Numbers 8:4-14

4 From top to bottom the lampstand was made of hammered gold, according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses.
5 The Lord said to Moses,
6 "Separate the Levites from the rest of the people of Israel and purify them
7 in the following way: sprinkle them with the water of purification and have them shave their whole bodies and have them wash their clothes. Then they will be ritually clean.
8 Then they are to take a young bull and the required grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take another bull for the sin offering.
9 Then assemble the whole community of Israel and have the Levites stand in front of the Tent of my presence.
10 The people of Israel are to place their hands on the heads of the Levites,
11 and then Aaron shall dedicate the Levites to me as a special gift from the Israelites, so that they may do my work.
12 The Levites shall then put their hands on the heads of the two bulls; one is to be offered as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, in order to perform the ritual of purification for the Levites.
13 "Dedicate the Levites as a special gift to me, and put Aaron and his sons in charge of them.
14 Separate the Levites in this way from the rest of the Israelites, so that they will belong to me.

Numbers 8:4-14 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.

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.