Numbers 18 · Verse 2

Numbers 18:2

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 minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Numbers 18:2, King James Version

Numbers 18:2 in other translations

BSBBut bring with you also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and assist you and your sons before the Tent of the Testimony.
WEBBring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony.
ASVAnd thy brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall be before the tent of the testimony.
YLTand also thy brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring near with thee, and they are joined unto thee, and serve thee, even thou and thy sons with thee, before the tent of the testimony.
DARBYAnd thy brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring near with thee, that they may unite with thee, and minister unto thee; but thou and thy sons with thee shall serve before the tent of the testimony.
BBELet your brothers, the family of Levi, come near with you, so that they may be joined with you and be your servants: but you and your sons with you are to go in before the ark of witness.
WebsterAnd thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined to thee, and minister to thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

What does Numbers 18:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:2-7
2-7. thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi--The departments of the sacred office, to be filled respectively by the priests and Levites, are here assigned to each. To the priests was committed the charge of the sanctuary and the altar, while the Levites were to take care of everything else about the tabernacle. The Levites were to attend the priests as servants--bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle--while the high and dignified office of the priesthood was a "service of gift." "A stranger," that is, one, neither a priest nor a Levite, who should intrude into any departments of the sacred office, should incur the penalty of death.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi - may be joined unto thee - There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original. לוי Levi comes from the root לוה lavah, to join to, couple, associate: hence Moses says, the Levites, ילוו yillavu, shall be joined, or associated with the priests; they shall conjointly perform the whole of the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates or assistants.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 18:1-7

The people complained of their difficulty and peril in drawing near to God. God here gives them to understand, that the priests should come near for them. Aaron would see reason not to be proud of his preferment, when he considered the great care and charge upon him. Be not high-minded, but fear. The greater the trust of work and power that is committed to us, the greater danger there is of betraying that trust…

Read the full comment on Numbers 18:1-7 →

Numbers 18:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְגַ֣םve.Gamand alsoH1571
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אַחֶיךָ֩'a.chei.Khabrothers yourH251
מַטֵּ֨הma.Teh[the] tribe ofH4294
לֵוִ֜יle.ViLeviH3878
שֵׁ֤בֶטShe.vet[the] tribe ofH7626
אָבִ֙יךָ֙'a.Vi.khaancestor yourH1
הַקְרֵ֣בhak.Revbring nearH7126
אִתָּ֔ךְ'i.Takhwith youH854
וְיִלָּו֥וּve.yi.la.Vuso they may join themselvesH3867
עָלֶ֖יךָ'a.Lei.khato youH5921
וִֽישָׁרְת֑וּךָvi.sha.re.Tu.khaso they may serve youH8334
וְאַתָּה֙ve.'a.Tahand youH859
וּבָנֶ֣יךָu.va.Nei.khaand sons yourH1121
אִתָּ֔ךְ'i.Takhwith youH854
לִפְנֵ֖יlif.Nei[will be] <to> beforeH6440
אֹ֥הֶל'O.hel[the] tent ofH168
הָעֵדֻֽת\׃ha.'e.Dutthe testimonyH5715

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 18:2

  • Genesis 29:34

    And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

  • Numbers 18:4

    And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

  • Numbers 17:7

    And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

  • Numbers 8:22

    And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

  • 2 Chronicles 30:16

    And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.

  • Numbers 16:40

    To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

  • Numbers 3:6-13

    Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. …

  • 1 Chronicles 16:39-40

    And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, To offer burnt offerings unto the Lord upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which he commanded Israel;

  • Ezekiel 44:15

    But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God:

  • Numbers 4:15

    And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as 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 congregation.

  • Numbers 8:19

    And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
joined unto thee.There is a fine paronomasia in the original. Levi is desired from {lawah,} to join, couple, associate; hence Moses says, the Levites {yillawoo,} "shall be joined," or associated, with the priests: they shall conjointly perform the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites their associates or assistants.
4; Ge 29:34
minister.
3:6-9; 8:19,22
but thou.
3:10-13; 4:15; 16:40; 17:7; 1Ch 16:39,40; 2Ch 30:16; Eze 44:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 18:1

    And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

  • Numbers 18:2

    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 minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

  • Numbers 18:3

    And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.

Read all of Numbers 18

Numbers 18:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y á tus hermanos también, la tribu de Leví, la tribu de tu padre, hazlos llegar á ti, y júntense contigo, y servirte han; y tú y tus hijos contigo serviréis delante del tabernáculo del testimonio.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et fais aussi approcher tes frères, la tribu de Lévi, la tribu de ton père, avec toi, et ils te seront adjoints, et ils te serviront; et toi et tes fils avec toi, vous servirez devant la tente du témoignage.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und auch deine Brüder, den Stamm Levi, den Stamm deines Vaters, laß mit dir herzunahen, daß sie sich dir anschließen und dir dienen; du aber und deine Söhne mit dir, ihr sollt vor dem Zelte des Zeugnisses dienen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sed et fratres tuos de tribu Levi, et sceptrum patris tui sume tecum, præstoque sint, et ministrent tibi: tu autem et filii tui ministrabitis in tabernaculo testimonii.