“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
- KJV Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
- BSB “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.
- NKJV “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially.
- NASB “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.
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 commands that the Levites be taken from Israel and cleansed. They must be purified before serving at the tabernacle.
Overview
The Levites, given in place of Israel's firstborn (Numbers 3:12), are set apart for sacred service and so must first be made clean. Holiness is required of those who serve a holy God. This points to the purifying work of Christ, who cleanses his people to serve him (Titus 2:14).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Jas 4:8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- 2 Cor 7:1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Exod 19:15He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”
- Isa 52:11Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing! Go out from among her! Cleanse yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels.
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 8:6 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.