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 family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests. Bring the other Levites from your ancestor’s tribe to join you and help you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the words of my promise. 3They will work for you, doing whatever work is necessary for the whole tent. But they must not come near the altar or the furnishings in the holy place, or they will die, and you will die, too. 4They will join you and do whatever work is necessary for the tent of meeting, including all the maintenance work for the tent. But no one else 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 will join you and do whatever work is necessary for the tent of meeting, including all the maintenance work for the tent. But no one else may come near you.
• Genesis 29:34She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me because I’ve given him three sons.” So she named him Levi [Attached].
• Numbers 3:6“Bring the tribe of Levi, and have them stand in front of the priest Aaron to assist him.
• Numbers 8:19The Levites will be the only Israelites I give to Aaron and his sons. They will work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting. They will make peace with the Lord for the Israelites. Then no plague will strike the Israelites when they come near the holy place.”
• Numbers 3:10Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests’ duties must be put to death.”
• Numbers 4:15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.
• Numbers 16:40following the command that the Lord had given through Moses. The bronze-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron can come near to burn incense to the Lord. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers.
• Numbers 17:7Moses put the staffs in the Lord’s presence in the tent of the words of God’s promise.
• 1 Chronicles 16:39David left Zadok and his priestly relatives to serve in the Lord’s tent at the place of worship in Gibeon.
• 2 Chronicles 30:16They stood in their regular places as instructed by Moses’ Teachings. (Moses was a man of God.) The priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites.
• Ezekiel 44:15“ ‘But the priests who are Levites and descendants of Zadok took care of my holy place when the Israelites wandered away from me. They may come near me and serve me, and they may stand in my presence. They may bring fat and blood to me, declares the Almighty Lord.

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