14 So you are to make the Levites separate from the children of Israel, and the Levites will be mine.
Take the Levites in place of all the first sons of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle; the Levites are to be mine; I am the Lord.
See, I have taken the Levites out of the children of Israel to be mine in place of the first sons of the children of Israel;
For every mother's first son among the children of Israel is mine, the first male birth of man or beast: on the day when I sent death on all the first sons in the land of Egypt, I made them mine.
Does it seem only a small thing to you that the God of Israel has made you separate from the rest of Israel, letting you come near himself to do the work of the House of the Lord, and to take your place before the people to do what has to be done for them; Letting you, and all your brothers the sons of Levi, come near to him? and would you now be priests?
At that time the Lord had the tribe of Levi marked out to take up the ark of the Lord's agreement, to be before the Lord and to do his work and to give blessings in his name, to this day.
And they will be mine, says the Lord, in the day when I make them my special property; and I will have mercy on them as a man has mercy on his son who is his servant.
But when it was the good pleasure of God, by whom I was marked out even from my mother's body, through his grace,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 8
Commentary on Numbers 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
This chapter is concerning the lamps or lights of the sanctuary.
Num 8:1-4
Directions were given long before this for the making of the golden candlestick (Ex. 25:31), and it was made according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount, Ex. 37:17. But now it was that the lamps were first ordered to be lighted, when other things began to be used. Observe,
Num 8:5-26
We read before of the separating of the Levites from among the children of Israel when they were numbered, and the numbering of them by themselves (ch. 3:6, 15), that they might be employed in the service of the tabernacle. Now here we have directions given for their solemn ordination (v. 6), and the performance of it, v. 20. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from their neighbours, but they must be solemnly devoted to God. Note, All that are employed for God must be dedicated to him, according as the degree of employment is. Christian musts be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. Observe in what method this was done: