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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Complete Jewish Bible

Numbers 8:20

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.

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.
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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
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 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

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

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
and Hevel too brought from the firstborn of his sheep, including their fat. Adonai accepted Hevel and his offering
Genesis 7:2
Of every clean animal you are to take seven couples, and of the animals that are not clean, one couple;
Genesis 8:1
God remembered Noach, every living thing and all the livestock with him in the ark; so God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to go down.
Genesis 8:4
On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
Genesis 8:7
and he sent out a raven, which flew back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.
Genesis 8:8
Then he sent out a dove, to see if the water had gone from the surface of the ground.
Genesis 8:15
(iv) God said to Noach,
Genesis 8:16
"Go out from the ark, you, your wife, your sons and your son's wives with you.
Genesis 8:17
Bring out with you every living thing you have with you — birds, livestock and every animal that creeps on the earth — so that they can swarm on the earth, be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
Genesis 13:4
where he had first built the altar; and there Avram called on the name of Adonai .

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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