Thematic Bible: The Levites
Thematic Bible
the Levites » The jews to be kind and benevolent to
And the Levite, who has no part nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands which thou doest.
But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall have chosen, thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy manslave and thy maidslave and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all the work of thy hands.
and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye and your sons and your daughters and your menslaves and your maidslaves and the Levite that is within your gates because he has no part nor inheritance with you.
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy manslave and thy maidslave and the Levite that is within thy gates and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God has chosen to place his name there.
And thou shalt rejoice in thy solemn feast, thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy manslave and thy maidslave and the Levite and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, that are within thy gates (or within thy towns).
the Levites » Had chiefs or officers over them
and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Merari, Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle to the Aquilon.
Conaniah, likewise, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, princes of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the sacrifices of the passover five thousand sheep, and five hundred oxen.
and the prince of the house of the father of the Gershonites, Eliasaph, son of Lael.
and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Kohath, Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.
Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the princes of the priests and the Levites and of the princes of the fathers of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.
And David assembled the sons of Aaron and the Levites: of the sons of Kohath: Uriel, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twenty; of the sons of Merari: Asaiah, the chief and his brethren, two hundred and twenty; read more.
of the sons of Gershon: Joel, the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty; of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the chief, and his brethren, two hundred; of the sons of Hebron: Eliel, the chief and his brethren, eighty; of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twelve.
of the sons of Gershon: Joel, the chief, and his brethren one hundred and thirty; of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the chief, and his brethren, two hundred; of the sons of Hebron: Eliel, the chief and his brethren, eighty; of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab, the chief, and his brethren, one hundred and twelve.
the Levites » Services of » Keeping the gates of the temple
Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.
moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith.
Likewise, the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; it was not necessary for them to depart from their ministry, for their brethren, the Levites, prepared for them.
And the porters: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren; Shallum was the head. And until now in the companies of the sons of Levi these have been the porters in the king's gate towards the east. And Shallum, the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the ministry, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle; and their fathers, being over the camp of the LORD, were keepers of the entry. read more.
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the captain over them in time past, and the LORD was with him. And Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve when they were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel, the seer, ordained in their set office. So they and their sons had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards. Towards the four winds were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and Negev. And their brethren, who were in their villages, came every seven days in their set times with them. For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office and were over the chambers and treasures of the house of God.
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the captain over them in time past, and the LORD was with him. And Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve when they were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel, the seer, ordained in their set office. So they and their sons had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards. Towards the four winds were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and Negev. And their brethren, who were in their villages, came every seven days in their set times with them. For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office and were over the chambers and treasures of the house of God.
the Levites » Services of » Teaching the people
And with them he sent the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites, and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests.
And Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, Levites, caused the people to be silent that they might understand the law; and the people were in their place.
and said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, who were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, built, that ye not carry it any longer upon your shoulders; serve now the LORD your God and his people Israel
And Hezekiah spoke unto the heart of all the Levites that had good understanding to serve the LORD, and they ate the sacrifices of the feast for seven days, offering sacrifices of peace and giving thanks unto the LORD God of their fathers.
the Levites » Encamped round the tabernacle
and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Merari, Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle to the Aquilon.
But thou shalt place the Levites in the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister in it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
And the sons of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man by his own camp and each man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle towards the Negev;
the Levites » Services of » Judging and deciding in controversies
and thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days and enquire, and they shall show thee the word of judgment.
Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat placed some of the Levites and of the priests and of the heads of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the LORD and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem.
Of which, twenty-four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD, and six thousand were officers and judges;
the Levites » Taken instead of the first-born of israel
And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward and take the number of their names. And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the animals of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the animals of the sons of Israel. And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the sons of Israel. read more.
And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the animals of the Levites instead of their animals, and the Levites shall be mine; I am the LORD.
And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the animals of the Levites instead of their animals, and the Levites shall be mine; I am the LORD.
For they are completely given unto me from among the sons of Israel, instead of each one that opens the womb; instead of the firstborn of all the sons of Israel, I have taken them for myself. For all the firstborn of the sons of Israel are mine, both of man and of animals; from the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.
Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb among the sons of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be mine; because all the firstborn are mine; from the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of men and of animals; they shall be mine: I am the LORD.
the Levites » The tithes given to, for their support
For unto the Levites I have given the tithes of the sons of Israel as inheritance, which they shall offer unto the LORD as offerings; therefore, I have said unto them, Among the sons of Israel they shall possess no inheritance.
