For the Lord had said to Moses,
Parallel translations
- WEB For Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
- KJV For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,
- BSB For the LORD had said to Moses:
- ESV For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
- NKJV for the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying:
- NASB For the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying,
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 speaks again to Moses to explain the special status of the Levites. The LORD Himself ordains their distinct role.
Overview
This brief introduction signals that the Levites' exemption is by divine command, not human arrangement. God's direct speech underscores the holiness of the matter He is about to address. It reminds us that the structure of worship and service is established by God's word.
Cross-references & the web
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Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 1:48 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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