Reference: Levi
American
1. The third son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia; and father of three sons, and of Jochebed the mother of Moses, Ge 29:34; Ex 6:16-20. For his share in the treacherous massacre of the Shechemites, Ge 34, his father at death foreboded evil to his posterity, Ge 49:5-7; but as they afterwards stood forth on the Lord's side, Moses was charged to bless them, Ex 32:26-29; De 33:8-11. The tribe of Levi was, according to Jacob's prediction, scattered over all Israel, having no share in the cities in the portions of other tribes. All the tithes, first fruits, and offerings, presented at the temple, as well as several parts of all the victims that were offered belonged to the tribe of Levi. See LEVITES.
2. The apostle Matthew was also called Levi. See MATTHEW.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And she will conceive yet again, and will bear a son, and she will say, The time now, my husband will join himself to me, for I bare to him three sons: for this his name was called Levi
Simon and Levi brethren; their swords instruments of violence. My soul shall not come into their consultation; in their assembly, my honor shall not be united, for in their anger they killed a man and in their will, houghed a bullock. read more. Cursed their anger, for it was hard; and their wrath, for it was hardened: I will divide them in Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel
And these the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generation; Gershon, and Kohath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi, seven and thirty and a hundred years. And the sons of Gershon, Libni and Shimi, according to their tribes. read more. And the sons of Kohath; Amram and Izhar and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath, three and thirty and a hundred years. And the sons of Merari: Mahali and Mushi: these the tribes of Levi according to their generations. And Amram will take Jochebed his father's sister, to him for a wife; and she will bare to him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram, seven and thirty and a hundred years
And Moses will stand in the gate of the camp, and will say, Who for Jehovah? to me. And all the sons of Levi will assemble together to him. And he will say to them, Thus said Jehovah the God of Israel, Put ye each his sword upon his thigh, and pass ye through and turn ye back from gate to gate in the camp, and slay ye each his brother, and each his friend, and each his near one. read more. And the sons of Levi will do according to the word of Moses: and there will fall from the people in that day about three thousand men. And Moses will say, Fill your hand this day to Jehovah, for each upon his son and upon his brother, to give to you a blessing this day.
And to Levi he said, Thy Truth and thy Light to the godly man whom they tried in the trial; thou wilt contend with him at the water of contention. He saying to his father and to his mother, I saw him not, and his brethren he knew not, and he knew not his sons; for they watched thy sayings and they will keep thy covenant. read more. And they shall teach thy judgments to Jacob, and thy law to Israel; they will put incense at thy nose, and whole burnt-offerings upon thine altar. Bless, Jehovah, his strength, and thou wilt accept the work of his hands: smite through and through the loins of those rising up against him, and those hating him, lest they shall rise up.
Easton
adhesion. (1.) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah's words (Ge 29:34), "This time will my husband be joined [Heb yillaveh] unto me." He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in avenging his sister Dinah (Ge 34:25-31). He and his three sons went down with Jacob (Ge 46:11) into Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years (Ex 6:16).
(2.) The father of Matthat, and son of Simeon, of the ancestors of Christ (Lu 3:29).
(3.) Lu 3:24.
(4.) One of the apostles, the son of Alphaeus (Mr 2:14; Lu 5:27,29), called also Matthew (Mt 9:9).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And she will conceive yet again, and will bear a son, and she will say, The time now, my husband will join himself to me, for I bare to him three sons: for this his name was called Levi
And it will be in the third day, in their having pain, and the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, will take a man his sword, and will go against the city securely, and will kill every male. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son, with the mouth of the sword; and they will take Dinah from the house of Shechem, and go forth. read more. The sons of Jacob came upon the wounded, and they will plunder the city, because they defiled their sister. Their sheep and their oxen and their asses, and what was in the city, and what in the field, they took. And all their force and all their little ones, and their wives they led captive, and they will plunder all which is in the house. And Jacob will say to Simeon and to Levi, Ye troubled me to make me evil to him dwelling in the land to the Canaanites, and to the Perizzites and I men of number, and they will gather together and smite me, and I all be destroyed, and my house. And they will say, Shall he do to our sister as an harlot?
And these the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generation; Gershon, and Kohath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi, seven and thirty and a hundred years.
And Jesus, passing away from thence, saw a man sitting by the custom-house, being called Matthew, and he says to him, Follow me; and having risen he followed him.
And passing by, he saw Levi, him of Alpheus, sitting by the customhouse, and he says to him, Follow me. And having risen, he followed him.
And after these, he went out, and saw a publican, by name Levi, sitting by the custom-house; and he said to him, Follow me.
And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house: and there was a great crowd of publicans and others who were sitting down with them.
Fausets
1. Jacob's third son by Leah, ("joined"), expressing her trust; "now will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons" (Ge 29:34). Levi joined Simeon in avenging their own full sister Dinah's wrong by treacherously slaying the Shechemites, and so incurred Jacob's curse. They made circumcision, which God gave as a pledge of His holy covenant, the instrument of hypocrisy and bloody revenge. Jacob's moral weakness, in reproaching his sons not with the treacherous murder but with exposing him to danger ("ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land"), is faithfully delineated (Genesis 34). On his death bed he took a less selfish and juster view of their deed (Ge 49:5-7): "Simeon and Levi are brethren" in character as in birth, "instruments of wickedness are their swords (Hebrew). O my soul, come not thou into their secret" (deliberative council), renounce all fellowship with their act; "mine honour" (glory, my spirit, which is man's glory, the center of his personality framed in God's image);" for in their anger they slew a man and in their wantonness (Hebrew) houghed an ox."
In Ge 34:28 it is merely said "they took their oxen." Genesis 49 brings out the additional fact that in cruel revenge they wantonly severed the hind foot tendons of the Shechemites' oxen. Simeon, as the one detained in Egypt, by Joseph, was probably the foremost of Levi's sons in the cruel attack on Rachel's son, and Levi probably joined him, though the spite began with the base born sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. The discipline made the sons, once so unfeeling towards Joseph, to become self sacrificing for Benjamin. As the two joined in crime, retributively they should be "divided and scattered" in Israel. Levi received no land inheritance but cities scattered through Israel (Jos 21:1-40), and depended on tithes paid by the other tribes. The curse became subsequently a blessing to the nation by Levi's separation to divine service. But Jacob does not intimate this, a proof of the genuineness of his blessing as recorded in Genesis.
Moses subsequently speaks in very different language of Levi (De 33:8 ff), as was appropriate after Levi's accession to the priestly honour: "let Thy Right (thummim) and Thy Light (urim) be with Thy holy one (Levi, representing the whole tribe. The Urim and Thummim worn on the high priest's breast-plate were the pledge that Jehovah would always give His people 'light' to defend His 'right'; they should be given to Levi because he had defended Jehovah's right), whom Thou didst prove at Massah (Ex 17:1-7, by the people's murmuring against Moses, Levi's representative, for water at the outset of the 40 years' wanderings) and with whom Thou didst strive at ... Meribah" (Nu 20:1-13, at Kadesh, at the close of 40 years, the two comprehending the whole intermediate period). Jehovah "proved" Levi, and by the people's strivings "strove with" Levi (represented by Moses and Aaron.) Levi proved himself in the main (for Moses' failure, Numbers 20, and the Levite Korah's rebellion, Numbers 16, are graciously ignored) to be Jehovah's holy one.
Moses and Aaron's faithfulness, the Levites' drawing their swords against their Israelite brethren as God's avengers of the idolatry of the golden calf (Ex 32:26-29), "slaying every man his brother ... companion ... neighbour ... son," where God's honour was at stake (Mt 10:37; 19:29; Lu 14:26), and Phinehas' zeal against the idolaters and fornicators with the Moabite women (Nu 25:11), gained God's approval and the choice of Levi as the priestly tribe (De 33:9-11). "Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren ... They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments and Israel Thy law (Le 10:11), they shall present incense before Thee (in the holy place) and whole burnt offering upon Thine altar (in the court). Bless, Lord, his substance (rather his power) and accept the work of his hands. Smite through the lions (Ps 69:23, the strength) of them that rise against Him," etc.; i.e., give him power for discharging duty, accept his service, and make his adversaries powerless. Levi died at the age of 137 (Ex 6:16). (See LEVITES.)
2. Ancestors of Christ (Lu 3:24,29).
3. Son of Alphaeus; the original name of Matthew the publican and afterward the apostle (Mr 2:14; Lu 5:27,29; Mt 9:9).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And she will conceive yet again, and will bear a son, and she will say, The time now, my husband will join himself to me, for I bare to him three sons: for this his name was called Levi
Their sheep and their oxen and their asses, and what was in the city, and what in the field, they took.
Simon and Levi brethren; their swords instruments of violence. My soul shall not come into their consultation; in their assembly, my honor shall not be united, for in their anger they killed a man and in their will, houghed a bullock. read more. Cursed their anger, for it was hard; and their wrath, for it was hardened: I will divide them in Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel
And these the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generation; Gershon, and Kohath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi, seven and thirty and a hundred years.
And all the assembly of the sons of Israel will remove from the desert of Sin, according to their removings by the mouth of Jehovah; and they will encamp in Rephidim; and no water for the people to drink. And the people contended with Moses, and they will say, Give to us water and we will drink. And Moses will say to them, Why will ye contend with me, and why will ye tempt Jehovah? read more. And the people will thirst there for water; and the people will murmur against Moses, and will say, For what this did ye bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our sons and our cattle with thirst? And Moses will cry to Jehovah, saying, What shall I do to this people? yet a little and they will stone me. And Jehovah will say to Moses, Pass over before the people and take with thee from the old men of Israel; and thy rod which thou didst strike with it the river, take in thy hand and go. And behold, I stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and strike upon the rock, and waters shall come forth from it, and the people drank. And Moses will do so before the eyes of the old men of Israel. And he will call the name of the place, Temptation, and Strife, for the contention of the sons of Israel, and because they tempted Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah in the midst of us or not?
And Moses will stand in the gate of the camp, and will say, Who for Jehovah? to me. And all the sons of Levi will assemble together to him. And he will say to them, Thus said Jehovah the God of Israel, Put ye each his sword upon his thigh, and pass ye through and turn ye back from gate to gate in the camp, and slay ye each his brother, and each his friend, and each his near one. read more. And the sons of Levi will do according to the word of Moses: and there will fall from the people in that day about three thousand men. And Moses will say, Fill your hand this day to Jehovah, for each upon his son and upon his brother, to give to you a blessing this day.
And to teach the sons of Israel all the laws which Jehovah spake to them by the hand of Moses.
And the sons of Israel will come, all the assembly, to the desert of Zin, in the first month; and the people will dwell in Kadesh; and Miriam will die there and be buried there. And there was not water for the assembly: and they will gather together against Moses and against Aaron. read more. And they will contend with Moses, and will speak, saying, Would that we died in the dying of our brethren before Jehovah! And for what brought ye the gathering of Jehovah into this desert to die there, we and our cattle And for what brought ye us up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? Not a place of seed, and figs, and the vine and the pomegranate; and not water to drink. And Moses will go, and Aaron, from the face of the gathering to the door of the tent of appointment, and they will fall upon their faces: and the glory of Jehovah shall be seen to them. And Jehovah will speak to Moses, saying, Take the rod and gather the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes; and it gave water; and brought to them water from the rock, and gave drink to the assembly, and their cattle. And Moses will take the rod from before Jehovah, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron will gather together the gathering before the rock, and he will say to them, Hear, now, ye rebellious: from this rock shall we bring forth to you water? And Moses will lift up his hand and will smite the rock with the rod twice, and many waters will come forth, and the assembly will drink and their cattle. And Jehovah will say to Moses, and to Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to consecrate me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, for this, ye shall not bring in this gathering to the land which I gave to them. These the Waters of Strife, because the sons of Israel strove with Jehovah, and he will be consecrated in them.
Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, turned back my wrath from the sons of Israel, in his being jealous with my jealousy in the midst of you, and I consumed not the sons of Israel, in my jealousy.
And to Levi he said, Thy Truth and thy Light to the godly man whom they tried in the trial; thou wilt contend with him at the water of contention. He saying to his father and to his mother, I saw him not, and his brethren he knew not, and he knew not his sons; for they watched thy sayings and they will keep thy covenant. read more. And they shall teach thy judgments to Jacob, and thy law to Israel; they will put incense at thy nose, and whole burnt-offerings upon thine altar. Bless, Jehovah, his strength, and thou wilt accept the work of his hands: smite through and through the loins of those rising up against him, and those hating him, lest they shall rise up.
