King James Version
Numbers 8
26 verses with commentary
Setting Up the Lamps
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Lord's direct address to Moses for Aaron regarding the lampstand lighting establishes that worship proceeds according to divine instruction, not human preference. The seven lamps represent complete illumination—God's truth lighting the darkness. Aaron's role in maintaining the light teaches that spiritual leaders bear responsibility for keeping the light of truth burning. The Reformed principl...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 8
Chapter Outline
The lamps of the sanctuary.(1-4)
Consecration of the Levites, and their service.(5-26)
**Verses 1-4**
Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19. A dark place even the church would be without it; as the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps....
Read full commentary →Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
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KJV Study Commentary
The specific instruction that the seven lamps give light toward the front of the lampstand indicates purposeful illumination, not random scattering of light. God's truth is not chaotic but ordered, not diffused but focused. The lampstand's design, with branches extending from a central shaft, suggests that all truth radiates from a central source. Christ declared Himself the Light of the World, th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
VIII.
(2) **When thou lightest the lamps.**—Better, *When thou settest up the lamps. *(Comp. Exodus 25:37.) The golden candlestick was placed against the south wall of the Tabernacle, opposite to the table of shewbread, so that its seven branches were parallel to that wall, with its branches east and west, and consequently the seven lamps, one of which rested upon each of the seven branches, threw...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. The Lord make thee a curse, &c.--**a usual form of imprecation (Is 65:15; Jr 29:22).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 8
Chapter Outline
The lamps of the sanctuary.(1-4)
Consecration of the Levites, and their service.(5-26)
**Verses 1-4**
Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19. A dark place even the church would be without it; as the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps....
Read full commentary →And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.
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KJV Study Commentary
Aaron's obedience—'as the LORD commanded Moses'—demonstrates faithful adherence to divine instruction in worship. He didn't improve on, modify, or neglect God's command but obeyed precisely. This faithful transmission from God to Moses to Aaron to action illustrates the chain of revealed religion. The Reformed regulative principle of worship is exemplified—we worship as God commands, not as we pre...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **He lighted.**—Better, *he set up.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. the woman shall say, Amen, Amen--**The Israelites were accustomed, instead of formally repeating the words of an oath merely to say, "Amen," a "so be it" to the imprecations it contained. The reduplication of the word was designed as an evidence of the woman's innocence, and a willingness that God would do to her according to her desert.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 8
Chapter Outline
The lamps of the sanctuary.(1-4)
Consecration of the Levites, and their service.(5-26)
**Verses 1-4**
Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19. A dark place even the church would be without it; as the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps....
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The detailed description of the lampstand's craftsmanship—pure gold, hammered work, exact replication of the pattern shown to Moses—emphasizes that worship must follow divine revelation. The lampstand wasn't designed by human artistry but according to heavenly pattern. This teaches that true worship conforms to what God has shown us in His word, not what seems beautiful or meaningful to us. The Re...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **And this work of the candlestick . . . —**Better, *And this was the work of the candlestick, i.e., *the material of which it was made.
**Beaten gold.**—Better, *turned *(or *twisted*)* gold.*
**Unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof.**—Literally, *unto its base, unto its flower or blossom, i.e., *the whole of the candlestick, from its base to its flowers. The several parts of the c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23-24. write these curses in a book--**The imprecations, along with her name, were inscribed in some kind of record--on parchment, or more probably on a wooden tablet.
**blot them out with the bitter water--**If she were innocent, they could be easily erased, and were perfectly harmless; but if guilty, she would experience the fatal effects of the water she had drunk.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 8
Chapter Outline
The lamps of the sanctuary.(1-4)
Consecration of the Levites, and their service.(5-26)
**Verses 1-4**
Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19. A dark place even the church would be without it; as the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps....
