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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Numbers 8:20

Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites; according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Levites;   Priest;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Building;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hilkiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bull;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Numbers, Book of;   Priests and Levites;   Red Heifer;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Levites ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Events of the Encampment;   Moses, the Man of God;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafṭarah;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for June 2;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Thus did Moshe, and Aharon, and all the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moshe concerning the Levites, so the children of Yisra'el did to them.
King James Version
And 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.
Lexham English Bible
And Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did to the Levites; everything that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the Israelites did to them.
New Century Version
So Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites obeyed and did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses.
New English Translation
So Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did this with the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, this is what the Israelites did with them.
Amplified Bible
Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did [these things] to the Levites; in accordance with all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the Israelites did to them.
New American Standard Bible
So this is what Moses, Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel did to the Levites; according to everything that the LORD had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Moses and Aaron and all the Cogregation of the children of Israel did with the Leuites, according vnto all that the Lorde had commanded Moses concerning the Leuites: so did the children of Israel vnto them.
Legacy Standard Bible
Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
Contemporary English Version
Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites made sure that the Levites did everything the Lord had commanded.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is what Moshe, Aharon and all the community of the people of Isra'el did to the L'vi'im. The people of Isra'el acted in accordance with everything that Adonai had ordered Moshe in regard to the L'vi'im.
Darby Translation
And Moses and Aaron, and all the assembly of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites: so did the children of Israel to them.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites obeyed the Lord . They did with the Levites everything that the Lord commanded Moses.
English Standard Version
Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them.
George Lamsa Translation
And Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so did the children of Israel to them.
Good News Translation
So Moses, Aaron, and all the people of Israel dedicated the Levites, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Christian Standard Bible®
Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community did this to the Levites. The Israelites did everything to them the Lord commanded Moses regarding the Levites.
Literal Translation
And Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel, did to the Levites according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so the sons of Israel did to them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Moses with Aaron and the whole congregacio of the childre of Israel, dyd wt the Leuites all as the LORDE had commauded Moses.
American Standard Version
Thus 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.
Bible in Basic English
All these things Moses and Aaron and the children of Israel did to the Levites; as the Lord gave orders to Moses about the Levites, so the children of Israel did.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, dyd with the Leuites: accordyng vnto all that the Lorde comaunded Moyses concernyng the Leuites, euen so did the children of Israel vnto them.
King James Version (1611)
And Moses and Aaron, and all the Congregation of the children of Israel did to the Leuites according vnto all that the Lord commanded Moses, concerning the Leuites, so did the children of Israel vnto them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
English Revised Version
Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites: according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
Berean Standard Bible
So Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises and Aaron, and al the multitude of the sones of Israel, diden on the Leuitis tho thingis that the Lord comaundide to Moyses.
Young's Literal Translation
And Moses doth -- Aaron also, and all the company of the sons of Israel -- to the Levites according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so have the sons of Israel done to them.
Update Bible Version
Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the Levites: according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the sons of Israel to them.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel to them.
World English Bible
Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the Levites. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.
New King James Version
Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.
New Living Translation
So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the Lord 's instructions to Moses.
New Life Bible
Moses and Aaron and all the people of Israel did this to the Levites. The people of Israel did to them all the things the Lord had told Moses about the Levites.
New Revised Standard
Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the Israelites did with the Levites accordingly; the Israelites did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses and Aaron and all the assembly of the sons of Israel did thus unto the Levites, - according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses as touching the Levites, so, did the sons of Israel unto them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses and Aaron and all the multitude of the children of Israel did with the Levites all that the Lord had commanded Moses
Revised Standard Version
Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them.
THE MESSAGE
Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of the People of Israel carried out these procedures with the Levites, just as God had commanded Moses. The Levites purified themselves and scrubbed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a Wave-Offering before God and made atonement for them to purify them. Only then did the Levites go to work at the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons supervised them following the directions God had given.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.

Contextual Overview

5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 6 'Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8 Then 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. 9 And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel. 10 And thou shalt present the Levites before the LORD; and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites. 11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave-offering from the children of Israel, that they may be to do the service of the LORD. 12 And 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 the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering unto the LORD. 14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Numbers 9:5 - according Numbers 9:22 - abode

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering;
Genesis 7:2
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, each with his mate; and of the beasts that are not clean two [and two], each with his mate;
Genesis 8:1
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;
Genesis 8:4
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
Genesis 8:7
And he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Genesis 8:8
And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.
Genesis 8:15
And God spoke unto Noah, saying:
Genesis 8:16
'Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Genesis 8:17
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both fowl, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may swarm in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.'
Genesis 13:4
unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and Abram called there on the name of the LORD.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel,.... The several parties concerned in the consecration of the Levites: these

did to the Levites according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses,

so did the children of Israel unto them: which, as Jarchi notes, is said to the praise of them that did it, and of what was done by them; everything was done that was ordered, and in the manner in which it was prescribed; Moses sprinkled, or ordered to be sprinkled, the water of purification on them, and set them before the tabernacle, and before the Lord; the children of Israel laid their hands on them, and Aaron waved them, offered the sacrifices for them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Levites could only undertake their duties Numbers 3:0; Numbers 4:0 after the formal exchange of the Levites for the first-born Numbers 3:44-51.

The distinction between the “consecration” of the priests Leviticus 8:0 and the less solemn “purification” Numbers 8:21 of the Levites is marked. These rites of purification are similar to those incumbent on the priests of Egypt.

Numbers 8:7

Water of purifying - literally, “sin water:” i. e. water to cleanse from sin; no doubt taken from the laver of the sanctuary, which was used by the priests for purification before they went into the tabernacle to minister (compare Numbers 5:17; Exodus 30:18 ff).

The “sprinkling” of so large a body of men could have been only general, but tokens of individual purification are specified (compare also Leviticus 14:8).

Numbers 8:8

The two bullocks were “to make an atonement for the Levites,” and therefore are presented in their name. These offerings are similar to those prescribed in Leviticus 8:14 ff at the consecration of the priests, except that the burnt-offering was on that occasion a ram. The larger victim corresponds to the larger number of the Levites.

Numbers 8:10

The children of Israel - i. e. through the heads of their tribes, who Numbers 7:2 no doubt acted for their tribesmen. This act, the distinguishing feature of the ceremony, represented the transfer to the Levites of the sacred duties originally incumbent on the whole people.

Numbers 8:11

Offer ... offering - Compare the margin Aaron pointed to the Levites, and then waved his hands, indicating (compare Leviticus 7:30 note) that the offering was dedicated to God, and, again, by grant from Him, withdrawn for the use of the priests.

Numbers 8:19

Make an atonement for the children of Israel - i. e. by performing those services which were due from the children of Israel; the omission of which by the children of Israel would, but for the interposition of the Levites, have called down “wrath” from God, or Numbers 1:53 “plague.” The institution of the Levites was an extension of that mediatorial system which the people themselves, terrified at the direct manifestations to them of the divine presence, desired; see Deuteronomy 5:25. Further, it is suggested to us here as an act of mercy on the part of God; yet even the priests and Levites themselves were not always sufficiently heedful and reverent. Compare Numbers 17:10; Leviticus 10:1 ff; 2 Samuel 6:6 following.

Numbers 8:21

Were purified - Rather, purified themselves; as directed in Numbers 8:7.


 
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