Numbers 18:2
in Numbers 18But bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thy brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall be before the tent of the testimony.
KJV
And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
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This verse in Numbers 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThy brethren also of the tribe of Levi - may be joined unto thee - There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original. לוי Levi comes from the root לוה lavah, to join to, couple, associate: hence Moses says, the Levites, ילוו yillavu, shall be joined, or associated with the priests; they shall conjointly perform the whole of the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates or assistants.
This site's exposition
shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary
on Numbers 18:1-4
Chapter 17 closes with Israel crying that every one who comes near the tabernacle dies. This chapter answers that cry by fixing where the danger is carried, and it lays it on Aaron and his sons. Adam Clarke points out the play on the name in verse 2, since Levi comes from a root meaning to be joined, and the Levites are the tribe joined to the priests as their assistants. The word here comes to Aaron directly rather than through Moses, which happens three times in this chapter and rarely anywhere else in the Torah.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Unto thee - About sacrifices and offerings and other things, according to the rules I have prescribed them. The Levites are said to minister to Aaron here, to the church, chap. xvi, 9, and to God, Deut. x, 8.
); that is (as bishop Patrick explains it), before the most holy place, in which the ark was, on the outside of the veil of that tabernacle, but within the door of the tabernacle, of the congregation.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
), though they must by no means come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary, nor at the altar meddle with the great services of burning the fat and sprinkling the blood.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And to thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Levites were to attend the priests as servants--bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle--while the high and dignified office of the priesthood was a "service of gift." "A stranger," that is, one, neither a priest nor a Levite, who should intrude into any departments of the sacred office, should incur the penalty of death.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַ֣ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַחֶיךָ֩ | ʾacheikha | brothers your | H251 → | 630 times |
| מַטֵּ֨ה | mateh | [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| לֵוִ֜י | levi | Levi | H3878 → | 59 times |
| שֵׁ֤בֶט | shevet | [the] tribe of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| אָבִ֙יךָ֙ | ʾavikha | ancestor your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַקְרֵ֣ב | hakrev | bring near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אִתָּ֔ךְ | ʾitakh | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| וְיִלָּו֥וּ | veyilavu | so they may join themselves | H3867 → | |
| עָלֶ֖יךָ | ʾaleikha | to you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וִֽישָׁרְת֑וּךָ | visharetukha | so they may serve you | H8334 → | 97 times |
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וּבָנֶ֣יךָ | uvaneikha | and sons your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִתָּ֔ךְ | ʾitakh | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| לִפְנֵ֖י | lifnei | [will be] <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֹ֥הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| הָעֵדֻֽת׃ | haedut | the testimony | H5715 → | 59 times |
וְגַ֣םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַחֶיךָ֩brothers your
ʾacheikhaH251 →630 times
מַטֵּ֨ה[the] tribe of
matehH4294 →252 times
לֵוִ֜יLevi
leviH3878 →59 times
שֵׁ֤בֶט[the] tribe of
shevetH7626 →190 times
אָבִ֙יךָ֙ancestor your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
הַקְרֵ֣בbring near
hakrevH7126 →280 times
אִתָּ֔ךְwith you
ʾitakhH854 →929 times
וְיִלָּו֥וּso they may join themselves
veyilavuH3867 →
עָלֶ֖יךָto you
ʾaleikhaH5921 →5755 times
וִֽישָׁרְת֑וּךָso they may serve you
visharetukhaH8334 →97 times
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
וּבָנֶ֣יךָand sons your
uvaneikhaH1121 →4930 times
אִתָּ֔ךְwith you
ʾitakhH854 →929 times
לִפְנֵ֖י[will be] <to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֹ֥הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
הָעֵדֻֽת׃the testimony
haedutH5715 →59 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Numbers 16:40just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the…
it leads to
- Numbers 3:10
So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 1:51
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 3:10
Through
Numbers 8:19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement…
it leads to
- Numbers 1:53
But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the…
- Numbers 16:46
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the…
- Numbers 1:53
Through
Genesis 29:34Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named…
it leads to
- Exodus 32:26–29
So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
- Genesis 49:5–7
Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence.
- Exodus 32:26–29
Through
Numbers 17:7Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.
it leads to
- Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
- Exodus 38:21
This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, as recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
- Acts 7:44
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.