Bible Commentaries
Numbers 8

Verse 3

And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

He lighted the lamps. — This candlestick, on the south side of the tabernacle, over against the table, figured the law of God shining in his Church; Proverbs 6:23 2 Peter 1:19 and the lighting of one lamp from another, showed the opening of one text by another. The Rabbins have a saying, Nulla est obiectio in lege quae non habet solutionem in latere; i.e., there is not any doubt in the law, but may be resolved in the context.

Verse 4

And this work of the candlestick [was of] beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, [was] beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

Beaten work. — To show that ministers must beat their brains to beat out the sense of the Scriptures, as the fowl beats the shell, to get out the fish, with great vehemency. Kοπιαν, παρα το κοπτειν .

Verse 7

And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and [so] make themselves clean.

Sprinkle water of purifying, … — This taught that none were meet for the holy ministry, but by the free favour of Christ, and by the sanctification of his Spirit. 2 Corinthians 2:16 Galatians 1:15 Ministers are fullones animarum, their office is to whiten others; themselves therefore should be as those Nazarites Lamentations 4:7 "whiter than snow."

Shave all their flesh. — As the lepers did; Levites are by nature no better than lepers: ministers, men subject to like passions as others, and liable to more temptations.

Verse 9

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:

The whole assembly. — By their representatives the elders, or the firstborn; figuring the Church of Christ, those "firstborn which are written in heaven." Hebrews 12:23

Verse 10

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

Shall put their hands. — Imposition of hands is an ancient rite at the ordination of ministers.

Verse 11

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.

And Aaron shall offer the Levites. — Heb., Wave the Levites; which might figure, ministers’ miseries and afflictions, by Satan’s sifting them, and wicked men’s turmoiling them, as Jeremiah, that "man of contentions." Jeremiah 15:12

Verse 12

And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.

The one for a sin offering. — The sin offering for actual sin; the burnt offering for original.

Verse 19

And I have given the Levites [as] a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

As a gift to Aaron. —

“ Clarissima semper

Munera sunt, Author quae pretiosa facit. ”

Ministers also are given as an honorary to the Church. Ephesians 4:11

Verse 24

This [is it] that [belongeth] unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

From twenty-five years. — See Trapp on " Numbers 4:30 "