Numbers 8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:7

And thus shall thou do unto them, to cleanse them ,.... Or order Aaron to do unto them; the cleansing of the Levites was the work of Aaron, either by himself or by his order; in which he was a type of Christ, who is the refiner and purifier of the sons of Levi, Malachi 3:3 , sprinkle water of purifying upon them ; or "water of sin" F14 מי חטאת "aquas peccati", Montanus; "aquam peccati", Piscator, Drusius; "the sin water", Ainsworth. ; water which purifies from sin, in a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:8

Then let them take a young bullock ,.... Of two years old, as the Jewish writers gather from the other in the next clause, being called the second; though the wise men say one of three years old is fit for such a sacrifice; nay, others say, if four or five years old; but the decision is according to the wise men F17 Misn. Parah, c. 1. sect. 2. & Bartenora in ib. . with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil : which always went along with a burnt offering, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:9

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation ,.... Not without it, but within it, in the court of the tabernacle, at least at the door of it, where stood the altar of burnt offering, on which sacrifices for them were now to be offered: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together ; the heads of the tribes, and elders of the people, as Aben Ezra interprets this phrase in Leviticus 8:3 ; where the whole congregation is said to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:10

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord ,.... From the door of the tabernacle, to the altar of burnt offering, where the Lord was in some sense present to accept the sacrifices offered to him: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites ; as were used to be put upon sacrifices, for the Levites were themselves offered for an offering of the children of Israel, as is expressed in Numbers 8:11 ; by which rite they signified that they voluntarily parted with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:11

And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord ,.... Or "wave" F18 והניף "et motabit", Tigurine version; "et faciet elevare", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "et agitabit", Drusius; "et agitato", Piscator. them, as a wave offering, which was moved to and fro, backwards and forwards; not that they were actually so waved and moved to and fro by Aaron, which could not be done by him; though it is possible he might make such a motion himself, and they might do the like after him,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:12

And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bullocks ,.... Or "on the head" F19 על ראש "super caput", Tigurine version. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius. ; on the head of everyone of them, as Aben Ezra, thereby, as it were, transferring their sins to them, for these were to make atonement for them, as the latter part of the verse shows; and this was a figure of the imputation of sin to Christ, and taught that doctrine, and led the faith of the offerers to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:13

And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons ,.... After atonement was made for them, as Aben Ezra observes; then they were presented to Aaron and his sons, to whom they were given to he their ministers, and assistants to them: and offer them for an offering unto the Lord : or, and "waved them", &c.; as before, that is, order them to be waved; for not Moses, but Aaron, did this, and indeed was done already; and therefore should rather be rendered, as by Bishop... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:14

Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel ,.... By sprinkling the water of purification upon them; by offering sacrifices for them; by presenting them before the Lord, with the hands of the people of Israel put upon them; by offering and waving them before the Lord, and by setting them before Aaron and his sons, as their ministers: and the Levites shall be mine : in a special and peculiar manner devoted to his service, and by him given to his priests for that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:15

And after that shall the Levites go in ,.... Not into the sanctuary, where only the priests entered, much less into the most holy place, where only the high priest went, and that but once a year, in neither of which places the Levites had anything to do, but into the court of the tabernacle: to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation : to watch there, and to assist the priests at the altar of burnt offering, to take down the tabernacle and bear the vessels of it, and set it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 8:16

For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel ,.... All of them, entirely, and most certainly; or, "given, given" F21 נתנים נתנים "dati, dati", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Drusius and Ainsworth. , which is repeated for the confirmation of it; or because of their being twice given, first to the Lord by the children of Israel, and then by the Lord to Aaron and his sons, as Chaskuni; though Jarchi interprets it of the different parts of their service they... read more

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