Numbers 18:6
New International Version
I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the tent of meeting.

New Living Translation
I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD for service in the Tabernacle.

English Standard Version
And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

Berean Standard Bible
Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.

King James Bible
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

New King James Version
Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

New American Standard Bible
Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.

NASB 1995
“Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.

NASB 1977
“And behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.

Legacy Standard Bible
And behold, I Myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to Yahweh, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.

Amplified Bible
Behold, I Myself have taken your fellow Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, given (dedicated) to the LORD, to do the service for the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

Christian Standard Bible
Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the LORD to work at the tent of meeting.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the LORD to work at the tent of meeting.

American Standard Version
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

Contemporary English Version
I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers.

English Revised Version
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have chosen the other Levites from among the Israelites to help you. They are a gift given to the LORD to do whatever work is necessary at the tent of meeting.

Good News Translation
I am the one who has chosen your relatives the Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you. They are dedicated to me, so that they can carry out their duties in the Tent.

International Standard Version
Notice that I've taken your brothers, the descendants of Levi, from among the Israelis, giving them to you as a gift from the LORD to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting.

Majority Standard Bible
Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.

NET Bible
I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They are given to you as a gift from the LORD, to perform the duties of the tent of meeting.

New Heart English Bible
And as for me, look, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

World English Bible
Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to Yahweh, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I, behold, have taken your brothers the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel; they are a gift given to you by YHWH to do the service of the Tent of Meeting;

Young's Literal Translation
'And I, lo, I have taken your brethren the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel; to you a gift they are given by Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting;

Smith's Literal Translation
And I, behold, I took your brethren the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel: to you being given a gift to Jehovah to serve the services of the tent of appointment.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have given you your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel, and have delivered them for a gift to the Lord, to serve in the ministries of the tabernacle.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I have given your brothers, the Levites, to you from the midst of the sons of Israel, and I have delivered them as a gift to the Lord, in order to serve in the ministries of his tabernacle.

New American Bible
I hereby take your kinsmen, the Levites, from among the Israelites; they are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD for the labor they perform for the tent of meeting.

New Revised Standard Version
It is I who now take your brother Levites from among the Israelites; they are now yours as a gift, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service of the tent of meeting.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I, behold, I have brought your brothers the Levites from within the sons of Israel; they are given as a gift to LORD JEHOVAH to do the service of the Time Tabernacle.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; for you they are given as a gift unto the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I have taken your brethren the Levites out of the midst of the children of Israel, a present given to the Lord, to minister in the services of the tabernacle of witness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Duties of Priests and Levites
5And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and of the altar, so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again. 6Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting. 7But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”…

Cross References
Exodus 28:1
“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

Leviticus 8:6-13
Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. / He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. / Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. ...

1 Chronicles 23:13
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

Hebrews 5:1-4
Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. / He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness. / That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. ...

1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.

1 Chronicles 15:2
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”

2 Chronicles 29:11
Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense.”

Hebrews 7:11-12
Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron? / For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well.

1 Corinthians 9:13
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.

Malachi 2:4-7
Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts. / “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. / True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. ...

Hebrews 9:6-7
When everything had been prepared in this way, the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties. / But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

2 Chronicles 31:2
Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.

Nehemiah 12:44-47
And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving. / They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed. / For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

and I.

Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

Genesis 9:9
And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

Exodus 14:17
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

I have

Numbers 3:12,45
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; …

given

Numbers 3:9
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

Numbers 8:16-19
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me…

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Numbers 18
1. The charge of the priests and Levites
8. The priests, portion
21. The Levites,
25. The heave offering to the priests out of the Levites' portion














Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites
This phrase emphasizes God's sovereign choice and divine authority in selecting the Levites for a special role. The Levites were chosen from among the Israelites to serve in the tabernacle, highlighting their unique position and responsibility. This selection is reminiscent of God's choice of Israel as His chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6). The Levites' selection underscores the theme of divine election and service, which is a recurring motif throughout Scripture.

from the Israelites as a gift to you
The Levites are described as a "gift" to Aaron and his descendants, indicating their role in assisting the priesthood. This concept of being a gift underscores the idea of service and support within the community of faith. The Levites' role was to aid the priests in their duties, ensuring the proper worship and functioning of the tabernacle. This reflects the broader biblical principle of different members of the community having distinct roles and gifts, as seen in the New Testament with the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-31).

dedicated to the LORD
The dedication of the Levites to the LORD signifies their consecration and set-apart status for holy service. This dedication is a form of sanctification, where the Levites are made holy for the purpose of serving God. It parallels the concept of believers being set apart for God's purposes (1 Peter 2:9). The Levites' dedication also points to the importance of holiness and purity in approaching God, a theme that runs throughout the Levitical laws and sacrificial system.

to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting
The service of the Levites was specifically for the Tent of Meeting, the central place of worship and God's dwelling among His people. This service included tasks such as setting up, taking down, and transporting the tabernacle, as well as assisting the priests in sacrifices and rituals. The Tent of Meeting, also known as the Tabernacle, was a precursor to the Temple and a type of Christ, who is the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity (John 1:14). The Levites' service foreshadows the role of Christ as the mediator and the ultimate High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who establishes the roles and duties of the Levites.

2. Levites
A tribe set apart by God to assist the priests in the service of the Tent of Meeting, serving as a gift to Aaron and his sons.

3. Israelites
The chosen people of God from whom the Levites are taken to serve in a special capacity.

4. Aaron
The first high priest of Israel, brother of Moses, and leader of the priestly duties.

5. Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle)
The portable earthly dwelling place of God among the Israelites, where the Levites performed their service.
Teaching Points
Divine Selection and Purpose
God chooses specific individuals for His purposes, as seen in the selection of the Levites. This reminds us that each believer has a unique role in God's kingdom.

Service as a Gift
The Levites are described as a gift to Aaron and the priesthood. Our service to God and others should be viewed as a gift, not a burden.

Dedication to the LORD
The Levites were dedicated to the LORD, emphasizing the importance of wholehearted dedication in our spiritual lives.

Support and Assistance in Ministry
Just as the Levites supported the priests, believers are called to support and assist one another in ministry, fostering a community of service.

Holiness and Separation
The Levites' separation from the rest of the Israelites for a holy purpose reflects the call for believers to live lives set apart for God.Verse 6. - I have taken your brethren the Levites. See on chapter Numbers 3:9; 8:19.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Behold,
הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I Myself
וַאֲנִ֗י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

have selected
לָקַ֙חְתִּי֙ (lā·qaḥ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3947: To take

your fellow
אֲחֵיכֶ֣ם (’ă·ḥê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 251: A brother, )

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

from
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

as a gift
מַתָּנָ֤ה (mat·tā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4979: A present, a sacrificial offering, a bribe

to you,
לָכֶ֞ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

dedicated
נְתֻנִים֙ (nə·ṯu·nîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to the LORD
לַֽיהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

to perform
לַעֲבֹ֕ד (la·‘ă·ḇōḏ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

the service
עֲבֹדַ֖ת (‘ă·ḇō·ḏaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5656: Work of any kind

for the Tent
אֹ֥הֶל (’ō·hel)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 168: A tent

of Meeting.
מוֹעֵֽד׃ (mō·w·‘êḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting


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OT Law: Numbers 18:6 I behold I have taken your brothers (Nu Num.)
Numbers 18:5
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