because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God,
Parallel translations
- WEB For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of Yahweh’s house, in the courts, and in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;
- KJV Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;
- BSB but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,
- NASB For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the Lord, in the courtyards and in the chambers, and in the purification of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,
- NLT The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the Lord. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron in the service of the LORD's house, caring for the courts, rooms, and purification of holy things. The Levites supported the priests in worship.
Overview
The Levites' role was to aid the Aaronic priests, maintaining the temple's spaces and ensuring the purity of holy things. This supportive ministry shows how God's worship involves many serving in differing capacities under proper order. The careful attention to purity reflects God's holiness and the reverence due in approaching Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Neh 13:9Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms. I brought into them the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense again.
- 2 Chr 31:11Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in Yahweh’s house, and they prepared them.
- 2 Chr 35:3–6He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve Yahweh your God, and his people Israel.
- 2 Chr 35:11–14They killed the Passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.
- Ezek 42:3Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third floor.
- 1 Chr 23:4David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,
- Neh 11:24Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.
- 1 Chr 9:28–29Certain of them were in charge of the vessels of service; for these were brought in by count, and these were taken out by count.
- Ezek 41:6–11The side rooms were in three stories, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which belonged to the house for the side rooms all around, that they might be supported, and not penetrate the wall of the house.
- 1 Kgs 6:5Against the wall of the house, he built floors all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the inner sanctuary; and he made side rooms all around.
- Ezra 8:29Watch and keep them, until you weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ households of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the rooms of Yahweh’s house.”
- Jer 35:4and I brought them into Yahweh’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
- 1 Chr 28:13also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of Yahweh’s house, and for all the vessels of service in Yahweh’s house;
- Neh 13:4–5Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
- 2 Chr 29:18–19Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace, and said, “We have cleansed all Yahweh’s house, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table of show bread with all its vessels.
- Ezek 41:26There were closed windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch: thus were the side rooms of the house, and the thresholds.
- 2 Chr 29:5and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify Yahweh, the God of your fathers’ house, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.
- Num 3:6–9“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
- 1 Chr 18:17and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief officials serving the king.
- Ezek 42:13Then he said to me, The north rooms and the south rooms, which are before the separate place, they are the holy rooms, where the priests who are near to Yahweh shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.
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