And, behold, I have given the sons of Levi all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance, for their ministry because they serve in the ministry of the tabernacle of the testimony.
Moreover, he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. And as soon as the commandment burst forth and multiplied, an abundance of firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field was multiplied unto the sons of Israel; and likewise, they brought in the tithe, of all things in abundance.
the Levites » Had no inheritance in israel
Therefore, Levi had no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God said unto him.)
For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and half a tribe on the other side of the Jordan, but unto the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.
But to the tribe of Levi Moses did not give any inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said unto them.
the Levites » Services of » Conducting the sacred music
and the Levite singers, all of those of Asaph, those of Heman, and those of Jeduthun, together with their sons and their brethren, being clothed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets). And they sounded the trumpets and sang with one voice, all together as one man praising and thanking the LORD, when they lifted up their voice with trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, when they praised the LORD, saying, For he is good, for his mercy endures for ever; and the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD,
moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith. And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Gershon: Laadan and Shimei. read more.
The sons of Laadan: Jehiel, the first, Zetham and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan. And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. And Jahath was the first, and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not multiply in many sons; therefore, they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be dedicated to the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him and to bless in his name for ever. And the sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted in the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer. Of the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the chief. And the son of Eliezer was Rehabiah, the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. The sons of Izhar: Shelomith, the chief. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah, the first, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth. The sons of Uzziel: Michah, the first, and Jesiah, the second. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. And Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters and their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three. These are the sons of Levi after the houses of their fathers, even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did work in the ministry of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward. For David said, The LORD God of Israel has given rest unto his people, and he shall dwell in Jerusalem for ever. And also unto the Levites, they shall no longer carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for its ministry. For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above. And their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and in the work of the ministry of the house of God, both for the showbread and for the fine flour for the sacrifice and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size, and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;
The sons of Laadan: Jehiel, the first, Zetham and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan. And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. And Jahath was the first, and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not multiply in many sons; therefore, they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be dedicated to the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him and to bless in his name for ever. And the sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted in the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershon and Eliezer. Of the sons of Gershon, Shebuel was the chief. And the son of Eliezer was Rehabiah, the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. The sons of Izhar: Shelomith, the chief. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah, the first, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth. The sons of Uzziel: Michah, the first, and Jesiah, the second. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. And Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters and their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three. These are the sons of Levi after the houses of their fathers, even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did work in the ministry of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward. For David said, The LORD God of Israel has given rest unto his people, and he shall dwell in Jerusalem for ever. And also unto the Levites, they shall no longer carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for its ministry. For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above. And their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and in the work of the ministry of the house of God, both for the showbread and for the fine flour for the sacrifice and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size, and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;
the Levites » David » Made them serve from twenty on account of the lightness of their duties
And also unto the Levites, they shall no longer carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for its ministry.
And their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and in the work of the ministry of the house of God, both for the showbread and for the fine flour for the sacrifice and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size, and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening; read more.
and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons and solemnities, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD. And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the holy place and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, in the ministry of the house of the LORD.
and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons and solemnities, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD. And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the holy place and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, in the ministry of the house of the LORD.
the Levites » David » Subdivided them into twenty-four courses
And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
And they cast lots, ward against ward, the small as well as the great, the one with understanding as well as the disciple. Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve; the third to Zaccur, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; read more.
the fourth to Izri, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the fifth to Nethaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the sixth to Bukkiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the seventh to Jesharelah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the eleventh to Azareel, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the fourteenth to Mattithiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the fifteenth to Jeremoth, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the sixteenth to Hananiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the nineteenth to Mallothi, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve: the twentieth to Eliathah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-first to Hothir, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-second to Giddalti, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-third to Mahazioth, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-fourth to Romamtiezer, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve.
the fourth to Izri, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the fifth to Nethaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the sixth to Bukkiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the seventh to Jesharelah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the eleventh to Azareel, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the fourteenth to Mattithiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the fifteenth to Jeremoth, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the sixteenth to Hananiah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the nineteenth to Mallothi, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve: the twentieth to Eliathah, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-first to Hothir, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-second to Giddalti, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-third to Mahazioth, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve; the twenty-fourth to Romamtiezer, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve.
the Levites » Services of » Preparing the sacrifices for the priests
and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons and solemnities, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD.
