Numbers 8:26
in Numbers 8After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges.
KJV
But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
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This verse in Numbers 8
Commentary
3 notes on this verseTo keep the charge, and shall do no service - They shall no longer be obliged to perform any laborious service, but act as general directors and counsellors; therefore they were to be near the camp, sing praises to God, and see that no stranger or unclean person was permitted to enter. So the Jews and many other persons have understood this place.
This site's exposition
But shall minister with their brethren
The man of fifty stays in the tent and changes what he does there, keeping the charge in place of carrying the load. Matthew Henry reads it as work given according to ability, the younger men to the labour and the elder to the trust, and Adam Clarke takes keeping the charge as direction, counsel and guarding the tent against whoever should not come near it. A third figure stands in Scripture beside these two, since 1 Chronicles 23:24-27 has David numbering the Levites from twenty years old, and 23:26 gives his reason, that the Levites shall no more carry the tabernacle. When the burden stopped moving the age of entry came down.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation,.... By giving advice, instructing younger Levites, and doing lighter service.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשֵׁרֵ֨ת | vesheret | and he will serve | H8334 → | 97 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶחָ֜יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| בְּאֹ֤הֶל | beohel | in [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵד֙ | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֣ר | lishmor | by keeping | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת | mishmeret | a duty | H4931 → | 78 times |
| וַעֲבֹדָ֖ה | vaavodah | and service | H5656 → | 145 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲבֹ֑ד | yaavod | he will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| כָּ֛כָה | kakhah | thus | H3602 → | 37 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה | taaseh | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לַלְוִיִּ֖ם | lalviyim | to the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם׃ פ | bemishmerotam | in duties their | H4931 → | 78 times |
וְשֵׁרֵ֨תand he will serve
vesheretH8334 →97 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶחָ֜יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
בְּאֹ֤הֶלin [the] tent of
beohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵד֙meeting
moedH4150 →223 times
לִשְׁמֹ֣רby keeping
lishmorH8104 →468 times
מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶתa duty
mishmeretH4931 →78 times
וַעֲבֹדָ֖הand service
vaavodahH5656 →145 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲבֹ֑דhe will serve
yaavodH5647 →288 times
כָּ֛כָהthus
kakhahH3602 →37 times
תַּעֲשֶׂ֥הyou will do
taasehH6213 →2628 times
לַלְוִיִּ֖םto the Levites
lalviyimH3881 →291 times
בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם׃ פin duties their
bemishmerotamH4931 →78 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 1:53But 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…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 23:32
So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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…
- Leviticus 10:6
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be…
- 1 Chronicles 23:32
Through
Ezekiel 44:11Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before…
it leads to
- Numbers 16:9
Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and…
- 2 Chronicles 29:34
However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had…
- Numbers 16:9
Through
1 Chronicles 23:32So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.
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 3:6–9
“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
- Numbers 3:38
Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service…
- Numbers 1:53
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.