Numbers 8:16

Complete Jewish Bible

because they are entirely given to me from among the people of Isra'el; I have taken them for myself in place of all those who come first out of the womb, that is, the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Yisra'el; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Yisra'el, I have taken them to me.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
For they are given to me exclusively from the midst of the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of the firstborn of every womb, every firstborn from the Israelites.

New Century Version
They will be given completely to me from the Israelites; I have taken them for myself instead of the firstborn of every Israelite woman.

New English Translation
For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.

Amplified Bible
for they are wholly given to Me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for Myself instead of all who are born first, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

New American Standard Bible
for they are exclusively given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of the firstborn of every womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For they are freely giuen vnto me from among the children of Israel, for such as open any wombe: for all the first borne of the children of Israel haue I taken them vnto me.

Legacy Standard Bible
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons.

Darby Translation
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of every one that breaketh open the womb, instead of every firstborn among the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Israelites will give me the Levites. They will belong to me. In the past I told every Israelite family to give me their firstborn son. But now I am taking the Levites in place of these firstborn sons from the other families in Israel.

English Standard Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

George Lamsa Translation
For they are wholly given to me as a gift from among the children of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, even instead of the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

Good News Translation
I have claimed them in the place of all the first-born sons of the Israelites, and they belong to me alone.

Christian Standard Bible®
For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.

Literal Translation
For they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel; instead of the one who opens any womb, the first-born of all, from the sons of Israel. I have taken them to Myself.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for they are my gifte of the children of Israel, and I haue taken them vnto me for all that openeth the Matrix, namely for the first borne of all the children of Israel.

American Standard Version
For 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.

Bible in Basic English
For they have been given to me from among the children of Israel; in place of every mother's first son, the first to come to birth in Israel, I have taken them for myself.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For they are geuen and deliuered vnto me from among the children of Israel for such as open euery wombe, euen for the first borne of all the children of Israel haue I taken them vnto me.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For 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.

King James Version (1611)
For they are wholly giuen vnto me, from among the children of Israel: in stead of such as open euery wombe, euen in stead of the first borne of all the children of Israel, haue I taken them vnto me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For these are given to me for a present out of the midst of the children of Israel: I have taken them to myself instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel that open every womb.

English Revised Version
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Berean Standard Bible
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y haue take hem for the firste gendrid thingis that openen ech wombe in Israel;

Young's Literal Translation
`For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

Update Bible Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the sons of Israel; instead of all that opens the womb, even the first-born of all the sons of Israel, I have taken them to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
For they [are] wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, [even instead of] the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

World English Bible
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

New King James Version
For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel.

New Living Translation
"Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.

New Life Bible
For they are all given to Me from among the people of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first child to be born, the first-born of all the people of Israel.

New Revised Standard
For they are unreservedly given to me from among the Israelites; I have taken them for myself, in place of all that open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, given, given, they are unto me, out of the midst of the sons of Israel, - instead of every firstborn that a mother beareth from among the sons of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,

Revised Standard Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁶ "Take the L'vi'im from among the people of Isra'el and cleanse them. ⁷ Here is how you are to cleanse them: sprinkle the purification water on them, have them shave their whole body with a razor, and have them wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. ⁸ Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering, which is to be fine flour mixed with olive oil; while you take another bull for a sin offering. ⁹ You are to present the L'vi'im in front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the entire community of the people of Isra'el. ¹⁰ You will present the L'vi'im before Adonai , the people of Isra'el will lay their hands on the L'vi'im, ¹¹ and Aharon will offer the L'vi'im before Adonai as a wave offering from the people of Isra'el, so that they may do Adonai 's service. ¹² The L'vi'im will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; the one you will offer as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to Adonai to make atonement for the L'vi'im. ¹³ You are to place the L'vi'im before Aharon and his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Adonai . ¹⁴ In this way you will separate the L'vi'im from the people of Isra'el, and the L'vi'im will belong to me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wholly given: Nethunim, nethunim, "given, given." The word being repeated, "because," says Bp. Patrick, "the children of Israel had devoted them to him, by laying their hands upon them - Numbers 8:10, and Aaron had waved them as a wave-offering to the Lord" - Numbers 8:11.

instead of such: Houbigant, on the authority of the Samaritan, reads, "instead of every first-born of the children of Israel, who openeth the womb." Numbers 3:12, Numbers 3:45

Reciprocal: Exodus 13:2 - Sanctify Numbers 3:13 - Because Numbers 3:41 - General Numbers 18:6 - given Luke 2:23 - Every

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
(ii) Adonai said to Noach, "Come into the ark, you and all your household; for I have seen that you alone in this generation are righteous before me.

Genesis 7:7
Noach went into the ark with his sons, his wife and his sons' wives, because of the floodwaters.

Genesis 7:13
On that same day Noach entered the ark with Shem, Ham and Yefet the sons of Noach, Noach's wife and the three wives of his sons accompanying them;

Genesis 8:16
"Go out from the ark, you, your wife, your sons and your son's wives with you.

Genesis 8:18
So Noach went out with his sons, his wife and his sons' wives;

Joshua 3:17
The cohanim carrying the ark for the covenant of Adonai stood fast on dry ground in the middle of the Yarden, while all Isra'el crossed on dry ground, until the entire nation had finished crossing the Yarden.

Joshua 4:10
The cohanim carrying the ark stood in the Yarden riverbed until Y'hoshua had finished saying to the people everything that Adonai had ordered him to say, in keeping with everything that Moshe had ordered Y'hoshua; then the people hurried across.

Psalms 91:11
for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.

Psalms 121:8
Adonai will guard your coming and going from now on and forever.

Zechariah 9:11
"Also you, by the blood of your covenant, I release your prisoners from [the dungeon,] the cistern that has no water in it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For they [are] wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel,.... All of them, entirely, and most certainly; or, "given, given" u, which is repeated for the confirmation of it; or because of their being twice given, first to the Lord by the children of Israel, and then by the Lord to Aaron and his sons, as Chaskuni; though Jarchi interprets it of the different parts of their service they were devoted to, given for bearing and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary, and given for the song, or to be singers in the temple:

instead of such as open, every womb, [even instead of] the firstborn of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto me;

:-, and

:-.

u נתנים נתנים "dati, dati", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Drusius and Ainsworth.

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.