God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 18:6
6A Levite from any of your cities in Israel may come from where he has been living to the place the Lord will choose. He may come as often as he wants
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,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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,
- 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,
Context of Deuteronomy 18:6
4Also, give them the first produce harvested: grain, new wine, olive oil, and the first wool you shear from your sheep. 5Out of all your tribes, the Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their descendants to do the work of serving in the name of the Lord forever. A Levite from any of your cities in Israel may come from where he has been living to the place the Lord will choose. He may come as often as he wants 7and may serve in the name of the Lord his God like all the other Levites who do their work in the Lord’s presence. 8If he does, he’ll get the same amount of food as they do, in addition to what he gets from selling his family’s goods.
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“Tell the Israelites to give the Levites some cities from their own property. They must also give the Levites the pastureland around those cities.
- Psalms 26:8O Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
- Psalms 27:4I have asked one thing from the Lord. This I will seek: to remain in the Lord’s house all the days of my life in order to gaze at the Lord’s beauty and to search for an answer in his temple.
- Psalms 63:1O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
- Psalms 84:5Blessed are those who find strength in you. Their hearts are on the road ⌞that leads to you⌟.
- 1 Timothy 3:1This is a statement that can be trusted: If anyone sets his heart on being a bishop, he desires something excellent.
- 1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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