And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood taken from the hands of the Levites who flayed them.
the Levites » David » By his last words had them numbered from twenty years old
These are the sons of Levi after the houses of their fathers, even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did work in the ministry of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above.
the Levites » Services of » Taking charge of the tithes, offerings, &c
Then Hezekiah commanded that they prepare chambers in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully, over which Cononiah, the Levite, was ruler and Shimei, his brother, was second. And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah, the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. read more.
And Kore, the son of Imnah, the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things. And at his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to faithfully give their brethren their parts according to their courses, to the great the same as to the small. Besides that which is counted for the males from three years old and upward, unto all that entered into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their ministry in their charges according to their courses; both to those numbered among the priests by the house of their fathers and among the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses; and likewise unto those of their generation with all their little ones, their wives, and their sons and daughters, through all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness. Likewise, to the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in all the cities, the men that were expressed by name, gave portions to all the males among the priests and to all the lineage of the Levites.
And Kore, the son of Imnah, the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things. And at his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to faithfully give their brethren their parts according to their courses, to the great the same as to the small. Besides that which is counted for the males from three years old and upward, unto all that entered into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their ministry in their charges according to their courses; both to those numbered among the priests by the house of their fathers and among the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses; and likewise unto those of their generation with all their little ones, their wives, and their sons and daughters, through all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness. Likewise, to the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in all the cities, the men that were expressed by name, gave portions to all the males among the priests and to all the lineage of the Levites.
And at that time men were appointed over the chambers of the treasures, of the offerings, of the firstfruits, and of the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the legal portions for the priests and the Levites; for the joy of Judah was upon the priests and the Levites that served.
the Levites » Services of » Preparing the show bread
both for the showbread and for the fine flour for the sacrifice and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size,
And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum, the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
the Levites » David » Made them attend in courses
And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, each thing in its day; the porters also by their courses at each gate, for so had David, the man of God, commanded.
both to those numbered among the priests by the house of their fathers and among the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;
the Levites » Zeal against idolatry a cause of their appointment
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the LORD's side? Come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, Put every man his sword by his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay each one his brother and his companion and his neighbour. And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen them; neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor know his own children; therefore, they shall keep thy word and guard thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy law; they shall put incense before thy nostrils and a perfect sacrifice upon thine altar.
the Levites » Services of » Guarded king's person and house in times of danger
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; a third part of you that shall enter in on the sabbath shall be the keepers of the watch of the king's house; and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; ; and a third part at the gate behind the guard; so ye shall have the watch of the house of Mesah. And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. read more.
And ye shall compass the king round about, each man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within these orders shall be slain. Ye must be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada, the priest, commanded; and each man took his men that were to come in on the sabbath with those that should go out on the sabbath and came to Jehoiada, the priest.
And ye shall compass the king round about, each man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within these orders shall be slain. Ye must be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada, the priest, commanded; and each man took his men that were to come in on the sabbath with those that should go out on the sabbath and came to Jehoiada, the priest.
and a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. But let no one come into the house of the LORD, except the priests and the Levites that minister; they shall go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD. And the Levites shall compass the king round about, each one shall have his weapons in his hand; and whoever else comes into the house shall be put to death; and ye shall be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.
the Levites » Originally consisted for three families or divisions
And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. read more.
The sons of Merari: Mahli, Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. Of Gershon: Libni, his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah, his son, Iddo, his son, Zerah, his son, Jeaterai, his son. The sons of Kohath: Amminadab, his son, Korah, his son, Assir, his son, Elkanah, his son, and Ebiasaph, his son, and Assir, his son, Tahath, his son, Uriel, his son, Uzziah, his son, and Saul, his son. The sons of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, and Elkanah. The sons of Elkanah: Zophai, his son, and Nahath, his son, Eliab, his son, Jeroham, his son, Elkanah, his son. The sons of Samuel: the firstborn Vashni and Abiah. The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni, his son, Shimei, his son, Uzza, his son, Shimea, his son, Haggiah, his son, Asaiah, his son. And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark had rest. And they served before the tent of the tabernacle of the testimony with singing until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and then they remained in their ministry according to their right. And these are those that remained with their sons. Of the sons of the Kohath: Heman, a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi. And their brethren, the sons of Merari, stood on the left hand; Ethan, the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. Their brethren, also the Levites, were given over unto all the ministry of the tabernacle of the house of God.
