Numbers 8:15

8:5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. 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 others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites must be cleansed. They must be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Moses must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them. This signifies the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, that we may be fit to serve the living God. God declares his acceptance of them. All who expect to share in the privileges of the tabernacle, must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's creatures are his necessary servants, he needs not the service of any of them; so none are merely honorary servants, to do nothing. All whom God owns, he employs; angels themselves have their services.

And after that shall the Levites go in,.... Not into the sanctuary, where only the priests entered, much less into the most holy place, where only the high priest went, and that but once a year, in neither of which places the Levites had anything to do, but into the court of the tabernacle: to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: to watch there, and to assist the priests at the altar of burnt offering, to take down the tabernacle and bear the vessels of it, and set it up, as occasion required: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering; cleanse them by sprinkling the water of purifying on them, and offer them by waving them as before; and indeed this is no new thing which is here observed, but what was already done, and therefore should be rendered, "when thou shalt have cleansed them", or "after thou hast cleansed them", &c. and so the particle "vau" is sometimes used (t). (t) See Noldius, p. 289, 290, 299.

The Levites were then to close this transfer of themselves to the Lord with a sin-offering and burnt-offering, in which they laid their hands upon the sacrificial animals. By this imposition of hands they made the sacrificial animals their representatives, in which they presented their own bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice well-pleasing to Him. The signification of the dedication of the Levites, as here enjoined, is still further explained in Numbers 8:13-19 . The meaning of Numbers 8:13 . is this: According to the command already given (in Numbers 8:6-12 ), thou shalt place the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and wave them as a wave-offering before the Lord, and so separate them from the midst of the children of Israel, that they may be Mine. They shall then come to serve the tabernacle. So shalt thou cleanse them and wave them. The same reason is assigned for this in Numbers 8:16 , Numbers 8:17 , as in Numbers 3:11-13 (כּל בּכור for כּל־בּכור, cf. Numbers 3:13 ); and in Numbers 8:18 and Numbers 8:19 , what was commanded in Numbers 3:6-9 is described as having been carried out. On Numbers 8:19 see Numbers 1:53 .

[Reformed Biblical] The people were divided into twelve tribes, the tribes into great families, Num_26:5; these great families into lesser families, called ## the houses of their fathers, because they were distinguished one from another by their fathers. Numbers 1:3 Numbers 1:4 To inspect the work, that it might be faithfully and impartially done. Numbers 1:5 ## With you, to wit, with Moses and Aaron, who were the chief managers of the work. The tribes are here numbered according to the order or quality of their birth, first the children of Leah, then of Rachel, and then of the hand-maids. Numbers 1:6 Numbers 1:7 Numbers 1:8 Numbers 1:9 Numbers 1:10 Numbers 1:11 Numbers 1:12 Numbers 1:13 Numbers 1:14 Called Reuel , Num_2:14, the Hebrew letters daleth and resh being very like, and oft changed. Numbers 1:15 Numbers 1:16 ## The renowned, Heb. the

[Reformed Biblical] s 13:2 Do as the people press thee to do. ## Of every tribe of their fathers, i.e. which comes from their several parents or patriarchs. ## A ruler; a person of wisdom and authority, which might make his witness more considerable with the people. Numbers 13:3 Numbers 13:4 Numbers 13:5 Numbers 13:6 Numbers 13:7 Numbers 13:8 Numbers 13:9 Numbers 13:10 Numbers 13:11 i.e. Of that part of the tribe of Joseph which is peculiarly called ## the tribe of Manasseh, as the other part of it was called the tribe of Ephraim , Num_13:8. The name of Joseph is elsewhere appropriated to Ephraim, as Eze_37:16 ,19 Revelation 7:8 ; here to Manasseh; possibly to aggravate the sin of the ruler of this tribe, who did so basely degenerate from his noble ancestor, Joseph. Numbers 13:12 Numbers 13:13 Numbers 13:14 Numbers 13:15 Numbers 13:16 ## Oshea notes a desire of salvation, signifying, Save, we pray thee , but Jehoshua , or Joshua , includes a promise of salvation, that he should save, or that God by his hands should save the people. So this was a prophecy of his succession to Moses in the government, and of the success of his arms. Numbers 13:17 ## Southward, i.e. into the southern part of Canaan, which was the nearest part, and the worst too, being dry and desert, Jos_15:1 ,3 Jude 1:15 Psa_126:4, and therefore fittest for

40 . The minḥâh , or ‘meal-offering’ (see Leviticus 2), as it is expressly termed in the "" Numbers 28:5 , which in P is the regular concomitant of a burnt-offering (see Numbers 15:1-12 ; and cf. Numbers 28:9 ; Numbers 28:12-13 , &c.). a tenth part (of an ephah)] Heb. ‘ issârôn , only in P (28 times). The ephah was probably about 8 gallons, so the ‘ issârôn would be about 6½ pints (see further Kennedy, in DB. iv. 912b, near the bottom). fine flour ] Genesis 18:6 and often: as the material of a meal-offering Leviticus 2:1 ; Leviticus 2:4-5 ; Leviticus 2:7 , and elsewhere. mingled with … oil ] as v. 2, Leviticus 2:4-5 al. A ‘hin’ (Jos. Ant. iii. 8. 3) was 1/6 of the ‘bath’ (the equivalent for liquid measure of the ephah for dry measure, Ezekiel 45:11 ) = about 1⅓ gallon; ¼ of a hin would thus be about 2⅔ pints. For the oil of superior quality called beaten oil , see on Exodus 27:20 : this is the only minḥâh for which it is prescribed. a drink offering ] or libation ; also a frequent concomitant of the burnt-offering ( Numbers 15:5 ; Numbers 15:7 ; Numbers 15:10 ; cf. Numbers 28:9 ; Numbers 28:14 ; Numbers 29:18 ; Numbers 29:21 , &c.). According to Sir 50:15 it was poured out at the base of the altar. The amount, ¼ hin for a lamb, is the same as in Numbers 15:5 ; Numbers 28:14 ; for larger animals the amount was greater.