English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 18:6
6"And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the Lord will choose,
Deuteronomy 18:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the Lord shall choose;
- New International Version (NIV)If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the Lord chooses,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship.
Context of Deuteronomy 18:6
4The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time. "And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the Lord will choose, 7and ministers in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord, 8then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.
Read all of Deuteronomy 18Deuteronomy 18:6 word by word
וְכִֽי־יָבֹ֨א הַלֵּוִ֜י מֵאַחַ֤ד שְׁעָרֶ֙יךָ֙ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא גָּ֣ר שָׁ֑ם וּבָא֙ בְּכָל־אַוַּ֣ת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if a Leviteלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- from anyאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- of thy gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
- out of all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- where he sojournedגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
- with all the desireאַוָּה'avvâh · desireH185
- of his mindנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
- unto the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall chooseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 18:6
- Numbers 35:2"Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities.
- Psalms 26:8O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
- Psalms 27:4One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
- Psalms 63:1O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
- Psalms 84:5Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
- 1 Timothy 3:1The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
- 1 Peter 5:2shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 18:6
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 These verses presuppose that part of the Levites only will be in residence and officiating at the place of the sanctuary, the others of course dwelling at their own homes in the Levitical cities, or “sojourning” elsewhere; compare the marginal references. But if any Levite out of love for the service of the sanctuary chose to resort to it when he might reside in his own home, he was to have his share in the maintenance which was provided for…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86-8. if a Levite ... come with all the desire of his mind--It appears that the Levites served in rotation from the earliest times; but, from their great numbers, it was only at infrequent intervals they could be called into actual service. Should any Levite, however, under the influence of eminent piety, resolve to devote himself wholly and continually to the sacred duties of the sanctuary, he was allowed to realize his ardent wishes; and as he was…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 18:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries