Numbers 8:19
And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from the midst of 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.
Leeser Tanakh
In The King James Version
In Context
18And I have taken the Levites, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.
Cross References
Exodus 12:50And all the children of Israel did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
Numbers 1:53But the Levites shall encamp round shout the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.
Numbers 16:46(17:11) And Moses said unto Aaron, Take the censer, and put therein fire from off the altar, and put on incense, and carry [it] quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them; for the wrath is gone forth from the Lord; the plague hath begun.
1 Samuel 6:19And he smote among the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, namely, he smote among the people seventy men and fifty thousand men: and the people mourned because the Lord had caused among the people a great slaughter.
2 Chronicles 26:16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; and he became unfaithful against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
Matthew Henry on Numbers 8:6-26
The Consecration of the Levites. ( b. c. 1490.) 5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 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. 8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering. 9 And thou… Read the whole commentary →