New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 33:8
8Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O Lord, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots— to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters 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
6Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: “Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number.” 7Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: “O Lord, hear the cry of Judah and bring them together as a people. Give them strength to defend their cause; help them against their enemies!” Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O Lord, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots— to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah. 9The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children. 10They teach your regulations to Jacob; they give your instructions to Israel. They present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the 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 28:30Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord.
- Leviticus 8:8Then Moses placed the chestpiece on Aaron and put the Urim and the Thummim inside it.
- Numbers 27:21When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the Lord—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do.”
- 1 Samuel 28:6He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.
- Ezra 2:63The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the Lord about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots.
- Nehemiah 7:65The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the Lord about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots.
- Leviticus 21:7“Priests may not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, and they may not marry a woman who is divorced from her husband, for the priests are set apart as holy to their God.
- Numbers 16:5Then he said to Korah and his followers, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The Lord will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence.
- 2 Chronicles 23:6Remember, only the priests and Levites on duty may enter the Temple of the Lord, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the Lord’s instructions and stay outside.
- Ezra 8:28And I said to these priests, “You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the Lord. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of our ancestors.
- Psalms 16:10For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
- Psalms 106:16The people in the camp were jealous of Moses and envious of Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.
- Hebrews 7:26He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.
- Revelation 3:7“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.
- Exodus 17:7Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here 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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