Numbers 8:16
in Numbers 8For 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Numbers 8
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
For they are wholly given unto me
on Numbers 8:16-18
The ground of the exchange is the night of the tenth plague and the text names it, on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. Exodus 13:2 claimed every firstborn on that ground, Numbers 3:12-13 announced the Levites in their place, and Numbers 3:40-51 counted the two lists against each other and priced the two hundred and seventy three surplus firstborn at five shekels a head. Genesis had spent fifty chapters setting a younger son over an elder one, and here one whole tribe is set in the place of every eldest son in Israel. Luke 2:23 quotes the same law of the opened womb when Christ is brought up to the temple.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), of which before, ch. iii. Note, What is in sincerity offered to God shall be graciously owned and accepted by him. And his ministers who have obtained mercy of him to be faithful have particular marks of favour and honour put upon them: they shall be mine, and then (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel,....
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נְתֻנִ֨ים | netunim | [are] assigned | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| נְתֻנִ֥ים | netunim | assigned | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הֵ֙מָּה֙ | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| לִ֔י | li | to <the> me | ||
| מִתּ֖וֹךְ | mitokh | from among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| תַּחַת֩ | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| פִּטְרַ֨ת | pitrat | [the] firstborn of | H6363 → | 12 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| רֶ֜חֶם | rechem | womb | H7358 → | 26 times |
| בְּכ֥וֹר | bekhor | [the] firstborn of | H1060 → | 122 times |
| כֹּל֙ | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִבְּנֵ֣י | mibenei | from [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לָקַ֥חְתִּי | lakachti | I have taken | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִֽי׃ | li | for <the> myself |
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
נְתֻנִ֨ים[are] assigned
netunimH5414 →2011 times
נְתֻנִ֥יםassigned
netunimH5414 →2011 times
הֵ֙מָּה֙they
hemahH1992 →553 times
לִ֔יto <the> me
li
מִתּ֖וֹךְfrom among
mitokhH8432 →418 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
תַּחַת֩in place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
פִּטְרַ֨ת[the] firstborn of
pitratH6363 →12 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
רֶ֜חֶםwomb
rechemH7358 →26 times
בְּכ֥וֹר[the] firstborn of
bekhorH1060 →122 times
כֹּל֙all
kolH3605 →5413 times
מִבְּנֵ֣יfrom [the] people of
mibeneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לָקַ֥חְתִּיI have taken
lakachtiH3947 →966 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לִֽי׃for <the> myself
li
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 3:12“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,
it leads to
- Numbers 18:6
Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.
- Numbers 3:41
You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of…
- Numbers 8:18
But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
- Numbers 3:45
“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.
- Exodus 13:2
“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”
- Numbers 18:6
Through
Numbers 3:45“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Numbers 3:12
“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,
- Numbers 3:12
Through
Numbers 3:9Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.
it leads to
- Numbers 8:19
And 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…
- Numbers 18:6–7
Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.
- Numbers 8:19
About Numbers
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.