Numbers 18:2

Numbers 18:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
• New International Version (NIV)Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Also bring with you your brethren of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of witness.

Context of Numbers 18:2

1The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your ancestral family will be responsible for iniquity against the sanctuary. You and your sons will be responsible for iniquity involving your priesthood. But also bring your relatives with you from the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, so they may join you and assist you and your sons in front of the tent of the testimony. 3They are to perform duties for you and for the whole tent. They must not come near the sanctuary equipment or the altar; otherwise, both they and you will die. 4They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.

Numbers 18:2 word by word

וְגַ֣ם אֶת־אַחֶיךָ֩ מַטֵּ֨ה לֵוִ֜י שֵׁ֤בֶט אָבִ֙יךָ֙ הַקְרֵ֣ב אִתָּ֔ךְ וְיִלָּו֥וּ עָלֶ֖יךָ וִֽישָׁרְת֑וּךָ וְאַתָּה֙ וּבָנֶ֣יךָ אִתָּ֔ךְ לִפְנֵ֖י אֹ֥הֶל הָעֵדֻֽת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thy brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
• also of the tribeמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• the tribeשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• bringקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126
• thou with thee, that they may be joinedלָוָהlâvâh · to joinH3867
• unto thee, and ministerשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• unto thee: but thou and thy sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the tabernacleאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• of witnessעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715

Cross-references for Numbers 18:2

• Numbers 18:4They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.
• Genesis 29:34She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him.” Therefore he was named Levi.
• Numbers 3:6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to the priest Aaron to assist him.
• Numbers 8:19From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”
• Numbers 3:10You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
• Numbers 4:15“Aaron and his sons are to finish covering the holy objects and all their equipment whenever the camp is to move on. The Kohathites will come and carry them, but they are not to touch the holy objects or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the tent of meeting.
• Numbers 16:40just as the Lord commanded him through Moses. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person outside the lineage of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the Lord and become like Korah and his followers.
• Numbers 17:7Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.
• 1 Chronicles 16:39David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon
• 2 Chronicles 30:16They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests splattered the blood received from the Levites,
• Ezekiel 44:15“But the Levitical priests descended from Zadok, who kept charge of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, will approach me to serve me. They will stand before me to offer me fat and blood.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Commentaries on Numbers 18:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi - may be joined unto thee - There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original. לוי Levi comes from the root לוה lavah, to join to, couple, associate: hence Moses says, the Levites, ילוו yillavu, shall be joined, or associated with the priests; they shall conjointly perform the whole of the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates or assistants.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4The Lord gave special authority to Aaron, his sons (the priests), and his relatives (the Levites). They were responsible to God for offenses against the holy place. Yet, only the priests were responsible to God for their own violations of God's instructions for their service.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-72-7. thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi--The departments of the sacred office, to be filled respectively by the priests and Levites, are here assigned to each. To the priests was committed the charge of the sanctuary and the altar, while the Levites were to take care of everything else about the tabernacle. The Levites were to attend the priests as servants--bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle--while the high and…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 18:2

• Minister, Christian
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Exodus
• Levite
• Agrapha
• Atonement, Day of
• Chronicles, Books of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of

Commentaries on Numbers 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings