Numbers 8:1-11

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
2 Speak thou to Aaron, and thou shalt say to him, When thou hast set (up the) seven lanterns, the candlestick (should) be raised (up) in the south part; therefore command thou this, that the lanterns behold even against the north to the board of [the] loaves of setting forth, (so that) those lanterns shall shine against that part that the candlestick beholdeth to. (Speak thou to Aaron, and thou shalt say to him, When thou putteth the lanterns onto the lamp-stand, put them so that their light shineth out towards the front.)
3 And Aaron did so, and he putted the lanterns upon the candlestick (and he put the lanterns on the lamp-stand), as the Lord commanded to Moses.
4 Soothly this was the making of the candlestick; it was of gold beaten out with hammers, as well the middle stalk, as all the things that came forth on ever either side of the rods; by the sample which the Lord showed to Moses, so he wrought the candlestick. (And this was the making of the lamp-stand; it was made of gold, beaten out with hammers, the middle stem, as well as all of its branches; by the example, or the pattern, which the Lord had shown to Moses, so he made the lamp-stand.)
5 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
6 Take thou the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel; and thou shalt cleanse them by this custom. (Take thou the Levites from the midst of the Israelites; and thou shalt cleanse, or shalt purify, them by this rite.)
7 Be they sprinkled with (the) water of cleansing, or of purification, and shave they all the hairs of their flesh. And when they have washed their clothes and be cleansed,
8 take they an ox of the droves, and the flowing sacrifice thereof, [tried] flour sprinkled (al)together with oil; forsooth thou shalt take another ox of the drove for sin; (take they an ox from the herd, and its grain offering of fine flour sprinkled with oil; and thou shalt take another ox from the herd for a sin offering;)
9 and thou shalt present the Levites before the tabernacle of the bond of peace (and thou shalt bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Covenant), when all the multitude of the sons of Israel is called together.
10 And when the Levites be presented before the Lord, the sons of Israel shall set their hands upon them;
11 and Aaron shall offer, (or shall present,) the Levites in the sight of the Lord, (as) a gift of the sons of Israel, that they serve in the service of him. (and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord, as a special gift from the Israelites, to serve in the Lord's service.)

Numbers 8:1-11 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.