that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, saying,
- KJV That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,
- BSB he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:
- NKJV that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying:
- NLT he gave this command to the Levites who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant:
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
Moses commands the Levites who carry the ark of the covenant concerning the book of the law. It matters because the law is entrusted to those who guard God's holy presence.
Overview
The Levites, already responsible for bearing the ark, are charged with custody of the written law. Linking the book to the ark, the center of God's covenant presence, signals the law's sacred authority. This careful placement of Scripture beside the symbol of God's presence highlights its enduring witness, ultimately pointing to the word made flesh in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Deut 31:9Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 31:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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