Numbers 8:9

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.

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,

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.

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.

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 The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ "Separate the Levites from the other Israelites. Make these Levites clean. ⁷ This is what you should do to make them clean: Sprinkle the special water from the sin offering on them. This water will make them clean. Then they must shave their bodies and wash their clothes. This will make their bodies clean. ⁸ "They must take a young bull and the grain offering that must be offered with it. This grain offering will be flour mixed with oil. Then take another young bull for a sin offering. ⁹ Bring the Levites to the area in front of the Meeting Tent. Then bring all the Israelites together at that place. ¹⁰ Bring the Levites before the Lord . The Israelites will put their hands on them. ¹¹ Aaron will give the Levites to the Lord as an offering from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready to do their special work for the Lord . ¹² "Tell the Levites to put their hands on the heads of the bulls. One bull will be a sin offering and the other bull will be used as a burnt offering to the Lord . These offerings will make the Levites pure. ¹³ Tell the Levites to stand in front of Aaron and his sons. Then give the Levites to the Lord . They will be like an offering. ¹⁴ This will make the Levites holy. They will be different from the other Israelites. The Levites 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
"You will not have any peace among these nations. You will have no place to rest. The Lord will fill your mind with worry. Your eyes will feel tired. You will be very upset.

Psalms 116:7
My soul, relax! The Lord is caring for you.

Isaiah 60:8
Look at the people. They are rushing toward you like clouds quickly crossing the sky. They are like doves flying to their nests.

Ezekiel 7:16
"But some people will escape. The survivors will run to the mountains, but they will not be happy. They will be sad for all their sins. They will cry and make sad noises like doves.

Matthew 11:28
"Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.

John 16:33
"I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated 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.