And the heads of the fathers of the Levites will come near to the Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes to the sons of Israel: And they will speak to them in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses to give to us cities to dwell in, and their pastures for our cattle. read more. And the sons of Israel will give to the Levites out of their inheritance at the mouth of Jehovah these cities and their areas. And the lot came forth to the families of the Kohathites: and it will be to the sons of Aaron the priest from the Levites out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin, by lot, thirteen cities. And to the sons of Kohath, those remaining from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Gad, and from half the tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities. And to the sons of Gershon from the families of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribe of Asher, and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, by lot, thirteen cities. To the sons of Merari according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulon, twelve cities. And the sons of Israel will give to the Levites these cities and their areas, as Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, by lot And they will give from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, these cities which he will call them by name, And it will be to the sons of Aaron from the families of the Kohathites, from the sons of Levi: for to them was the first lot. And they will give to them the fourth city, the father of Anak (it is Hebron) in mount Judah, and the area round about it And the field of the city and its enclosure they gave to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, for his possession. And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave the city of refuge of the slayer, Hebron and its areas, and Libnah and her areas, And Jattir and her area, and Eshtemoa and her area, And Holon and her area, and Debir and her area, And Ain and her area, and Juttah and her area, and the House of the Sun and her area: nine cities from these two tribes. And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and her area, and Geba and her area, Anathoth and her area, and Almon and her area: four cities. All the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests, thirteen cities and their areas. And to the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites remaining from the sons of Kohath, and there will be the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim. And they will give to them the city of refuge of the slayer, Shechem and her area in mount Ephraim, and Gezer and her area, And Kibzaim and her area, and the House of the Hollow and her area: four cities. And from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and her area, and Gibbethon and her area, Ailon and her area, and the Press of the Pomegranate and her area: four cities. And from half the tribe of Manasseh, Tanach and her area, and the Press of the Pomegranate and her area: two cities. All the cities, ten, and their areas, to the families of the sons of Kohath, those remaining. And to the sons of Gershon from the families of the Levites, from half the tribe of Manasseh, the city of refuge of the slayer, Golan in Bashan and her area, and Beeshterah and her area: two cities. And from the tribe of Issachar, Kishon and her area, Daberah and her area, And Jarmuth and her area, and the Fountain of Gardens and her area: four cities. And from the tribe of Asher, Mishal and her area, and Abdon and her area, Helkath and her area, and Rehob and her area: four cities. And from the tribe of Naphtali, the city of refuge of the slayer, Kadesh in Galilee and her area; Hamath-Dor and her area, and Kartan and her area: three cities. All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families, thirteen cities and their areas. And to the families of the sons of Merari, the Levites remaining, from the tribe of Zebulon, Jokneam and her area, and Kartah and her area, Dimnah and her area, Nahalal and her area: four cities. Omitted Omitted And from the tribe of Gad, the city of refuge of the slayer, Ramath in Gilead and her area; and Mahanaim and her area, And Heshbon and her area, and Jazer and her area: all, four cities. All the cities to the sons of Merari according to their families, those remaining from the families of the Levites, it shall be their lot twelve cities.
Their eyes shall be darkened from seeing, and cause their loins to waver always.
And Jesus, passing away from thence, saw a man sitting by the custom-house, being called Matthew, and he says to him, Follow me; and having risen he followed him.
He loving father or mother above me, is not worthy of me; and he loving son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me.
And every one who lets go houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for the sake of my name, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life.
And passing by, he saw Levi, him of Alpheus, sitting by the customhouse, and he says to him, Follow me. And having risen, he followed him.
And after these, he went out, and saw a publican, by name Levi, sitting by the custom-house; and he said to him, Follow me.
And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house: and there was a great crowd of publicans and others who were sitting down with them.
If any come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, and yet also his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Hastings
1. The third son of Jacob by Leah (Ge 29:34 Jahwist). The genealogical story connects the name with the verb l
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And she will conceive yet again, and will bear a son, and she will say, The time now, my husband will join himself to me, for I bare to him three sons: for this his name was called Levi
Simon and Levi brethren; their swords instruments of violence. My soul shall not come into their consultation; in their assembly, my honor shall not be united, for in their anger they killed a man and in their will, houghed a bullock. read more. Cursed their anger, for it was hard; and their wrath, for it was hardened: I will divide them in Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel
And also thy brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, and they shall be joined to thee, and they shall serve thee: and thou and thy sons with thee, before the tent of testimony.
And they were joined to thee, and they watched the watches of the tent of appointment for all the service of the tent: and the stranger shall not come near to you
In those days not a king in Israel, as man will do the right in his eyes.
And Micah will fill the hand of the Levite; and the youth will be to him for a priest, and he will be in the house of Micah.
