Numbers
Changes this passage only. Set your default for every passage.
Numbers 8
Numbers 8
Commentary · verses 1-4
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.
3And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
4And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work: according unto the pattern which Jehovah had showed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
3And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.
4And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
Commentary · verses 5-26
Verses 5-26: the cleansing and dedication of the Levites.
5And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 6Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
6Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
Commentary · verse 6
The Levites were taken from the Israelites.
7And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.
7And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
Commentary · verse 7
This had the same symbolism as baptism: death of the old physically unclean and rebirth of the new spiritually clean. The word "expiation" meant "purify; atone; make amends for."
8Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.
9And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel: 10and thou shalt present the Levites before Jehovah. And the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites:
8Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
9And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
10And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
Commentary · verse 10
The whole assembly of the children of Israel were gathered and the Israelites laid their hands upon them.
11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Jehovah for a wave-offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Jehovah.
12And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and offer thou the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, unto Jehovah, to make atonement for the Levites.
13And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering unto Jehovah.
14Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine.
11And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.
12And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.
13And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.
14Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
Commentary · verse 14
The Levites belonged to God…
15And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tent of meeting: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for a wave-offering.
16For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
17For all the first-born among the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.
15And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
16For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
17For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
Commentary · verse 18
…instead of the firstborn.
19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
20Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites: according unto all that Jehovah commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
21And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes: and Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
22And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
20And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
22And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
Commentary · verse 22
The Levites began to do their work.
23And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 24This is that which belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service in the work of the tent of meeting: 25and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the work, and shall serve no more, 26but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges.
23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
25And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
26But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
Commentary · verse 26
God told Moses that the Levites from twenty-five to fifty years old will wait upon the service of the tabernacle. Wait in these verses meant "to go forth." In the KJV, verse 25 used the term "warfare of service." We saw the rest of the tribes were numbered for physical warfare. Here, God said the Levites were His. They were not numbered among those who went to war physically, however, God considered their time serving in the tent of meeting between the ages of twenty-five to fifty years old as "warfare of service." Once they passed the age of fifty years old, they did not participate in the warfare of service, but instead served those who did the warfare of service. Notice, those who were past fifty years old were no longer in leadership positions, they actually helped develop the leaders. God's way of leadership was the "dad" led the warfare, while the "grandpa" developed the "grandson." However, man's way is for the oldest to continue to lead up until the day of their death, which does not allow for the replacement to be trained by someone with leadership experience.
Verses 1-4: the lighting of the lamps.