Numbers 18:6
in Numbers 18Behold, 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
KJV
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
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This verse in Numbers 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
attend to the duties of the sanctuary
on Numbers 18:5-7
Verse 5 gives the guard's purpose, so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again. The barrier protects the people outside it, and the sentence on any outsider who comes near repeats 3:10.
This site's exposition
as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD
The Levites were claimed by God in place of Israel's firstborn at 3:12 and 8:16. Here he hands them on to Aaron as a gift. John Wesley notes that the Levites are said to serve Aaron here, the congregation at 16:9, and God at Deuteronomy 10:8.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(3.) That both priests and Levites must carefully watch against the profanation of sacred things. The Levites must keep the charge of the tabernacle, that no stranger (that is, none who upon any account was forbidden to come) might come nigh (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
To you they are given as a gift - We are to value it as a great gift of the divine bounty, to have those joined to us, that will be helpful and serviceable to us, in the service of God.
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites, from among the children of Israel,.... See Gill on Num 3:12; where the same is said, only they, are here called the brethren of the priests for the reason given, Num 18:2, to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; See Gill on Num 3:7, Num 3:8, and See Gill on Num 3:9.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord instructs here the priests that the office which they fill, and the help which they enjoy, are gifts from Him, and are to be viewed as such.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲנִ֗י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| לָקַ֙חְתִּי֙ | lakachti | I have taken | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲחֵיכֶ֣ם | ʾacheikhem | brothers your | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַלְוִיִּ֔ם | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| מִתּ֖וֹךְ | mitokh | from among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לָכֶ֞ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| מַתָּנָ֤ה | matanah | a gift | H4979 → | 17 times |
| נְתֻנִים֙ | netunim | assigned | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לַעֲבֹ֕ד | laavod | to serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲבֹדַ֖ת | ʾavodat | [the] service of | H5656 → | 145 times |
| אֹ֥הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵֽד׃ | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
וַאֲנִ֗יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
הִנֵּ֤הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
לָקַ֙חְתִּי֙I have taken
lakachtiH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲחֵיכֶ֣םbrothers your
ʾacheikhemH251 →630 times
הַלְוִיִּ֔םthe Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
מִתּ֖וֹךְfrom among
mitokhH8432 →418 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לָכֶ֞םto <the> you
lakhem
מַתָּנָ֤הa gift
matanahH4979 →17 times
נְתֻנִים֙assigned
netunimH5414 →2011 times
לַֽיהוָ֔הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
לַעֲבֹ֕דto serve
laavodH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֲבֹדַ֖ת[the] service of
ʾavodatH5656 →145 times
אֹ֥הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵֽד׃meeting
moedH4150 →223 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
Isaiah 48:15I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed in his mission.
it leads to
- Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper…
- Isaiah 45:1–2
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates…
- Psalms 45:4
In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth and humility and justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds.
- Joshua 1:8
Through
Exodus 31:6Moreover, I have selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, as his assistant. I have also given skill to all the craftsmen, that they may fashion all that I have commanded…
it leads to
- Exodus 35:34
And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.
- Exodus 28:3
You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.
- Exodus 35:10
Let every skilled craftsman among you come and make everything that the LORD has commanded:
- Luke 10:1
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
- Exodus 35:34
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 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 3:41
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.