Numbers 8:24 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Numbers 8:24
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
wait
לִצְבֹ֣אlitz.Vo'
H6633
to mass (an army or servants) · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
service
בַּעֲבֹדַ֖תba.'a.vo.Dat
H5656
work of any kind · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
tabernacle
אֹ֥הֶל'O.hel
H168
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance) · noun, common masculine singular construct
congregation
מוֹעֵֽדmo.'Ed
H4150
properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Numbers 4:3 From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregat…
1 Chronicles 23:3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight tho…
Numbers 4:23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in t…
1 Chronicles 23:24-27 These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by thei…
1 Chronicles 28:12-13 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasu…
1 Corinthians 9:7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and e…
2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2 Timothy 2:3-5 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Numbers 8:5–end
We read before of the separating of the Levites from among the children of Israel when they were numbered, and the numbering of them by themselves (Num 3:6, Num 3:15), that they might be employed in the service of the tabernacle. Now here we have directions given for their solemn ordination (Num 8:6), and the performance of it, Num 8:20. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from their neighbours, but they must be solemnly devoted to God. Note, All that are employed for God must be dedicated to him, according as the degree of employment is. Christian musts be baptized, ministers must be…
from twenty and five years old, &c.--(Compare Num 4:3). They entered on their work in their twenty-fifth year, as pupils and probationers, under the superintendence and direction of their senior brethren; and at thirty they were admitted to the full discharge of their official functions.
John Gill on Numbers 8:24
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites,.... The fixed and settled time for their service, as is after related:
from twenty and five years old and upward, they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; in Numbers 4:3; the time for the Levites entering on the work of the tabernacle is fixed to thirty years and upward, which Jarchi reconciles thus; at twenty five years old the Levite goes in to learn the rites of service, and he learns five years, and when thirty years of age he services; the same is observed by others (w); but what Aben Ezra proposes seems much better; at thirty years of age a Levite entered into the service of bearing and carrying burden…
Numbers 8:20-22
20. And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
20. Fecit itaque Moses et Aharon, et omnis congregatio filiorum Israel, de Levitis: secundum crania quae praeceperat Jehova Mosi de Levitis, sic feterunt illis filii Israel
21. And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
21. Et purificaverunt sese Levitae, laveruntque vestimenta sua et obtulit Aharon filius oblationem coram Jehova, et expi…
The Church Fathers
What is indicated by the twenty-fifth year, in which the flower of young manhood blooms, except those battles against every vice? And what is meant by fifty, which contains the repose of the jubilee, except the internal peace that comes when the war of the mind is won? What do the vessels of the tabernacle mean, except the souls of the faithful? Hence the Levites serve the tabernacle from their twenty-fifth year, and from their fiftieth year they become the keepers of the vessels. This means that those who are still struggling with vices and risk consenting to them should not presume to undertake the care of others. For when the elect are still subject to temptation, they must be subjected and engage in service and grow tired through their duties and labors. But when they have won the war against temptations and are secure in their inner tranquillity, they are given the care of souls. For in the tranquil age of the mind, when the heat of temptation abates, they are guardians of the vessels and become healers of souls.
What is indicated by the twentyfifth year, in which the flower of young manhood blooms, except those battles against every vice? And what is meant by fifty, which contains the repose of the jubilee, except the internal peace that comes when the war of the mind is won? What do the vessels of the tabernacle mean, except the souls of the faithful? Hence the Levites serve the tabernacle from their twentyfifth year, and from their fiftieth year they become the keepers of the vessels. This means that those who are still struggling with vices and risk consenting to them should not presume to undertake the care of others. For when the elect are still subject to temptation, they must be subjected and engage in service and grow tired through their duties and labors. But when they have won the war against temptations and are secure in their inner tranquillity, they are given the care of souls. For in the tranquil age of the mind, when the heat of temptation abates, they are guardians of the vessels and become healers of souls. Exposition of the Old and New Testament, Numbers
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Levites, The · Entered on their service at twenty-five years of age — Entered on their service at twenty-five years of age
Tabernacle · The Levites: Appointed over, and had charge of — The Levites: Appointed over, and had charge of
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
The Levitical period of service is fixed here at twenty-five years of age and upwards to the fiftieth year. "This is what concerns the Levites," i.e., what follows applies to the Levites. "From the age of twenty-five years shall he (the Levite) come to do service at the work of the tabernacle; and at fifty years of age shall he return from the service of the work, and not work any further, but only serve his brethren at the tabernacle in keeping charge," i.e., help them to look after the furniture of the tabernacle. "Charge" (mishmereth), as distinguished from "work," signified the oversight of all the furniture of the tabernacle (see Num 3:8); "work" (service) applied to laborious service,…
Guidelines regarding the Levites’ length of service. • Whereas 4:3 states that their Tabernacle service began at age 30, 8:24 gives the age as 25. The discrepancy might reflect age requirements followed in different periods when the number of Levite men available for service varied, or those aged 25–29 may have been considered unofficial workers or apprentices. • Both passages establish the retirement age at 50; retired Levites could serve the Tabernacle as guards (cp. Ps 84:10).
Rashi on Numbers 8:24
זאת אשר ללוים THIS IS THAT WHICH BELONGETH TO THE LEVITES [FROM TWENTY FIVE YEARS etc.] — This suggests: years (the question of age) can disqualify them for the service (i.e. if they are younger than 25 and older than 50 years), but bodily blemishes cannot disqualify them, [as in the case of priests] (Sifrei Bamidbar 62; Chullin 24a).
מבן חמש ועשרים FROM TWENTY AND FIVE [YEARS] AND UPWARD [THEY SHALL GO IN TO WAIT UPON THE SERVICE] — But in another passage, it states, (Numbers 4:3) “from thirty years old [and upwards … all that enter into the host to do the work in the tabernacle]”! How are these apparently contradictory passages to be reconciled? In the following way: From twenty five year…
