Numbers 8:9

Complete Jewish Bible

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.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Yisra'el.

King James Version
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:

Lexham English Bible
You will bring the Levites before the tent of assembly, and you will summon the entire community of the Israelites.

New Century Version
Bring the Levites to the front of the Meeting Tent, and gather all the Israelites around.

New English Translation
You are to bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire community of the Israelites.

Amplified Bible
"You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), and you shall also assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel,

New American Standard Bible
"So you shall present the Levites in front of the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then thou shalt bring the Leuites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, & asseble all the Congregation of the children of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
So you shall bring the Levites near before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,

Contemporary English Version
Then you, Moses, will call together all the people of Israel and have the Levites go to my sacred tent,

Darby Translation
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt gather together the whole assembly of the children of Israel.

Easy-to-Read Version
Bring the Levites to the area in front of the Meeting Tent. Then bring all the Israelites together at that place.

English Standard Version
And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel.

George Lamsa Translation
And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation; and you shall gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together;

Good News Translation
Then assemble the whole community of Israel and have the Levites stand in front of the Tent of my presence.

Christian Standard Bible®
Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community.

Literal Translation
And you shall bring the Levites near before the tabernacle of the congregation. And you shall assemble all the company of the sons of Israel.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And thou shalt brynge the Leuites before the Tabernacle of wytnesse, and gather together the whole congregacion of ye children of Israel,

American Standard Version
And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel:

Bible in Basic English
And make the Levites come forward in front of the Tent of meeting, and let all the children of Israel come together:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thou shalt bryng the Leuites before the tabernacle of the congregation, thou shalt gather the whole multitude of the children of Israel together,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

King James Version (1611)
And thou shalt bring the Leuites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation; and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of witness; and thou shalt assemble all the congregation of the sons of Israel.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel:

Berean Standard Bible
Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the entire congregation of the Israelites.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thou schalt present the Leuytis bifor the tabernacle of boond of pees, whanne al the multitude of the sones of Israel is clepid togidere.

Young's Literal Translation
and thou hast brought near the Levites before the tent of meeting, and thou hast assembled the whole company of the sons of Israel,

Update Bible Version
And you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and you shall assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel:

Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt convene the whole assembly of the children of Israel:

World English Bible
You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

New King James Version
And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

New Living Translation
Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

New Life Bible
Bring the Levites in front of the meeting tent and gather together all the people of Israel also.

New Revised Standard
You shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of the Israelites.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then shalt thou bring the Levites near, before the tent of meeting, - and shalt call together all the assembly of the sons of Israel;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the children of Israel:

Revised Standard Version
And you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of 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

thou shalt bring: Exodus 29:4-37, Exodus 40:12

shalt gather the whole: The words, kol âdath, which are rendered "the whole assembly," often signify all the elders, or principal persons in the several tribes - Numbers 15:4, Numbers 25:7, Numbers 35:12. And they cannot well have any other sense here; for it would be impossible for all the children of Israel to put their hands on the Levites, as stated in the next verse. Leviticus 8:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 27:21 - the tabernacle of the congregation Ezra 6:18 - as it is written

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 28:65
Among these nations you will not find repose, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; rather Adonai will give you there anguish of heart, dimness of eyes and apathy of spirit.

Psalms 116:7
My soul, return to your rest! For Adonai has been generous toward you.

Isaiah 60:8
"Who are these, flying along like clouds, like doves to their dovecotes?

Ezekiel 7:16
But if any of them manage to escape, they will head for the mountains like doves from the valleys, all of them moaning, each for his sin.

Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest.

John 16:33
"I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation,.... Not without it, but within it, in the court of the tabernacle, at least at the door of it, where stood the altar of burnt offering, on which sacrifices for them were now to be offered:

and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together; the heads of the tribes, and elders of the people, as Aben Ezra interprets this phrase in Leviticus 8:3; where the whole congregation is said to be assembled at the consecration of the priests, as here at the consecration of the Levites, having a concern therein, as well as to be spectators and witnesses of this solemn affair; and no doubt as many of them as could conveniently assemble at the door of the tabernacle did, though every individual of that large body of people could not possibly do it.

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.