Read full commentary →Consecration of the Levites
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands Moses to separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them for tabernacle service. The Hebrew 'taher' (טָהֵר, 'cleanse') indicates ritual purification, removing ceremonial defilement to enable service in God's presence. This cleansing involved shaving their entire bodies, washing their clothes, and offering sin and burnt offerings (8:6-12)—comprehensive purificat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **And the Lord spake unto Moses.**—As Moses had already officiated in the consecration of the priests (Leviticus 8), so now, notwithstanding the fact that Aaron and his sons were already consecrated, he is commanded to officiate at the cleansing of the Levites.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23-24. write these curses in a book--**The imprecations, along with her name, were inscribed in some kind of record--on parchment, or more probably on a wooden tablet.
**blot them out with the bitter water--**If she were innocent, they could be easily erased, and were perfectly harmless; but if guilty, she would experience the fatal effects of the water she had drunk.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands Moses to separate the Levites and 'cleanse them' for service. The Hebrew 'taher' (cleanse/purify) indicates ceremonial purification, requiring sprinkling with 'water of purifying' (mei chatat - literally 'water of sin'), shaving all their flesh, washing their clothes, and offering sacrifices (v.7). This thorough purification emphasizes that even serving God's house requires cleansing ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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. let them shave: Heb. let them cause a razor to pass over, etc
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Sprinkle water of purifying upon them</strong> (הַזֵּה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵי חַטָּאת, hazzeh aleyhem mey ḥatta't)—<em>Mey ḥatta't</em> (waters of sin/purification) refers to water mixed with ashes of the red heifer (Numbers 19). <em>Hizzah</em> (to sprinkle) was a ritual cleansing act symbolizing removal of defilement. <strong>Let them shave all their flesh</strong> (וְהֶעֱבִירוּ תַעַר עַל־כָּל־בְּ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Water of purifying.**—Literally, *water of sin, *or, *of sin-offering *(Hebrew, *hattath*)*. *As in the case of the holy water, to which reference is made in Numbers 6:17, so here also there is no explanation given of the particular water which was to be used in cleansing the Levites. The bullock which was appointed to be offered as a sin-offering at the consecration of Aaron and his sons (E...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →Then 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil</strong> (וְלָקְחוּ פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר וּמִנְחָתוֹ סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן, velaq'ḥu par ben-baqar uminḥato solet belulah vashamen)—The <em>minḥah</em> (grain offering) of fine flour (<em>solet</em>) mixed with oil (<em>shemen</em>) accompanied the burnt offering, symbolizing consecrated life and th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation</strong> (וְהִקְרַבְתָּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, vehiqravta et-haleviyyim lifney ohel mo'ed)—<em>Qarav</em> (to bring near, present) is the same verb used for offering sacrifices. The Levites themselves become living offerings, brought <em>lifney</em> (before, to the face of) the Tent of Meeting. <strong>Gather the who...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **The whole assembly of the children of Israel**—i.e., as elsewhere, the representatives of the people.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD</strong> (וְהִקְרַבְתָּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, vehiqravta et-haleviyyim lifney YHWH)—Presented not merely to Moses or the congregation, but <em>lifney YHWH</em> (before Yahweh Himself). Ultimate accountability is vertical. <strong>The children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites</strong> (וְסָמְכוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־יְדֵי...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Shall put their hands upon the Levites.**—The same phrase is here used as in Numbers 8:12, and elsewhere, of the offerer who was required to lay his hand upon the victim which he offered in sacrifice. By this symbolical act the obligation which rested upon the whole nation in regard to the dedication of the firstborn was transferred to the Levites, who were thenceforth to be dedicated to th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29. This is the law of jealousies--**Adultery discovered and proved was punished with death. But strongly suspected cases would occur, and this law made provision for the conviction of the guilty person. It was, however, not a trial conducted according to the forms of judicial process, but an ordeal through which a suspected adulteress was made to go--the ceremony being of that terrifying nature...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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. offer: Heb. wave offering: Heb. wave offering they: Heb. they may be to execute, etc
