God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 33:8
8About the tribe of Levi he said, “Your Thummim and Urim belong to your faithful people. You tested your people at Massah. You quarreled with them at the oasis of Meribah.
Deuteronomy 33:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
- New International Version (NIV)About Levi he said: “Your Thummim and Urim belong to your faithful servant. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And of Levi he said, "Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
- New King James Version (NKJV)And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
Context of Deuteronomy 33:8
6“May the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though their people are few in number.” 7This is what he said about the tribe of Judah: “Hear the cry of Judah, O Lord, and bring them to their people. They must defend themselves. Help them against their enemies.” About the tribe of Levi he said, “Your Thummim and Urim belong to your faithful people. You tested your people at Massah. You quarreled with them at the oasis of Meribah. 9They said that they didn’t know their father and mother. They didn’t recognize their own brothers. They didn’t acknowledge their own children. But they obeyed your word and were faithful to the terms of your promise. 10They teach Jacob your rules and give Israel your teachings. They burn incense for you to smell and sacrifice burnt offerings on your altar.
Read all of Deuteronomy 33Deuteronomy 33:8 word by word
וּלְלֵוִ֣י אָמַ֔ר תֻּמֶּ֥יךָ וְאוּרֶ֖יךָ לְאִ֣ישׁ חֲסִידֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִסִּיתוֹ֙ בְּמַסָּ֔ה תְּרִיבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מֵ֥י מְרִיבָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
- he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- thy Thummimתֻּמִּיםtûmmîym · ThummimH8550
- and thy Urimאוּרִים'ûrîym · UrimH224
- with thy holyחָסִידchâsîyd · piousH2623
- oneאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- whom thou didst proveנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
- at Massahמַסָּהmassâh · MassahH4532
- whom thou didst striveרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- at the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- of Meribahמְרִיבָהmerîybâh · MeribahH4809
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 33:8
- Exodus 28:30Put the Urim and Thummim into the breastplate for decision-making. They, too, will be over Aaron’s heart when he comes into the Lord’s presence. In this way whenever he’s in the Lord’s presence, Aaron will always be carrying over his heart the ⌞means for determining the Lord’s⌟ decisions for the Israelites.
- Leviticus 8:8Then he put the breastplate on him, and into it he placed the Urim and Thummim.
- Numbers 27:21He will stand in front of the priest Eleazar, who will use the Urim to make decisions in the Lord’s presence. At his command Joshua and the whole community of Israel will go into battle. And at his command they will return.”
- 1 Samuel 28:6He prayed to the Lord, but the Lord didn’t answer him through dreams, the Urim, or prophets.
- Ezra 2:63The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim ⌞to settle the problem⌟.
- Nehemiah 7:65The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim ⌞to settle the problem⌟.
- Leviticus 21:7You should never marry prostitutes, those who have lost their virginity, or divorced women because a priest is God’s holy man.
- Numbers 16:5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him, who is holy, and who it is that he will allow to come near him. Only the person the Lord chooses will be allowed to come near him.
- 2 Chronicles 23:6No one should come into the Lord’s temple except the priests and the Levites who are on duty with them. They may enter because they are holy, but all other people should follow the Lord’s regulations.
- Ezra 8:28I told them, “You and the utensils are holy to the Lord. The silver and gold are freewill offerings to the Lord God of your ancestors.
- Psalms 16:10because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay.
- Psalms 106:16In the camp certain men became envious of Moses. They also became envious of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one.
- Hebrews 7:26We need a chief priest who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, and who holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne.
- Revelation 3:7“To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write: The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens ⌞a door⌟ that no one can shut, and who shuts ⌞a door⌟ that no one can open, says:
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands.
- Exodus 17:7He named that place Massah [Testing] and Meribah [Complaining] because the Israelites complained and because they tested the Lord, asking, “Is the Lord with us or not?”
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 33:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Of Levi he said - Concerning the Urim and Thummim, see Exodus 28:30; (note). Thy holy one - Aaron primarily, who was anointed the high priest of God, and whose office was the most holy that man could be invested with. Therefore Aaron was called God's holy one, and the more especially so as he was the type of the Most Holy and blessed Jesus, from whom the Urim - all light and wisdom, and Thummim - all excellence, completion, and perfection, are derived…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Thy holy one - i. e., Levi, regarded as the representative of the whole priestly and Levitical stock which sprang from him. The contrast between the tone of this passage and that of Genesis 49:5-7 is remarkable. Though the prediction of Jacob respecting the dispersion of this tribe held good, yet it was so overruled as to issue in honor and reward. The recovery of God‘s favor is to be traced to the faithfulness with which Moses and Aaron, who came of this…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-23Verses 6-23 The order in which the tribes are here blessed, is not the same as is observed elsewhere. The blessing of Judah may refer to the whole tribe in general, or to David as a type of Christ. Moses largely blesses the tribe of Levi. Acceptance with God is what we should all aim at, and desire, in all our devotions, whether men accept us or not, 2Co 5:9. This prayer is a prophecy, that God will keep up a ministry in his church to the end of time. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Levi was Jacob’s third son by Leah (Genesis 29:34). His descendants were called Levites. The Levites, especially those descended from Aaron, were given responsibility for the priesthood (see Exodus 28:1; 32:29; Numbers 3:9). Thummim … Urim: These were precious stones placed in or attached to the breastpiece of the ephod (a special garment worn by the chief priest). The stones were used to seek God’s will. Their names may mean “perfections” and “lights”…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-108-10. of Levi he said--The burden of this blessing is the appointment of the Levites to the dignified and sacred office of the priesthood (Le 10:11; De 22:8; 17:8-11), a reward for their zeal in supporting the cause of God, and their unsparing severity in chastising even their nearest and dearest relatives who had participated in the idolatry of the molten calf (Ex 32:25-28; compare Mal 2:4-6).Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 33:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 33
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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