My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
Parallel translations
- WEB “My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might be reverent toward me; and he was reverent toward me, and stood in awe of my name.
- BSB “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
- NKJV “Mycovenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name.
- NASB “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name.
- NLT “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.
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
God recalls His covenant with Levi as one of life and peace, given so the priesthood would walk in reverent awe of His name.
Overview
The original Levitical covenant promised life and peace and called forth genuine reverence and awe toward God. This describes the priesthood as it was meant to be, marked by faithful fear of the Lord. It stands as a rebuke to the present priests and a portrait fulfilled perfectly in Christ, who served the Father in perfect reverence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Num 25:12–13Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
- Ezek 37:26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
- Ezek 34:25And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
- Exod 32:26–29Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
- Num 16:9–10Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
- Num 8:15And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
- Num 18:8–24And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
- Ps 106:30–31Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
- Deut 33:8–11And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
- Num 3:45Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.
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