The sons of Merari: Mahli, Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. Of Gershon: Libni, his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah, his son, Iddo, his son, Zerah, his son, Jeaterai, his son. The sons of Kohath: Amminadab, his son, Korah, his son, Assir, his son, Elkanah, his son, and Ebiasaph, his son, and Assir, his son, Tahath, his son, Uriel, his son, Uzziah, his son, and Saul, his son. The sons of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, and Elkanah. The sons of Elkanah: Zophai, his son, and Nahath, his son, Eliab, his son, Jeroham, his son, Elkanah, his son. The sons of Samuel: the firstborn Vashni and Abiah. The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni, his son, Shimei, his son, Uzza, his son, Shimea, his son, Haggiah, his son, Asaiah, his son. And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark had rest. And they served before the tent of the tabernacle of the testimony with singing until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and then they remained in their ministry according to their right. And these are those that remained with their sons. Of the sons of the Kohath: Heman, a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi. And their brethren, the sons of Merari, stood on the left hand; Ethan, the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. Their brethren, also the Levites, were given over unto all the ministry of the tabernacle of the house of God.
the Levites » Services of » Keeping sacred instruments and vessels
And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the sons of Israel, to minister in the service of the tabernacle.
And certain of them had the charge of the vessels of ministry, that they should account for them when they were brought in and out. Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels and all the instruments of the sanctuary and the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices.
the Levites » Services of » Keeping the charge of the sanctuary
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle; only they shall not come near the holy vessels or the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the holy place and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, in the ministry of the house of the LORD.
the Levites » Were all under control of the high priest's deputy
And Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be principal over the princes of the Levites and have the oversight of those that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the captain over them in time past, and the LORD was with him.
the Levites » Chosen by God for service of the sanctuary
Then David said, The ark of God should not be brought except by the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him perpetually.
Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron, the priest, that they may minister unto him.
the Levites » Families as numbered » Of gershom
And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
Of Gershon was the family of Libni and the family of Shimei; these are the families of Gershon. Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, those that were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred.
the Levites » Families as numbered » Of kohath
And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
And of Kohath was the family of Amram and the family of Izehar and the family of Hebron and the family of Uzziel; these are the families of the Kohathites. In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
the Levites » Families as numbered » Of merari
And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the houses of their fathers.
Of Merari was the family of Mahli and the family of Mushi; these are the families of Merari. And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred;
the Levites » Numbered separately after the people from a month old
The LORD also spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers, by their families; thou shalt number every male from a month old and upward. And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
All that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron, according to the word of the LORD, numbered by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
the Levites » Descended from jacob's third son
And she conceived again and gave birth to a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me because I have born him three sons; therefore his name was called Levi.
And as I may so say, Levi also, who received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
the Levites » Services of » Taking down, putting up, and carrying the tabernacle, &c
But thou shalt place the Levites in the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister in it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
When the camp is to be moved, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of testimony with it and shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins and shall spread over it a cloth entirely of blue and shall put in the staves thereof. And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue and put thereon the dishes and the spoons and the bowls and covers to cover withal; and the continual bread shall be thereon. read more.