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering</strong> (תְּנוּפָה, <em>tenufah</em>)—the 'wave offering' describes a presentation ritual where the Levites themselves become a living sacrifice. Unlike animal offerings, the Levites are consecrated persons dedicated wholly to God's service. The phrase <strong>that they may execute the service of the LORD</strong> (לַעֲבֹד אֶת־...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering.**—Literally, *and Aaron shall wave the Levites as a wave-offering before the Lord. *The manner in which the Levites were thus set apart to the Lord is not expressed. It may have been done by leading them backwards and forwards in front of the Tabernacle and in the presence of the people, or by the waving of Aaron’s hands. Th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks</strong> (וְסָמְכוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם, <em>vesamkhu</em>)—this <em>semikha</em> (hand-laying) transfers identity and guilt to the sacrifice. One bullock becomes a <strong>sin offering</strong> (<em>chattat</em>), the other a <strong>burnt offering</strong> (<em>olah</em>), covering both cleansing from defilement and tot...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons</strong>—the positioning matters: the Levites stand between the priests and the people, subordinate to the Aaronic priesthood yet elevated above the laity. <strong>Offer them for an offering unto the LORD</strong> repeats the <em>tenufah</em> concept from verse 11, emphasizing that this is no mere assignment but a solemn presenta...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **And offer them for an offering.**—Literally, *and wave them as a wave- offering, *as in Numbers 8:11. So also in Numbers 8:15.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
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KJV Study Commentary
Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.' God commands the Levites' consecration, separating them from other tribes for His service. The verb 'separate' (badal, בָּדַל) indicates setting apart, distinguishing from common use. The possessive 'shall be mine' declares divine ownership. The Levites belonged to God in a special way beyond ge...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>After that shall the Levites go in to do the service</strong> (אַחֲרֵי־כֵן יָבֹאוּ הַלְוִיִּם, <em>acharei-khen yavo'u</em>)—the temporal marker 'after that' is critical. Service follows consecration; work follows worship; ministry follows cleansing. The sequence is inviolable: <strong>thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them</strong> must precede tabernacle service. The verb טָהֵר (<em>tah...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **And after that shall the Levites go in . . . —***i.e., *into the court of the Tabernacle to keep watch there, and to assist the priests at the altar of burnt-offering, and to take down and set up the Tabernacle as occasion might require.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →For 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel</strong> (נְתֻנִים נְתֻנִים הֵמָּה לִי, <em>netunim netunim hemah li</em>)—the emphatic repetition 'given, given' (a Hebrew intensification pattern) stresses total dedication. God claims the Levites <strong>instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn</strong> (תַּחַת פֶּטֶר כָּל־רֶחֶם תַּחַת בְּכוֹר), est...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel.**—It is difficult to determine whether the second clause is to be regarded as an exact equivalent, or as a limitation of the first. If an exact equivalent, a different meaning must be assigned to the *firstborn *from that which it commonly bears in the Pentateuch, where it appears to be restrict...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →For 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>All the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast</strong> (כָּל־בְּכוֹר בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִי הוּא בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה)—God's ownership claim rests on redemption history: <strong>on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself</strong> (קִדַּשְׁתִּי אֹתָם לִי). The verb קָדַשׁ (<em>qadash</em>, 'sanctified/set apart') tr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn</strong> (וָאֶקַּח אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם תַּחַת כָּל־בְּכוֹר)—this verse summarizes the substitutionary transaction: one tribe exchanged for firstborn sons across all twelve tribes. The verb לָקַח (<em>laqach</em>, 'to take') indicates divine initiative and sovereign selection. The Levites didn't volunteer; God 'took' them. The preposition תַּחַת (<e...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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. a gift: Heb. given
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God says: 'I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons... to make an atonement for the children of Israel.' The threefold repetition of 'given' emphasizes divine appointment. Levites served as gifts to help priests fulfill their duties, making 'atonement' (kaphar - covering/reconciliation) through assisting in sacrificial worship. This service prevented plagues when Israelites came...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **As a gift.**—Hebrew, *given, *as in Numbers 8:16.
