Numbers 8:6
New International Version
“Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

New Living Translation
“Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean.

English Standard Version
“Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them.

Berean Standard Bible
“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

King James Bible
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

New King James Version
“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially.

New American Standard Bible
“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.

NASB 1995
“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.

NASB 1977
“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.

Amplified Bible
“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.

Christian Standard Bible
“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them.

American Standard Version
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

Contemporary English Version
The Levites must be acceptable to me before they begin working at the sacred tent. So separate them from the rest of the Israelites

English Revised Version
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and make them clean.

Good News Translation
"Separate the Levites from the rest of the people of Israel and purify them

International Standard Version
"Take the descendants of Levi from the Israelis and purify them.

Majority Standard Bible
“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

NET Bible
"Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them.

New Heart English Bible
"Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

World English Bible
“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you have cleansed them.

Young's Literal Translation
'Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and thou hast cleansed them.

Smith's Literal Translation
Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and cleanse them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shalt purify them,

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them

New American Bible
Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them.

New Revised Standard Version
Take the Levites from among the Israelites and cleanse them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Take the Levites from within the children of Israel and purify them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Take the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, and thou shalt purify them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cleansing the Levites
5Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. 7This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.…

Cross References
Leviticus 8:6
Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.

Exodus 29:4
Then present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

Leviticus 16:4
He is to wear the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments. He must tie a linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are holy garments, and he must bathe himself with water before he wears them.

Exodus 40:12-15
Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. / And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest. / Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics. ...

Leviticus 14:8-9
The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days. / On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.

2 Chronicles 29:5
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.

Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

John 13:10
Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”

Ephesians 5:26
to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:2
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Revelation 7:14
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Psalm 51:2
Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Isaiah 1:16
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!

Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.


Treasury of Scripture

Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

cleanse them

Exodus 19:15
And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

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Numbers 8
1. How the lamps are to be lighted
5. The consecration of the Levites
23. The age and time of their service














Take the Levites
The phrase "Take the Levites" signifies a divine command given to Moses, emphasizing the selection and consecration of the Levites for service. The Hebrew root for "take" is "laqach," which implies a deliberate action of choosing or selecting. Historically, the Levites were set apart for the service of the Tabernacle, a role that required purity and dedication. This selection underscores God's sovereign choice and the special role of the Levites as intermediaries between God and the Israelites.

from among the Israelites
This phrase highlights the Levites' unique position "from among the Israelites." The Hebrew term "mi-tokh" suggests a separation or distinction. The Levites were chosen from the larger community of Israel to serve in a sacred capacity. This separation is not just physical but spiritual, indicating their role in maintaining the holiness of the nation. It reflects the broader biblical theme of being in the world but set apart for God's purposes.

and make them ceremonially clean
The command to "make them ceremonially clean" involves a process of purification, which is crucial for their service. The Hebrew word "taher" means to cleanse or purify, often used in the context of ritual purity. This cleansing was necessary for the Levites to approach the holy tasks assigned to them. It symbolizes the need for spiritual purity and readiness to serve God, a principle that resonates with the Christian call to holiness and sanctification. The process of making the Levites clean involved specific rituals, underscoring the importance of obedience and preparation in serving the Lord.

Verse 6. - And cleanse them. Before they actually entered upon their new duties they were to be solemnly hallowed. This hallowing, however, is not called קַדֵּשׁ, as is that of the priests (Exodus 29:1), but טַהֵר, cleansing. There was in their case no ceremonial washing, no vesting in sacred garments, no anointing with holy oil, or sprinkling with the blood of sacrifices. The Levites, in fact, remained simply representatives of the congregation, whereas the priests were representatives also of Christ.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Take
קַ֚ח (qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

the Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֔ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

from among
מִתּ֖וֹךְ (mit·tō·wḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

and make them ceremonially clean.
וְטִהַרְתָּ֖ (wə·ṭi·har·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2891: To be clean or pure


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OT Law: Numbers 8:6 Take the Levites from among the children (Nu Num.)
Numbers 8:5
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