And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins and shall put in the staves thereof. And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand of the light and its lamps and its tongs and its snuffdishes and all the oil vessels thereof with which they minister unto it; and they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins and shall put it upon a bar. And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins and shall put in the staves thereof; and they shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins and shall put them on a bar. And they shall take away the ashes with the burnt fat from the altar and spread a purple cloth thereon and they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof with which they minister about it: the censers, the fleshhooks, the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins and put in the staves of it. And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp is to set forward, after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it, but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the testimony. But unto the care of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be the oil of the light and the aromatic incense and the daily present and the anointing oil and the care of all the tabernacle and of all that is therein, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Ye shall not cut off the tribe of the families of Kohath from among the Levites, but thus do unto them that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the holy of holies: Aaron and his sons shall come and place each one of them in his ministry and to his burden. They shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them, all that enter in to the host to do work in the tabernacle of the testimony. This shall be the service of the families of Gershon, to minister and to bear burdens: They shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of the testimony, its covering, and the covering of badgers' skins that is over it above and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the testimony and the hangings of the court and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords and all the instruments of their service and all that is made for them; so shall they serve. According to the word of Aaron and his sons shall be all the ministry of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens and in all their service; and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the testimony, and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the houses of their fathers. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, all that enters into the host, to do work in the tabernacle of the testimony. And this shall be the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the testimony: the boards of the tabernacle and the bars thereof and the pillars thereof and sockets thereof, and the pillars of the court round about and their sockets and their stakes and their cords with all their instruments and with all their service; and ye shall number by name the vessels of the charge of their burden. This shall be the service of the families of the sons of Merari for all their ministry, in the tabernacle of the testimony, under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins and shall put in the staves thereof. And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand of the light and its lamps and its tongs and its snuffdishes and all the oil vessels thereof with which they minister unto it; and they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins and shall put it upon a bar. And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins and shall put in the staves thereof; and they shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins and shall put them on a bar. And they shall take away the ashes with the burnt fat from the altar and spread a purple cloth thereon and they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof with which they minister about it: the censers, the fleshhooks, the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins and put in the staves of it. And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp is to set forward, after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it, but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the testimony. But unto the care of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be the oil of the light and the aromatic incense and the daily present and the anointing oil and the care of all the tabernacle and of all that is therein, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Ye shall not cut off the tribe of the families of Kohath from among the Levites, but thus do unto them that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the holy of holies: Aaron and his sons shall come and place each one of them in his ministry and to his burden. They shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them, all that enter in to the host to do work in the tabernacle of the testimony. This shall be the service of the families of Gershon, to minister and to bear burdens: They shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of the testimony, its covering, and the covering of badgers' skins that is over it above and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the testimony and the hangings of the court and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords and all the instruments of their service and all that is made for them; so shall they serve. According to the word of Aaron and his sons shall be all the ministry of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens and in all their service; and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the testimony, and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the houses of their fathers. From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, all that enters into the host, to do work in the tabernacle of the testimony. And this shall be the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the testimony: the boards of the tabernacle and the bars thereof and the pillars thereof and sockets thereof, and the pillars of the court round about and their sockets and their stakes and their cords with all their instruments and with all their service; and ye shall number by name the vessels of the charge of their burden. This shall be the service of the families of the sons of Merari for all their ministry, in the tabernacle of the testimony, under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
the Levites » Ceremonies at consecration of » Presenting them to God as an offering for the people
and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering of the sons of Israel, and they shall serve in the ministry of the LORD.
Thus shall the Levites go in to minister in the tabernacle of the testimony; and thou shalt cleanse them and wave them for an offering.
the Levites » Services of » Doing the service of tabernacle
And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, that they may serve the ministry of the sons of Israel in the tabernacle of the testimony and reconcile the sons of Israel, that there be no plague in the sons of Israel when the sons of Israel come near unto the sanctuary.
And thus went the Levites in to serve in their ministry in the tabernacle of the testimony before Aaron and before his sons; in the manner that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
the Levites » Prophecies respecting
Cursed be their anger, which is strong, and their wrath, which is hard; I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
the Levites » Ceremonies at consecration of » Making a sin-offering for
And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks; and thou shalt offer the one as the sin, and the other as a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to reconcile the Levites.
Then let them take a young bullock with his present, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou offer as sin.
the Levites » Services of » Ministering to priests
Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron, the priest, that they may minister unto him.
And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and serve thee; but thou and thy sons with thee shall serve before the tabernacle of the testimony.
the Levites » Given to aaron and sons
And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, that they may serve the ministry of the sons of Israel in the tabernacle of the testimony and reconcile the sons of Israel, that there be no plague in the sons of Israel when the sons of Israel come near unto the sanctuary.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are completely given unto him out of the sons of Israel.
the Levites » Were consecrated
And thou shalt separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine.
the Levites » Services of » Singing praises before the army
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed some to sing unto the LORD and to praise in the beauty of holiness, while the army went out and to say, Praise the LORD, for his mercy endures for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set the sons of Moab and those of Mount Seir to ambush the sons of Ammon, who were coming against Judah; and they smote one another.
