Reference: Levite
Easton
a descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex 6:25; Le 25:32; Nu 35:2; Jos 21:3,41). This name is, however, generally used as the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the subordinate offices of the sanctuary service (1Ki 8:4; Ezr 2:70), as assistants to the priests.
When the Israelites left Egypt, the ancient manner of worship was still observed by them, the eldest son of each house inheriting the priest's office. At Sinai the first change in this ancient practice was made. A hereditary priesthood in the family of Aaron was then instituted (Ex 28:1). But it was not till that terrible scene in connection with the sin of the golden calf that the tribe of Levi stood apart and began to occupy a distinct position (Ex 32). The religious primogeniture was then conferred on this tribe, which henceforth was devoted to the service of the sanctuary (Nu 3:11-13). They were selected for this purpose because of their zeal for the glory of God (Ex 32:26), and because, as the tribe to which Moses and Aaron belonged, they would naturally stand by the lawgiver in his work.
The Levitical order consisted of all the descendants of Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; whilst Aaron, Amram's son (Amram, son of Kohat), and his issue constituted the priestly order.
The age and qualification for Levitical service are specified in Nu 4:3,23,30,39,43,47.
They were not included among the armies of Israel (Nu 1:47; 2:33; 26:62), but were reckoned by themselves. They were the special guardians of the tabernacle (Nu 1:51; 18:22-24). The Gershonites pitched their tents on the west of the tabernacle (Nu 3:23), the Kohathites on the south (Nu 3:29), the Merarites on the north (Nu 3:35), and the priests on the east (Nu 3:38). It was their duty to move the tent and carry the parts of the sacred structure from place to place. They were given to Aaron and his sons the priests to wait upon them and do work for them at the sanctuary services (Nu 8:19; 18:2-6).
As being wholly consecrated to the service of the Lord, they had no territorial possessions. Jehovah was their inheritance (Nu 18:20; 26:62; De 10:9; 18:1-2), and for their support it was ordained that they should receive from the other tribes the tithes of the produce of the land. Forty-eight cities also were assigned to them, thirteen of which were for the priests "to dwell in", i.e., along with their other inhabitants. Along with their dwellings they had "suburbs", i.e., "commons", for their herds and flocks, and also fields and vineyards (Nu 35:2-5). Nine of these cities were in Judah, three in Naphtali, and four in each of the other tribes (Jos 21). Six of the Levitical cities were set apart as "cities of refuge" (q.v.). Thus the Levites were scattered among the tribes to keep alive among them the knowledge and service of God. (See Priest.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel; and she gave birth to Phinehas. These are the heads of the families of the Levites, in the order of their families.
Now let Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, come near from among the children of Israel, so that they may be my priests, even Aaron, and Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, his sons.
Then Moses took his place at the way into the tents, and said, Whoever is on the Lord's side, let him come to me. And all the sons of Levi came together to him.
But the houses in the towns of the Levites may be got back by the Levites at any time.
But the Levites, of the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.
And when the Tent of meeting goes forward, the Levites are to take it down; and when it is to be put up, they are to do it: any strange person who comes near it is to be put to death.
But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, as the Lord said to Moses.
And the Lord said to Moses, See, I have taken the Levites out of the children of Israel to be mine in place of the first sons of the children of Israel; read more. For all the first sons are mine; on the day when I put to death all the first sons in the land of Egypt, I took for myself every first male birth of man and beast. They are mine; I am the Lord.
The tents of the Gershonites are to be placed at the back of the House, to the west.
The tents of the Kohathites are to be placed on the south side of the House.
The chief of the families of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail: their tents are to be placed on the north side of the House.
And those whose tents are to be placed on the east side of the House in front of the Tent of meeting, looking to the dawn, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, who will do the work of the holy place for the children of Israel; and any strange person who comes near will be put to death.
All those from thirty to fifty years old who are able to do the work of the Tent of meeting.
All those from thirty to fifty years old who are able to do the work of the Tent of meeting.
Every one from thirty to fifty years old who is able to do the work of the Tent of meeting.
All those from thirty to fifty years old who were able to do the work in the Tent of meeting,
All those from thirty to fifty years old who did the work in the Tent of meeting,
Those from thirty to fifty years old who were able to do the work of the Tent of meeting and of its transport,
And I have given them to Aaron and to his sons, from among the children of Israel, to undertake for them all the work of the Tent of meeting, and to take away sin from the children of Israel so that no evil may come on them when they come near the holy place.
Let your brothers, the family of Levi, come near with you, so that they may be joined with you and be your servants: but you and your sons with you are to go in before the ark of witness. They are to do your orders and be responsible for the work of the Tent; but they may not come near the vessels of the holy place or the altar, so that death may not overtake them or you. read more. They are to be joined with you in the care of the Tent of meeting, doing whatever is needed for the Tent: and no one of any other family may come near you. You are to be responsible for the holy place and the altar, so that wrath may never again come on the children of Israel. Now, see, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel: they are given to you and to the Lord, to do the work of the Tent of meeting.
And the Lord said to Aaron, You will have no heritage in their land, or any part among them; I am your part and your heritage among the children of Israel.
In future the children of Israel are not to come near the Tent of meeting, so that death may not come to them because of sin. But the Levites are to do the work of the Tent of meeting, and be responsible for errors in connection with it: this is a law for ever through all your generations; and among the children of Israel they will have no heritage. read more. For the tenths which the children of Israel give as a lifted offering to the Lord I have given to the Levites as their heritage. and so I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they will have no heritage.
Of these, twenty-three thousand males, from one month old and over, were numbered: they were not numbered with the rest of the children of Israel, for they had no heritage among the children of Israel.
Of these, twenty-three thousand males, from one month old and over, were numbered: they were not numbered with the rest of the children of Israel, for they had no heritage among the children of Israel.
Give orders to the children of Israel to give to the Levites, from the heritage which is theirs, towns for themselves, with land on the outskirts of the towns.
Give orders to the children of Israel to give to the Levites, from the heritage which is theirs, towns for themselves, with land on the outskirts of the towns. These towns are to be their living-places, with land round them for their cattle and their food and all their beasts, read more. Stretching from the wall of the towns a distance of a thousand cubits all round. The measure of this space of land is to be two thousand cubits outside the town on the east, and two thousand cubits on the south and on the west and on the north, the town being in the middle. This space will be the outskirts of their towns.
For this reason Levi has no part or heritage for himself among his brothers: the Lord is his heritage, as the Lord your God said to him.)
The priests, the Levites, that is, all the tribe of Levi, will have no part or heritage with Israel: their food and their heritage will be the offerings of the Lord made by fire. And they will have no heritage among their countrymen: the Lord is their heritage, as he has said to them.
And the children of Israel out of their heritage gave to the Levites these towns with their grass-lands, by the order of the Lord.
All the towns of the Levites, among the heritage of the children of Israel, were forty-eight towns with their grass-lands.
They took up the ark of the Lord, and the Tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels which were in the Tent; all these the priests and the Levites took up.
So the priests and the Levites and the people and the music-makers and the door-keepers and the Nethinim, took up their places in their towns; even all Israel in their towns.