Numbers 8:10

10 and thou hast brought near the Levites before Jehovah, and the sons of Israel have laid their hands on the Levites,

Numbers 8:10 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 8:10

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord
From the door of the tabernacle, to the altar of burnt offering, where the Lord was in some sense present to accept the sacrifices offered to him:

and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites;
as were used to be put upon sacrifices, for the Levites were themselves offered for an offering of the children of Israel, as is expressed in ( Numbers 8:11 ) ; by which rite they signified that they voluntarily parted with them, and gave them up to the Lord, and transferred their service to them, in which they were to serve in their room and stead; these, according to some Jewish writers, were the firstborn of Israel that laid their hands on the Levites, a type of the general assembly and church of the firstborn; or rather the princes and heads of the tribes, who represented the whole body. Some think by this rite is signified the consent of the people in the designation and appointment of the ministers of the word to their work and office; but what in the New Testament seems to answer to this is, the laying of the hands of the presbytery on ministers of the word, ( 1 Timothy 4:14 ) .

Numbers 8:10 In-Context

8 and have taken a bullock, a son of the herd, and its present, flour mixed with oil, -- and a second bullock a son of the herd thou dost take for a sin-offering,

9 and thou hast brought near the Levites before the tent of meeting, and thou hast assembled the whole company of the sons of Israel,

10 and thou hast brought near the Levites before Jehovah, and the sons of Israel have laid their hands on the Levites,

11 and Aaron hath waved the Levites -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, from the sons of Israel, and they have been -- for doing the service of Jehovah.

12 `And the Levites lay their hands on the head of the bullocks, and make thou the one a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering to Jehovah, to atone for the Levites,