26 but he shall minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting, and keep the charge, but he shall not serve [in] the service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites with regard to their charges.
but the Levites shall encamp round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there come not wrath upon the assembly of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.
And the prince of princes of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest: he had the oversight of them that kept the charge of the sanctuary.
And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the small cattle, of every [kind of] beasts, and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.
and they kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of Jehovah.
And the Levites: Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things. The sons of Laadan, the sons of the Gershonites of Laadan, chief fathers of Laadan the Gershonite: Jehieli; the sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of the house of Jehovah. As to the Amramites, the Jizharites, the Hebronites, the Uzzielites.... And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of the treasures. And his brethren, of Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, and Isaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son. This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which king David, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated (from the wars and out of the spoils had they dedicated [them], to maintain the house of Jehovah), and all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated: all that was dedicated was under the hand of Shelomith and of his brethren. Of the Jizharites, Chenaniah and his sons were over Israel, for the outward business for officers and judges.
And ye have not kept the charge of my holy things, but have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.
but they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and doing the service of the house: they shall slaughter the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.
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: