Numbers 8:16

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

For, given, given, they are unto me, out of the midst of the sons of Israel, - instead of every firstborn that a mother beareth from among the sons of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Yisra'el; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Yisra'el, I have taken them to me.

King James Version
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Lexham English Bible
For they are given to me exclusively from the midst of the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of the firstborn of every womb, every firstborn from the Israelites.

New Century Version
They will be given completely to me from the Israelites; I have taken them for myself instead of the firstborn of every Israelite woman.

New English Translation
For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.

Amplified Bible
for they are wholly given to Me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for Myself instead of all who are born first, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

New American Standard Bible
for they are exclusively given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of the firstborn of every womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For they are freely giuen vnto me from among the children of Israel, for such as open any wombe: for all the first borne of the children of Israel haue I taken them vnto me.

Legacy Standard Bible
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons.

Complete Jewish Bible
because they are entirely given to me from among the people of Isra'el; I have taken them for myself in place of all those who come first out of the womb, that is, the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el.

Darby Translation
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of every one that breaketh open the womb, instead of every firstborn among the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Israelites will give me the Levites. They will belong to me. In the past I told every Israelite family to give me their firstborn son. But now I am taking the Levites in place of these firstborn sons from the other families in Israel.

English Standard Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

George Lamsa Translation
For they are wholly given to me as a gift from among the children of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, even instead of the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

Good News Translation
I have claimed them in the place of all the first-born sons of the Israelites, and they belong to me alone.

Christian Standard Bible®
For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.

Literal Translation
For they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel; instead of the one who opens any womb, the first-born of all, from the sons of Israel. I have taken them to Myself.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for they are my gifte of the children of Israel, and I haue taken them vnto me for all that openeth the Matrix, namely for the first borne of all the children of Israel.

American Standard Version
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Bible in Basic English
For they have been given to me from among the children of Israel; in place of every mother's first son, the first to come to birth in Israel, I have taken them for myself.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For they are geuen and deliuered vnto me from among the children of Israel for such as open euery wombe, euen for the first borne of all the children of Israel haue I taken them vnto me.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto Me.

King James Version (1611)
For they are wholly giuen vnto me, from among the children of Israel: in stead of such as open euery wombe, euen in stead of the first borne of all the children of Israel, haue I taken them vnto me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For these are given to me for a present out of the midst of the children of Israel: I have taken them to myself instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel that open every womb.

English Revised Version
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Berean Standard Bible
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y haue take hem for the firste gendrid thingis that openen ech wombe in Israel;

Young's Literal Translation
`For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

Update Bible Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the sons of Israel; instead of all that opens the womb, even the first-born of all the sons of Israel, I have taken them to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
For they [are] wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, [even instead of] the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

World English Bible
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

New King James Version
For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel.

New Living Translation
"Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.

New Life Bible
For they are all given to Me from among the people of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first child to be born, the first-born of all the people of Israel.

New Revised Standard
For they are unreservedly given to me from among the Israelites; I have taken them for myself, in place of all that open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,

Revised Standard Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Contextual Overview

⁵ And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying: ⁶ Take the Levites, out of the midst of the sons of Israel, - and thou shalt purify them. ⁷ And, thus, shalt thou do unto them, to purify them, sprinkle upon them sin-cleansing water, - then shall they, cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and shall wash their clothes and so make themselves pure. ⁸ Then shall they take a choice young bullock, with the meal-offering thereof even fine meal overflowed with oil, - and a second choice young bullock, shalt thou take. as a sin-bearer. ⁹ Then shalt thou bring the Levites near, before the tent of meeting, - and shalt call together all the assembly of the sons of Israel; ¹⁰ and shalt bring the Levites near before Yahweh, - and the sons of Israel shall lean their hands upon the Levites; ¹¹ 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. ¹² And, the Levites, shall lean their hands upon the head of the bullocks; then make thou of the one a sin-bearer and of the other an ascending-sacrifice unto Yahweh, to put a propitiatory-covering over the Levites. ¹³ Thus shalt thou cause the Levites to stand before Aaron and before his sons, - thus shalt thou offer them as a wave-offering unto Yahweh; ¹⁴ thus shalt thou separate the Levites out of the midst of the sons of Israel, - thus shall the Levites become mine.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wholly given: Nethunim, nethunim, "given, given." The word being repeated, "because," says Bp. Patrick, "the children of Israel had devoted them to him, by laying their hands upon them - Numbers 8:10, and Aaron had waved them as a wave-offering to the Lord" - Numbers 8:11.

instead of such: Houbigant, on the authority of the Samaritan, reads, "instead of every first-born of the children of Israel, who openeth the womb." Numbers 3:12, Numbers 3:45

Reciprocal: Exodus 13:2 - Sanctify Numbers 3:13 - Because Numbers 3:41 - General Numbers 18:6 - given Luke 2:23 - Every

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
And Yahweh said to Noah, Enter thou and all thy house, into the ark, - for, thee, have I seen righteous before me, in this generation.

Genesis 7:7
So Noah entered, and his sons and his wife and his sons wives with him into the ark, - from before the waters of the flood,

Genesis 7:13
On this selfsame day, entered Noah, and Shem and Ham and Japheth. Noah's sons, - and Noah's wife, and his sons' three wives with them into the ark:

Genesis 8:16
Come forth out of the ark, - thou and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy song wives with thee.

Genesis 8:18
So Noah came forth, - and his sons and his wife, and his sons wives with him:

Joshua 3:17
And the priests who were bearing the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, stood on dry ground, in the midst of the Jordan, with firm footing, - while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, until all the nation had made an end of passing over the Jordan.

Joshua 4:10
Now, the priests who were bearing the ark, continued standing in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished which Yahweh commanded Joshua, to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, - the people therefore hasted, and passed over.

Psalms 91:11
For, his messengers, will he charge concealing thee, To keep thee, in all thy ways;

Psalms 121:8
Yahweh, will keep thy going out and thy coming in, from henceforth, even unto times age-abiding.

Zechariah 9:11
As for thee also, - By the blood of thy covenant, have I sent forth thy prisoners out of a pit, wherein is no water.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For they [are] wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel,.... All of them, entirely, and most certainly; or, "given, given" u, which is repeated for the confirmation of it; or because of their being twice given, first to the Lord by the children of Israel, and then by the Lord to Aaron and his sons, as Chaskuni; though Jarchi interprets it of the different parts of their service they were devoted to, given for bearing and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary, and given for the song, or to be singers in the temple:

instead of such as open, every womb, [even instead of] the firstborn of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto me;

:-, and

:-.

u נתנים נתנים "dati, dati", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Drusius and Ainsworth.

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.