**That there be no plague among the children of Israel.**—The appointment of the Levites in the place of the firstborn was calculated to insure the reverent and orderly discharge of the duties of the Sanctuary, and to operate as a safeguard against those sins of omission and commission into which the firstborn would have been more likely to ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation... did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded</strong>—This verse emphasizes complete obedience (שָׁמַע <em>shama</em>, to hear and obey) to divine instruction regarding Levitical consecration. The threefold witness (Moses, Aaron, congregation) establishes the corporate nature of Israel's covenant obedience.<br><br>The phrase <s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes</strong>—The dual purification (חָטָא <em>chata</em>, ceremonial cleansing) and washing (כָּבַס <em>kabas</em>, laundering garments) symbolizes both inward and outward sanctification. Ancient Near Eastern priestly service universally required ritual purity, but Israel's standards uniquely emphasized moral transformation alongside cer...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Nu 6:1-22. The Law of the Nazarite in His Separation.
**2-8. When either man or woman ... shall vow a vow of a Nazarite--**that is, "a separated one," from a Hebrew word, "to separate." It was used to designate a class of persons who, under the impulse of extraordinary piety and with a view to higher degrees of religious improvement, voluntarily renounced the occupations and pleasures o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>After that went the Levites in to do their service</strong>—The sequential phrase <strong>after that</strong> (אַחֲרֵי־כֵן <em>acharei-ken</em>) emphasizes consecration as prerequisite to service. The verb <strong>to do their service</strong> (לַעֲבֹד אֶת־עֲבֹדָתָם <em>la'avod et-avodatam</em>) uses the same root for both worship and work, revealing that Levitical ministry was simultaneous...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration--**Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Le 15:13; Nu 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →Retirement of the Levites
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The LORD spake unto Moses</strong>—This divine speech formula (וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה <em>vayedaber YHWH</em>) introduces age-related regulations for Levitical service, demonstrating God's concern for both human dignity and physical limitations. Ancient cultures often worked elderly individuals until incapacity; Israel's system provided structured retirement.<br><br>The placement of these verse...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration--**Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Le 15:13; Nu 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →This 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: to: Heb. to war the warfare of, etc
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>From twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service</strong>—The minimum age (עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה <em>esrim vechamesh shanah</em>) for Levitical service balances physical maturity with spiritual readiness. The phrase <strong>wait upon</strong> (לִצְבֹא צָבָא <em>litsvo tzava</em>, literally 'to wage warfare') uses military terminology, revealing that t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **From twenty and five years old and upward.**—This regulation may be understood as referring to the age at which the Levites were to enter upon their duties after the people had taken possession of the land of Canaan, and it appears to have remained in force until the time of David, who substituted the age of twenty for that of twenty-five, because the necessity of carrying the Tabernacle an...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration--**Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Le 15:13; Nu 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: cease: Heb. return from the warfare of the service
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>From the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof</strong>—The retirement age (חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה <em>chamishim shanah</em>) acknowledges physical demands of Levitical labor—dismantling, carrying, and reassembling the 13-ton tabernacle structure through wilderness terrain. The verb <strong>cease</strong> (יָשׁוּב <em>yashuv</em>, return/withdraw) is not dismissal...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9-12. If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration--**Cases of sudden death might occur to make him contract pollution; and in such circumstances he was required, after shaving his head, to make the prescribed offerings necessary for the removal of ceremonial defilement (Le 15:13; Nu 19:11). But by the terms of this law an accidental defilement vitiated t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →But 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle... to keep the charge</strong>—Retired Levites continued advisory ministry (שָׁרַת <em>sharat</em>, to serve/attend) and oversight (שָׁמַר מִשְׁמֶרֶת <em>shamar mishmeret</em>, guard responsibility) without performing heavy labor. The phrase <strong>with their brethren</strong> (אֶת־אֶחָיו <em>et-echayv</em>) emphasizes intergenerati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **To keep the charge.**—A clear distinction is here made between the *service *which involved heavy manual labour in carrying the furniture of the Tabernacle and in slaughtering the victims, and the *charge *or oversight of the furniture and the vessels of the Sanctuary.
**Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-20. when the days of his separation are fulfilled, &c.--**On the accomplishment of a limited vow of Nazaritism, Nazarites might cut their hair wherever they happened to be (Ac 18:18); but the hair was to be carefully kept and brought to the door of the sanctuary. Then after the presentation of sin offerings and burnt offerings, it was put under the vessel in which the peace offerings were...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-26**
Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first g...
Read full commentary →