the Levites » Services of » Keeping sacred oil, flour, &c
Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels and all the instruments of the sanctuary and the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices. And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
the Levites » David » Numbered them first from thirty years old
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
the Levites » David » Divided them into four classes
Of which, twenty-four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD, and six thousand were officers and judges; moreover, four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which David had made to praise therewith. And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
the Levites » Services of » Regulating weights and measures
both for the showbread and for the fine flour for the sacrifice and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried and for all manner of measure and size,
the Levites » Services of » Purifying the holy things
And their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and in the work of the ministry of the house of God,
the Levites » Services of » Keeping sacred treasures
And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God and over the treasures of the holy things.
the Levites » Had a part of the offerings
The priests the Levites and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part nor shall they inherit with Israel; they shall eat of the offerings on fire unto the LORD and of his inheritance. Therefore, shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he has said unto them.
the Levites » Services of » Ministering to the people
and said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, who were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, built, that ye not carry it any longer upon your shoulders; serve now the LORD your God and his people Israel
the Levites » While in attendance lodged around the temple
And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.
the Levites » Services of » Ministering to the lord
At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
the Levites » Services of » Blessing the people
At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
the Levites » Bound to give a tenth of their tithes to the priests
Thus shalt thou speak unto the Levites and say unto them, When ye take the tithes from the sons of Israel which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall present a tithe of the tithes as an offering unto the LORD. And ye shall count your offering as though it were the grain of the threshingfloor and as the fullness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye shall have received of the sons of Israel; and ye shall give of them an offering unto the LORD, to Aaron the priest. read more.
Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every offering unto the LORD, of all the best thereof ye shall offer the portion that is to be dedicated. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye offer the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the fruit of the threshingfloor and as the fruit of the winepress. And ye shall eat it in any place, ye and your family; for it is your reward for your ministry in the tabernacle of the testimony. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have offered from it the best of it; and ye shall not pollute the holy things of the sons of Israel, and ye shall not die.
Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every offering unto the LORD, of all the best thereof ye shall offer the portion that is to be dedicated. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye offer the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the fruit of the threshingfloor and as the fruit of the winepress. And ye shall eat it in any place, ye and your family; for it is your reward for your ministry in the tabernacle of the testimony. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have offered from it the best of it; and ye shall not pollute the holy things of the sons of Israel, and ye shall not die.
the Levites » Punishment of korah and others of, for offering incense
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, of the sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up against Moses, with two hundred and fifty men of the sons of Israel, princes of the congregation, of the council, men of renown; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them, We have had enough of you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them; why then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? read more.
And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face; and he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Tomorrow the LORD will show who are his and who is holy and will cause the one who is holy to come near unto him; the one whom he has chosen he will cause to come near unto him. Do this: Take censers, Korah, and all his company, and put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow; and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy; this shall be enough for you, ye sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Does it seem but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to minister in the service of the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And that he has brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, and ye seek the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD, for what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him? And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, We will not come up. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that flowed with milk and honey to make us die in the wilderness, but thou must also make thyself lord to rule over us? Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up. Then Moses was very angry and said unto the LORD, Look not thou upon their offering; I have not taken so much as one ass from them, neither have I done evil to any of them. And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou and they and Aaron, tomorrow; and let each man take his censer and put incense in them and let each man bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also and Aaron, each of you with his censer. And each man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense in them and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the testimony with Moses and Aaron. And Korah had gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony; then the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, and I will consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? Then the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Separate yourselves now from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spoke unto the congregation, saying, Depart from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest peradventure ye be consumed in all their sins. So they removed themselves from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, with their wives and their sons and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them out of my own heart. If these men die the common death of all men or if they are visited after the visitation of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD does a new thing and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with all their things and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have provoked the LORD. And it came to pass as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground broke open under them; the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men of Korah and all their goods. They and all that they had went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel, those that were round about them, fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face; and he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Tomorrow the LORD will show who are his and who is holy and will cause the one who is holy to come near unto him; the one whom he has chosen he will cause to come near unto him. Do this: Take censers, Korah, and all his company, and put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow; and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy; this shall be enough for you, ye sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Does it seem but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to minister in the service of the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And that he has brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, and ye seek the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD, for what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him? And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, We will not come up. