Numbers 8:17
Ver. 17. For all the firstborn of the children of Israel [are] mine, [both] men and beasts,.... Not only in common with other of his creatures, but in a special respect on account of his signal deliverance of them; they were his, as Jarchi expresses it, by the line of judgment, or rule of justice and equity, because he protected them among the firstborn of the Egyptians, saved them when he slew theirs, as follows:
in the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt; both of men and beasts:
I sanctified them for myself; claimed them as his own, and set them apart for his own use, or ordered them to be set apart: see Ex 13:2. Numbers 8:18Ver. 18. And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. Gave up his right in the firstborn, and instead of them took the Levites for his use and service: see Nu 3:12. Numbers 8:19Ver. 19. And I have given the Levites [as] a gift to Aaron and his sons, from among the children of Israel,.... Or I have given the Levites that were given; that is, the Lord gave to Aaron and his sons the Levites, that were first given to him; as they were, when brought before him, and the children of Israel laid hands on them, and they were offered before the Lord, Nu 8:10;to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation; to do what otherwise they must have done, watch and guard the tabernacle, carry the sacrifices to the priests, assist them at the altar, take down and set up the tabernacle, and carry it, and the vessels of it, from place to place:and to make an atonement for the children of Israel; not by offering sacrifices for them, which was the work of the priests, but by being now offered themselves, Nu 8:10; that they themselves might be the atonement of their souls as Aben Ezra expresses it, as well as they were by their service hereafter a means of preserving the Israelites from death; which may be interpreted of making an atonement, which Phinehas is said to do by his deed, though no sacrifice was offered, Nu 25:7; which sense seems to be confirmed by what follows:that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh to the sanctuary; by approaching nearer than they should, touching what they ought not, intruding themselves into service they were not called to, or doing it amiss, not being instructed in it, or inured to it as the Levites were. The phrase, "the children of Israel", is five times used in this verse, to denote the love of God to them, as Jarchi observes. Numbers 8:20Ver. 20. And Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel,.... The several parties concerned in the consecration of the Levites: thesedid to the Levites according unto all that the Lord commanded Moses,so did the children of Israel unto them: which, as Jarchi notes, is said to the praise of them that did it, and of what was done by them; everything was done that was ordered, and in the manner in which it was prescribed; Moses sprinkled, or ordered to be sprinkled, the water of purification on them, and set them before the tabernacle, and before the Lord; the children of Israel laid their hands on them, and Aaron waved them, offered the sacrifices for them. Numbers 8:21Ver. 21. And the Levites were purified,.... From sin, by the sprinkling of the sin water, or water of purification on them, Nu 8:7;and they washed their clothes; that they might have no defilement about them, neither in their bodies, nor in their garments:and Aaron offered them [as] an offering before the Lord; a wave offering, as in Nu 8:11;and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them; by offering the sacrifices for them, Nu 8:12. Numbers 8:22Ver. 22. And after that went the Levites in,.... Into the court of the tabernacle, being at the door of it when the above rites and ceremonies of their consecration were performed:to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation, before Aaron and his sons; in their presence, and by their order, as they should direct them:as the Lord had commanded Moses, so did they unto them; Aaron and his sons did to the then present Levites according to the command of God by Moses; they exactly observed every punctilio of it, and complied with it; and this the sons of Aaron did continually to the sons of the Levites, as Aben Ezra remarks, in all succeeding ages; when the Levites were consecrated to their service, the same things were done unto them that are here ordered. Numbers 8:23Ver. 23. And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... At the same time he gave the instructions about the consecration of the Levites, the time of their entrance on their service, and of leaving it, was fixed:saying; as follows. Numbers 8:24Ver. 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 Nu 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 burdens; and at twenty five years of age he entered into the service of the tent or tabernacle, where he was employed in lighter service, such as opening and shutting the doors of the sanctuary, keeping out strangers and unclean persons, and singing the songs of the sanctuary; but was not concerned till thirty years of age in carrying the vessels of the sanctuary on the shoulders, as the Kohathites; or in taking down and setting up the tabernacle, loading and unloading the wagons, as the Gershonites and Merarites; which is the business assigned unto them, and spoken of in Nu 4:22, where the age of thirty years, and upward, is mentioned, as the time of their entrance on it, Nu 4:23.{w} Ben Gersom in loc. Bartenora in Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21. Numbers 8:25Ver. 25. And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service [thereof],.... The heavy service of it:and shall serve no more; by bearing and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary upon their shoulders, as Jarchi interprets it; this, according to the Jewish writers, was only in force while the tabernacle was in the wilderness, and was moved from place to place: but when it had a fixed habitation, and that laborious service of bearing and carrying the vessels of it ceased, years made no difference in the Levites, or disqualified them for service; for it is said {x}, that the Levites were not bound by this law, but in the time of the tabernacle; but when it was at Shiloh, and at Jerusalem, where there was no bearing and carrying upon the shoulder, the Levites were not rejected on account of years, only for their voice, when they had lost that, and could not sing.{x} Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Cholin, c. 1. sect. 6. Numbers 8:26Ver. 26. But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation,.... By giving advice, instructing younger Levites, and doing lighter service. Jarchi says, they shall return to shutting of doors, singing and loading wagons; but the last especially seems too burdensome: the ministry of such is explained by the next clause,to keep the charge; of the tabernacle, to watch and observe that no stranger or unclean person enter into it; and this they were capable of when at the age of fifty, and upwards:and shall do no service; heavy and laborious:thus thou shall do unto the Levites touching their charge; dismiss them from service when at such an age, or however make their service easier; for this respects ancient men, as Aben Ezra notes; though it may include both their entrance on their work, and their cessation from it.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.