Numbers 8:26

Numbers 8:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But 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.
• New International Version (NIV)They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties."
• New King James Version (NKJV)They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

Context of Numbers 8:26

24‘These are the rules about the Levites: The men who are 25 years old or older must go in to work in the Tent of Meeting. 25But they must stop that work when they are 50 years old. And they must not do that work after that. But they can help the other Levites in the Tent of Meeting. They can help them to do their jobs. But they themselves must not have any jobs. Those are the rules about the Levites and about their jobs.’

Numbers 8:26 word by word

וְשֵׁרֵ֨ת אֶת־אֶחָ֜יו בְּאֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣ר מִשְׁמֶ֔רֶת וַעֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א יַעֲבֹ֑ד כָּ֛כָה תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לַלְוִיִּ֖ם בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But shall ministerשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• with their brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
• in the tabernacleאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• of the congregationמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meetingH4150
• to keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
• the chargeמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
• and shall doעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• no serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: ministryH5656
• Thus shalt thou doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881

Cross-references for Numbers 8:26

• Numbers 1:53But the Levites must put up their tents around the Tent of Meeting. They must take care of it. Then I, the Lord, will not be angry with the people.’
• Numbers 3:32Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, was the most important leader of the Levites. He ruled over those people who took care of God's special Tent.
• Numbers 18:4The Levites must work with you as they take care of the Tent of Meeting. No other people have authority to come near you as you work there.
• Numbers 31:30From the half that belongs to the people, keep one part out of every 50. Do that with the Midianite prisoners, the cows, the donkeys and the sheep. Those parts will be for the Levites who take care of the Lord's special tent.’
• 1 Chronicles 23:32In that way, the Levites had authority to take care of the special tent and the holy place. They helped their relatives, Aaron's descendants, as they served the Lord in his temple.
• 1 Chronicles 26:20Other Levites kept the valuable things in the temple safe. That included the money and the gifts that people had offered to God.
• Ezekiel 44:8You did not take care of my holy things yourselves. Instead you chose foreigners to take care of my holy place on your behalf.
• 1 Timothy 4:15Be careful to do all these things well. Then everyone will see that you are serving God better and better.

Commentaries on Numbers 8:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26To keep the charge, and shall do no service - They shall no longer be obliged to perform any laborious service, but act as general directors and counsellors; therefore they were to be near the camp, sing praises to God, and see that no stranger or unclean person was permitted to enter. So the Jews and many other persons have understood this place. If it required so much legal purity to fit the Levites for their work in the tabernacle, can we suppose that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-26Verses 5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. 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 others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-26These are guidelines for the length of the Levites' service. Whereas 4:3 says their service in the Tent of Meeting started at age 30, 8:24 says age 25. This difference might show changes in age requirements over time, depending on how many Levite men were available. Those aged 25–29 might have been unofficial workers or apprentices. Both passages set the retirement age at 50. Retired Levites could serve as guards of the Tent of Meeting (see Psalm 84:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. But shall minister with their brethren--in the performance of easier and higher duties, instructing and directing the young, or superintending important trusts. "They also serve who only wait" [Milton].Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 8:26

• Levites

In the dictionaries

• Bend
• Sinai
• Wait
• Agrapha
• Apocrypha
• Chronicles, Books of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genealogy
• Heth (1)

Commentaries on Numbers 8

• 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