They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.
Parallel translations
- WEB They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
- KJV And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
- NKJV And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.
- NASB They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
- NLT They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle.
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
The Levites were to keep the duties of Aaron and the congregation by serving the tabernacle. They guarded and maintained the place of God's dwelling.
Overview
The Levites bore responsibility for the ongoing service of the tabernacle on behalf of both the priests and the whole nation. Their work ensured that worship continued in proper order. This service safeguarded Israel's access to God and pictures the diligence required in caring for the things of God within His house.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Num 1:50Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.
- Num 8:15After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.
- Num 8:11Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.
- Num 31:30From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”
- 1 Chr 26:22the sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
- 1 Chr 26:26This Shelomith and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders.
- Num 3:32The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
- 1 Chr 26:20Now their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated things.
- 1 Chr 23:28–32but 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,
- Num 8:24–26“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
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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 3:7 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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