Numbers 8:5

New Revised Standard

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,

King James Version
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Lexham English Bible
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

New Century Version
The Lord said to Moses,

New English Translation
Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

Amplified Bible
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

New American Standard Bible
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Contemporary English Version
The Lord said to Moses:

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said to Moshe,

Darby Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to Moses,

English Standard Version
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Good News Translation
The Lord said to Moses,

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord spoke to Moses:

Literal Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE spake vnto Moses, and sayde:

American Standard Version
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses, saying:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

English Revised Version
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord spak to Moises,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

World English Bible
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

New King James Version
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

New Living Translation
Then the Lord said to Moses,

New Life Bible
Then the Lord said to Moses,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses,

THE MESSAGE
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.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Contextual Overview

⁵ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ⁶ Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them. ⁷ Thus you shall do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification on them, have them shave their whole body with a razor and wash their clothes, and so cleanse themselves. ⁸ Then let them take a young bull and its grain offering of choice flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull for a sin offering. ⁹ You shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of the Israelites. ¹⁰ When you bring the Levites before the Lord , the Israelites shall lay their hands on the Levites, ¹¹ and Aaron shall present the Levites before the Lord as an elevation offering from the Israelites, that they may do the service of the Lord . ¹² The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and he shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord , to make atonement for the Levites. ¹³ Then you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you shall present them as an elevation offering to the Lord . ¹⁴ Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the other Israelites, and the Levites shall be mine.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Numbers 8:22 - as the Lord 1 Chronicles 6:48 - brethren

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... the same time the order about lighting the lamps was given; and this section is joined to the former, Aben Ezra thinks, to show that Aaron employed himself in lighting the lamps, but in the rest of the services the Levites helped him, and stood before him to do what he commanded them: they were ordered to be taken and given to Aaron before; and they were numbered, and their services appointed to each division of them; and now they are ordered to be ordained and consecrated to their office:

saying; as follows.

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.