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that flowed with milk and honey to make us die in the wilderness, but thou must also make thyself lord to rule over us? Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up. Then Moses was very angry and said unto the LORD, Look not thou upon their offering; I have not taken so much as one ass from them, neither have I done evil to any of them. And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou and they and Aaron, tomorrow; and let each man take his censer and put incense in them and let each man bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also and Aaron, each of you with his censer. And each man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense in them and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the testimony with Moses and Aaron. And Korah had gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the testimony; then the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, and I will consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? Then the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Separate yourselves now from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spoke unto the congregation, saying, Depart from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest peradventure ye be consumed in all their sins. So they removed themselves from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, with their wives and their sons and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them out of my own heart. If these men die the common death of all men or if they are visited after the visitation of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD does a new thing and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with all their things and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have provoked the LORD. And it came to pass as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground broke open under them; the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men of Korah and all their goods. They and all that they had went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel, those that were round about them, fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
the Levites » Not numbered with israel
But the Levites according to the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying, Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the sons of Israel;
the Levites » Ceremonies at consecration of » Elders of israel laying their hands on them
And thou shalt offer the Levites before the tabernacle of the testimony, and thou shalt gather the whole congregation of the sons of Israel together; and thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD, and the sons of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites;
the Levites » Eight and forty cities with extensive suburbs, appointed for
Command the sons of Israel that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in, and ye shall give also unto the Levites the suburbs of those cities round about them. And they shall have the cities to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their animals and for their substance and for all their beasts. And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. read more.
Then ye shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the side of the Negev two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint so that the manslayer may flee there; and in addition to them ye shall give them forty-two cities. So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, the cities with their suburbs. And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the sons of Israel; from those that have much ye shall give many; but from those that have few ye shall give few, each one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his possession which he inherited.
Then ye shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the side of the Negev two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint so that the manslayer may flee there; and in addition to them ye shall give them forty-two cities. So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, the cities with their suburbs. And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the sons of Israel; from those that have much ye shall give many; but from those that have few ye shall give few, each one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his possession which he inherited.
the Levites » Ceremonies at consecration of » Setting before the priest and presenting them as their offering to God
And thou shalt cause the Levites to present themselves before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.
the Levites » When superannuated, required to perform the less arduous duties
but shall serve with their brethren in the tabernacle of the testimony, to stand guard, even though they do not serve in the ministry. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
the Levites » Punished with death for encroaching on the priestly office
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle; only they shall not come near the holy vessels or the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
the Levites » Entered on their service at twenty-five years of age
This regarding the Levites from twenty-five years old and upward, they shall go in to serve in the host of the tabernacle of the testimony.
the Levites » Marched in the centre of israel
Then shall set forward the tabernacle of the testimony, the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps, in the manner that they encamp, so shall they set forward, each one in his place by their standards.
the Levites » Superannuated at fifty
And from the age of fifty years they shall return from their ministry unto the host and shall never serve again,
the Levites » Numbered as ministers at thirty » Nu 4:3
the Levites » Ceremonies at consecration of » Cleansing and purifying
And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of atonement for sin upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and be clean.
the Levites » Served in courses after captivity
And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses over the work of God, which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
Tabernacle » the Levites » Pitched their tents around
and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Merari, Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle to the Aquilon.
The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle towards the Negev;
But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.
Tabernacle » the Levites » Appointed over, and had charge of
But thou shalt place the Levites in the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister in it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
This regarding the Levites from twenty-five years old and upward, they shall go in to serve in the host of the tabernacle of the testimony.
And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and serve thee; but thou and thy sons with thee shall serve before the tabernacle of the testimony. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle; only they shall not come near the holy vessels or the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. And they shall join themselves unto thee and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony in all the service of the tabernacle; and no stranger shall come near unto you.
Tabernacle » the Levites » Carried
And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp is to set forward, after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it, but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the testimony.
They shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of the testimony, its covering, and the covering of badgers' skins that is over it above and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the testimony
And this shall be the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the testimony: the boards of the tabernacle and the bars thereof and the pillars thereof and sockets thereof,
Tabernacle » the Levites » Did the inferior service of
Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron, the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his commandment and the commandment of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the testimony, to minister in the service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the testimony and the charge of the sons of Israel, to minister in the service of the tabernacle.
Tabernacle » the Levites » Took down, and put up
And when the tabernacle departs, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.