Numbers 8:11

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.

Parallel Translations

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ⁶ "Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. ⁷ "This is what you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and have them use a razor over their whole body, and they shall wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. ⁸ "Then have them take a bull with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and you shall take a second bull as a sin offering. ⁹ "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, ¹⁰ and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. ¹¹ "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.¹² "Now the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then you are to offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. ¹³ "And you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the LORD. ¹⁴ "So you shall single out the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.

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 longer, and sent out the dove; but it did not return to him again.

Genesis 8:14
And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

Nehemiah 8:15
And that they were to proclaim and circulate a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of other trees with thick branches, to make booths, as it is written."

Romans 10:15
But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

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.