Numbers 8

Numbers · Chapter 8

Numbers 8:21

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.3And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.4And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,6Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.7And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.8Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.9And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:10And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:11And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.12And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.13And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.14Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.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.16For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.17For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.18And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.20And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.22And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,24This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:25And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:26But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes: and Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they purified themselvesוַיִּֽתְחַטְּא֣וּvai-yit-cha-te-'UH2398
to sin

חָטָא (cha.ta) 1) to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to miss 1a2) to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty 1a3) to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to bear loss 1b2) to make a sin-offering 1b3) to purify from sin 1b4) to purify from uncleanness 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to miss the mark 1c2) to induce to sin, cause to sin 1c3) to bring into guilt or condemnation or punishment 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to miss oneself, lose oneself, wander from the way 1d2) to purify oneself from uncleanness

the Levitesהַלְוִיִּ֗םhal-vi-YIMH3881
Levi

לֵוִי (le.viy.yi) Someone from the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115) Another name of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878) § Levite, of Levi "joined to" 1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah …

and they washedוַֽיְכַבְּסוּ֙vay-kha-be-SUH3526H
to wash

כָּבַס (ka.vas) 1) to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller 1a) (Qal) washer, fuller, treader (participle) 1b) (Piel) to wash (garments, person) 1c) (Pual) to be washed 1d) (Hothpael) to be washed out

clothes theirבִּגְדֵיהֶ֔םbig-dei-HEMH0899B
garment

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) (CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)

and he wavedוַיָּ֨נֶףvai-YA-nefH5130B
to wave

נוּף (nuph) 1) to move to and fro, wave 1a) (Qal) to move 1b) (Polel) to wave, brandish (in threat) 1c) (Hiphil) to swing, wield, wave 1c1) to wield 1c2) to wave or shake (the hand) 1c2a) to wave (hand) 1c2b) to shake or brandish against 1c2c) to swing to and fro 1c3) to wave (an offering), offer 1c4) to shed abroad 1d) (Hophal) to be waved

Aaronאַהֲרֹ֥ן'a-ha-RONH0175
Aaron

אַהֲרֹן (a.ha.ron) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.4.14; son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115); brother of: Moses (H4872) and Miriam (H4813); married to Elisheba (H0472); father of: Nadab (H5070), Abihu (H0030), Eleazar (H0499) and Ithamar (H0385) Also named: Aarōn (Ἀαρών "Aaron" G0002) § Aaron = "light bringer" brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest

a wave-offeringתְּנוּפָ֖הte-nu-FAHH8573
wave offering

תְּנוּפָה (te.nu.phah) 1) swinging, waving, wave offering, offering 1a) a swinging, brandishing 1a1) of God's hand, weapons 1b) waving, wave-offering (technical term of sacrifice) 1c) offering (of gold or brass)

to beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif-NEIH6440G
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

Yahwehיְהוָ֑הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

and he made atonementוַיְכַפֵּ֧רvay-kha-PERH3722A
to atone

כִּפֶּר (ki.pher) 1) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to cover over, pacify, propitiate 1a2) to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement for 1a3) to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites 1b) (Pual) 1b1) to be covered over 1b2) to be atoned for 1c) (Hithpael) to be covered

on themעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם'a-lei-HEMH5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

Aaronאַהֲרֹ֖ן'a-ha-RONH0175
Aaron

אַהֲרֹן (a.ha.ron) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.4.14; son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115); brother of: Moses (H4872) and Miriam (H4813); married to Elisheba (H0472); father of: Nadab (H5070), Abihu (H0030), Eleazar (H0499) and Ithamar (H0385) Also named: Aarōn (Ἀαρών "Aaron" G0002) § Aaron = "light bringer" brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest

to purify themלְטַהֲרָֽם׃le-ta-ha-RAMH2891
be pure

טָהֵר (ta.her) 1) to be clean, be pure 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be clean (physically-of disease) 1a2) to be clean ceremonially 1a3) to purify, be clean morally, made clean 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to cleanse, purify 1b1a) physically 1b1b) ceremonially 1b1c) morally 1b2) to pronounce clean 1b3) to perform the ceremony of cleansing 1c) (Pual) to be cleansed, be pronounced clean 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to purify oneself 1d1a) ceremonially 1d1b) morally 1d2) to present oneself for purification

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.