 10:8

8 At that time Hashem separated the shevet (tribe) of Levi, to bear the Aron Brit Hashem, to stand before Hashem to minister unto Him, and to bless in Shmo, unto yom hazeh.

Devarim 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.

Devarim 10:8 In-Context

6 And the Bnei Yisroel took their journey from Be’erot (Wells) of the Bnei Yaakan to Moserah; there Aharon died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar bno ministered in the office of kohen in his place.

7 From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Yotvatah, an eretz of rivers of waters.

8 At that time Hashem separated the shevet (tribe) of Levi, to bear the Aron Brit Hashem, to stand before Hashem to minister unto Him, and to bless in Shmo, unto yom hazeh.

9 Therefore Levi hath no chelek nor nachalah with his brethren; Hashem is his nachalah, according as Hashem Eloheicha promised him.

10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, arba’im yamim and arba’im lailah; and Hashem listened unto me at that time also, and Hashem would not destroy thee.