Lexical Summary Libniy: Libni Original Word: לִבְנִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Libnites Patronymically from Libniy; a Libnite or descendants of Libni (collectively) -- Libnites. see HEBREW Libniy Brown-Driver-Briggs II. לִבְנִי adjective, of a people of foregoing, always with article ׳הַלּ as substantive collective, Numbers 3:21; Numbers 26:58. Topical Lexicon Designation and Scriptural Occurrences The clan of the Libnites is identified twice in the Pentateuch (Numbers 3:21; Numbers 26:58). In each instance the name appears as one of the two family lines that issued from Gershon, the eldest son of Levi. Genealogical Placement within Levi • Levi → Gershon → Libni (Libnites) and Shimei (Shimeites). Census in the Wilderness Numbers 3:21 lists the Libnites during the first wilderness census taken at Sinai. The totals in verses 22–24 show that all Gershonite males one month old and upward numbered 7,500 and camped on the west side of the tabernacle. The Libnite count is not given separately, but their inclusion demonstrates that every household was accounted for in the organization of Israel’s worship life. A generation later, Numbers 26:58 again names the Libnites when the second census was conducted on the plains of Moab. Their continued presence affirms God’s preservation of the Levitical lines through forty years of wandering, despite the judgment that fell on the rebellious generation (Numbers 26:64–65). Assigned Ministry While the text does not single out Libnites apart from the broader Gershonite duties, everything assigned to Gershon fell upon Libni’s descendants proportionally: Thus the Libnites helped transport and maintain the soft fabric elements of the sanctuary—visible reminders of God’s dwelling among His people. Every move of the camp depended upon their faithful labor. Historical Legacy The Libnite line appears again in later genealogies (for example, 1 Chronicles 6) under a slightly different spelling; this continuity shows that the clan not only survived but contributed to temple worship in the land. Although no prominent individual Libnite is singled out, their clan’s inclusion among the singers and gatekeepers underscores the breadth of Levitical service stretching from Sinai to Jerusalem. Ministry Significance and Spiritual Lessons 1. Ordered Service: The Libnites illustrate how God assigns specific, sometimes unseen, tasks that are nevertheless vital to corporate worship. Key References Numbers 3:21; Numbers 3:25-26; Numbers 4:24-28; Numbers 26:58; 1 Chronicles 6:17-21, 29. Forms and Transliterations הַלִּבְנִ֔י הַלִּבְנִ֜י הלבני hal·liḇ·nî halliḇnî hallivNiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 3:21 HEB: לְגֵ֣רְשׁ֔וֹן מִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙ הַלִּבְנִ֔י וּמִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַשִּׁמְעִ֑י NAS: [was] the family of the Libnites and the family KJV: [was] the family of the Libnites, and the family INT: of Gershon the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites Numbers 26:58 2 Occurrences |
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