Numbers 8:11

Good News Translation

and then Aaron shall dedicate the Levites to me as a special gift from the Israelites, so that they may do my work.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
and Aharon shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Yisra'el, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

King James Version
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 .

Lexham English Bible
and Aaron will offer the Levites as a wave offering before Yahweh from the Israelites, and they will do the work of Yahweh.

New Century Version
Aaron will present the Levites before the Lord as an offering presented from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready to do the work of the Lord .

New English Translation
and Aaron is to offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work of the Lord .

Amplified Bible
"Aaron shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
"Aaron then shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may qualify to perform the service of the LORD.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Aaron shall offer the Leuites before the Lord, as a shake offring of ye childre of Israel, that they may execute the seruice of the Lorde.

Legacy Standard Bible
Aaron then shall present the Levites before Yahweh as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may be qualified to perform the service of Yahweh.

Contemporary English Version
Aaron will present the Levites to me as a gift from the people, so that the Levites will do my work.

Complete Jewish Bible
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.

Darby Translation
And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a wave-offering before Jehovah from the children of Israel, and they shall perform the service of Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
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 .

English Standard Version
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord .

George Lamsa Translation
And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the service of the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible®
Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the Lord’s work.

Literal Translation
And Aaron shall wave the Levites as a wave offering before Jehovah, from the sons of Israel, that they may serve at the service of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Aaron shal waue ye Leuites before the LORDE for the children of Israel, that they maye mynistre in the seruyce of the LORDE.

American Standard Version
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Jehovah for a wave-offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
And Aaron is to give the Levites to the Lord as a wave offering from the children of Israel, so that they may do the Lord's work.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Aaron shall waue the Leuites before the Lorde for a waue offeryng of the children of Israel, that they may execute the ministration of the seruice of the Lorde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave-offering from the children of Israel, that they may be to do the service of the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
And Aaron shall offer the Leuites before the Lord for an offring of the children of Israel, that they may execute the seruice of the Lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Aaron shall separate the Levites for a gift before the Lord from the children of Israel: and they shall be prepared to perform the works of the Lord.

English Revised Version
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that they may be to do the service of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Aaron schal offre the Leuytis in the siyt of the Lord, a yifte of the sones of Israel, that thei serue in the seruice `of hym.

Young's Literal Translation
and Aaron hath waved the Levites -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, from the sons of Israel, and they have been -- for doing the service of Jehovah.

Update Bible Version
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave-offering, on the behalf of the sons of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh.

New King James Version
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD like a wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the LORD.

New Living Translation
Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the Lord as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the Lord 's service.

New Life Bible
Aaron will give the Levites to the Lord as a wave gift from the people of Israel so they will be able to do the work of the Lord.

New Revised Standard
and Aaron shall present the Levites before the Lord as an elevation offering from the Israelites, that they may do the service of the Lord .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and Aaron shall offer the Levites as a wave-offering before Yahweh, from among the sons of Israel, - so shall they be for performing the laborious work of Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Aaron shall offer the Levites, as a gift in the sight of the Lord from the children of Israel, that they may serve in his ministry.

Revised Standard Version
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Aaron then shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may qualify to perform the service of the LORD.

Contextual Overview

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ "Separate the Levites from the rest of the people of Israel and purify them ⁷ in the following way: sprinkle them with the water of purification and have them shave their whole bodies and have them wash their clothes. Then they will be ritually clean. ⁸ Then they are to take a young bull and the required grain offering of flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take another bull for the sin offering. ⁹ Then assemble the whole community of Israel and have the Levites stand in front of the Tent of my presence. ¹⁰ The people of Israel are to place their hands on the heads of the Levites, ¹¹ and then Aaron shall dedicate the Levites to me as a special gift from the Israelites, so that they may do my work. ¹² The Levites shall then put their hands on the heads of the two bulls; one is to be offered as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, in order to perform the ritual of purification for the Levites. ¹³ "Dedicate the Levites as a special gift to me, and put Aaron and his sons in charge of them. ¹⁴ Separate the Levites in this way from the rest of the Israelites, so that they will belong to me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

offer: Heb. wave

offering: Heb. wave-offering, Not that they were actually waved, but they were presented to God, as the God of heaven, and the Lord of the whole earth, as the wave offerings were; and in calling them wave-offerings, it was intimated to them that they must move to and fro with readiness in the business of their profession. Numbers 6:20, Exodus 29:24, Leviticus 7:30, Leviticus 8:27, Leviticus 8:29

they may execute: Heb. they may be to execute, etc. Numbers 1:49-53, Numbers 3:5-43

Reciprocal: Numbers 3:7 - to do the Numbers 8:13 - offer them Numbers 8:15 - go in Numbers 8:16 - wholly given Numbers 8:21 - offered Acts 13:2 - Separate

Cross-References

Genesis 8:12
Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove once more; this time it did not come back.

Genesis 8:14
By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.

Nehemiah 8:15
So they gave the following instructions and sent them all through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: "Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law."

Romans 10:15
And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, "How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord,.... Or "wave" r them, as a wave offering, which was moved to and fro, backwards and forwards; not that they were actually so waved and moved to and fro by Aaron, which could not be done by him; though it is possible he might make such a motion himself, and they might do the like after him, thereby signifying that they belonged unto the Lord of the whole earth; and some think this testified their readiness to serve the Lord; to which may be added their constant employment in his service, being always in motion, doing one piece of service or another continually; as the people of God, and especially the ministers of the word, should be always abounding: in the work of the Lord. Ainsworth supposes that the troubles and afflictions of the ministers of God are figured hereby:

[for] an offering of the children of Israel; to the Lord, hereby devoting them to his service:

that they may execute the service of the Lord; for them, in their room and stead, do what otherwise they must have done; see Numbers 3:7; with this compare Isaiah 66:20.

r והניף "et motabit", Tigurine version; "et faciet elevare", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "et agitabit", Drusius; "et agitato", Piscator.

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.