And this John had his garment from camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Morish
Le'vi
1. The third son of Jacob and Leah. Ge 29:34. Very little is recorded of Levi: he joined with Simeon in the treacherous and vindictive dealings with Shechem. Ge 34:25-31. When Jacob blessed his sons, a curse was pronounced on their cruelty, and it is added "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." The above illustrates the righteous government of God, which is in no way set aside by the reward of after faithful conduct, which caused this tribe to be chosen for the Levitical service and the priesthood: cf. Mal 2:4,6. It was sovereign grace. For the blessings on Levi's descendants by Moses, see De 33:8-11. His three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were heads of the three branches of the LEVITES, q.v.
2. Another name of MATTHEW the apostle. Mr 2:14; Lu 5:27,29.
3, 4. Son of Melchi, and son of Simeon, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Lu 3:24,29-30.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And she will conceive yet again, and will bear a son, and she will say, The time now, my husband will join himself to me, for I bare to him three sons: for this his name was called Levi
And it will be in the third day, in their having pain, and the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, will take a man his sword, and will go against the city securely, and will kill every male. And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son, with the mouth of the sword; and they will take Dinah from the house of Shechem, and go forth. read more. The sons of Jacob came upon the wounded, and they will plunder the city, because they defiled their sister. Their sheep and their oxen and their asses, and what was in the city, and what in the field, they took. And all their force and all their little ones, and their wives they led captive, and they will plunder all which is in the house. And Jacob will say to Simeon and to Levi, Ye troubled me to make me evil to him dwelling in the land to the Canaanites, and to the Perizzites and I men of number, and they will gather together and smite me, and I all be destroyed, and my house. And they will say, Shall he do to our sister as an harlot?
And to Levi he said, Thy Truth and thy Light to the godly man whom they tried in the trial; thou wilt contend with him at the water of contention. He saying to his father and to his mother, I saw him not, and his brethren he knew not, and he knew not his sons; for they watched thy sayings and they will keep thy covenant. read more. And they shall teach thy judgments to Jacob, and thy law to Israel; they will put incense at thy nose, and whole burnt-offerings upon thine altar. Bless, Jehovah, his strength, and thou wilt accept the work of his hands: smite through and through the loins of those rising up against him, and those hating him, lest they shall rise up.
And ye knew that I sent this command to you, for my covenant to be with Levi, said Jehovah of armies.
The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: in truth and in uprightness he went with me, and he turned back many from iniquity.
And passing by, he saw Levi, him of Alpheus, sitting by the customhouse, and he says to him, Follow me. And having risen, he followed him.
Of Jose, of Eliezer, of Jorim, of Matthat, of Levi, Of Simeon, of Juda, of Joseph, of Jonan, of Eliakim,
And when he ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Sail out into the deep, and slacken your nets for fishing.
And after these, he went out, and saw a publican, by name Levi, sitting by the custom-house; and he said to him, Follow me.
And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house: and there was a great crowd of publicans and others who were sitting down with them.
Smith
Le'vi
(joined).
1. The name of the third son of Jacob by his wife Leah. (B.C. about 1753.) The name, derived from lavah, "to adhere," gave utterance to the hope of the mother that the affections of her husband, which had hitherto rested on the favored Rachel, would at last be drawn to her: "This time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons."
Levi, with his brother Simeon, avenged with a cruel slaughter the outrage of their sister Dinah. [DINAH] Levi, with his three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari, went down to Egypt with his father Jacob.
See Dinah
When Jacob's death draws near, and the sons are gathered round him, Levi and Simeon hear the old crime brought up again to receive its sentence. They no less than Reuben, the incestuous firstborn, had forfeited the privileges of their birthright.
[LEVITES]
See Levites
2. Two of the ancestors of Jesus.
Lu 3:24,29
3. Son of Alphaeus or Matthew; one of the apostles.
Mr 2:14; Lu 5:27,29
[See MATTHEW]
See Matthew
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And she will conceive yet again, and will bear a son, and she will say, The time now, my husband will join himself to me, for I bare to him three sons: for this his name was called Levi
And Joseph will place his father and his brethren, and will give to them possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, according to what Pharaoh commanded.
Simon and Levi brethren; their swords instruments of violence. My soul shall not come into their consultation; in their assembly, my honor shall not be united, for in their anger they killed a man and in their will, houghed a bullock. read more. Cursed their anger, for it was hard; and their wrath, for it was hardened: I will divide them in Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel
And passing by, he saw Levi, him of Alpheus, sitting by the customhouse, and he says to him, Follow me. And having risen, he followed him.
And after these, he went out, and saw a publican, by name Levi, sitting by the custom-house; and he said to him, Follow me.
And Levi made a great entertainment for him in his house: and there was a great crowd of publicans and others who were sitting down with them.