Numbers 8:18

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Yisra'el.

King James Version
And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

Lexham English Bible
and I have taken the Levites in the place of every firstborn among the Israelites.

New Century Version
But I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn in Israel.

New English Translation
So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons among the Israelites.

Amplified Bible
"And I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the Israelites.

New American Standard Bible
"But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And I haue taken the Leuites for all the first borne of the children of Israel,

Legacy Standard Bible
But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
But now I have chosen these Levites as substitutes for the first-born sons,

Complete Jewish Bible
But I have taken the L'vi'im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el,

Darby Translation
And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

Easy-to-Read Version
But now I will take the Levites in their place. I will take the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons from the other families in Israel.

English Standard Version
and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel.

George Lamsa Translation
And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel.

Good News Translation
I am now taking the Levites instead of all the first-born of the Israelites,

Christian Standard Bible®
But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites.

Literal Translation
And I take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and toke the Leuites for all the first borne amonge the childre of Israel,

American Standard Version
And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.

Bible in Basic English
And in place of the first sons among the children of Israel, I have taken the Levites.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I haue taken the Leuites for all the first borne of the children of Israel.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.

King James Version (1611)
And I haue taken the Leuites for all the first borne of the children of Israel.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I took the Levites in the place of every first-born among the children of Israel.

English Revised Version
And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y took the Leuytis for alle the firste gendrid children of the sones of Israel;

Young's Literal Translation
and I take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel:

Update Bible Version
And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel.

World English Bible
I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

New King James Version
I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

New Living Translation
Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel.

New Life Bible
But I have taken the Levites instead of every first-born among the people of Israel.

New Revised Standard
but I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore have I taken the Levites, - instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel:

Revised Standard Version
and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.

Contextual Overview

⁵ God spoke to Moses: "Take the Levites from the midst of the People of Israel and purify them for doing God 's work. This is the way you will do it: Sprinkle water of absolution on them; have them shave their entire bodies; have them scrub their clothes. Then they will have purified themselves. ⁸"Have them take a young bull with its accompanying Grain-Offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for an Absolution-Offering. Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and gather the entire community of Israel. Present the Levites before God as the People of Israel lay their hands on them. Aaron will present the Levites before God as a Wave-Offering from the People of Israel so that they will be ready to do God 's work. ¹²"Have the Levites place their hands on the heads of the bulls, selecting one for the Absolution-Offering and another for the Whole-Burnt-Offering to God to make atonement for the Levites. Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them as a Wave-Offering to God . This is the procedure for setting apart the Levites from the rest of the People of Israel; the Levites are exclusively for my use. ¹⁵"After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a Wave-Offering to God , they can go to work in the Tent of Meeting. The Levites have been selected out of the People of Israel for my exclusive use; they function in place of every firstborn male born to an Israelite woman. Every firstborn male in Israel, animal or human, is set apart for my use. When I struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, I consecrated them for my holy uses. But now I take the Levites as stand-ins in place of every firstborn son in Israel, selected out of the People of Israel, and I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do all the work involved in the Tent of Meeting on behalf of all the People of Israel and to make atonement for them so that nothing bad will happen to them when they approach the Sanctuary." ²⁰Moses, 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. ²³ God spoke to Moses: "These are your instructions regarding the Levites: At the age of twenty-five they will join the workforce in the Tent of Meeting; at the age of fifty they must retire from the work. They can assist their brothers in the tasks in the Tent of Meeting, but they are not permitted to do the actual work themselves. These are the ground rules for the work of the Levites."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:14 - and laid Numbers 3:12 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. Gave up his right in the firstborn, and instead of them took the Levites for his use and service: see Numbers 3:12.

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.