Leviticus 8 3

Leviticus 8:3 kjv

And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Leviticus 8:3 nkjv

and gather all the congregation together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting."

Leviticus 8:3 niv

and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting."

Leviticus 8:3 esv

And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting."

Leviticus 8:3 nlt

and call the entire community of Israel together at the entrance of the Tabernacle. "

Leviticus 8 verses

Leviticus 8 3 Meaning

Leviticus 8:3 is a direct divine instruction from the LORD to Moses, commanding the comprehensive assembly of the entire community of Israel at a specific and highly significant location: the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. This directive precedes the solemn seven-day consecration ceremony of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, ensuring that the installation of God's appointed mediators for the nation occurs in full view and with the acknowledgement of all Israel. It signifies the public nature and divine authority of the priesthood.

Leviticus 8 3 Context

Leviticus 8 initiates the formal, detailed account of the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests, fulfilling the divine instructions given earlier in Exodus chapters 28-29. This event marks a critical turning point in Israel's history, establishing the priestly office essential for mediation between God and His people.

The immediate context of Leviticus 8:3 flows from the preceding verses where the LORD commanded Moses to bring Aaron and his sons, along with specific anointing oil and sacrificial animals, for this ordination. The instruction to "assemble all the congregation" emphasizes that this was not a private family affair, but a foundational, public act for the entire community. Historically, the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle) had just been completed and consecrated according to God's precise plans (Exod 40), and God's glory had filled it. Now, the operational aspects of worship, specifically the priesthood, were being put in place, necessitating a public witness and affirmation. This public demonstration reinforced the divine appointment of the priests, making it clear their authority was from God, not from human selection. It also underscored the covenant relationship, where the entire community was accountable to observe and learn.

Leviticus 8 3 Word analysis

• And assemble: Hebrew: וְהַקְהֵל (vəhaqhēl). This is a hiphil imperative from the root קָהַל (qāhal), meaning "to call together," "to convoke," or "to assemble." The hiphil stem indicates causation—Moses is to cause the congregation to gather. It signifies an authoritative command originating from God, highlighting the divine initiative behind the entire event. This assembly is not voluntary but commanded.
• all the congregation: Hebrew: כָּל־הָעֵדָה (kāl-hāʿēḏâ).
  • all: כָּל (kāl), meaning "all," "every," or "whole." This emphasizes comprehensiveness, indicating the communal importance of the event. It doesn't necessarily mean every single individual of a vast population physically present, but represents the entirety of the community, likely through its designated heads or representatives, and understood as binding on all.
  • the congregation: הָעֵדָה (hāʿēḏâ). This is from the root יָעַד (yāʿad), meaning "to appoint" or "to gather by appointment." It refers to the "appointed assembly" or "community" of Israel. This term frequently designates the collective body of Israel functioning as a corporate unit under God's covenant. Its usage stresses their organized and divinely structured nature.
• at the entrance: Hebrew: אֶל־פֶּתַח (ʾel-pethaḥ).
  • at: אֶל (ʾel), a preposition indicating "to" or "towards."
  • the entrance: פֶּתַח (pethaḥ), referring to a door or opening. This specifies a precise and universally recognized point. The entrance to the Tabernacle was not merely a passageway but a symbolically significant threshold separating the holy space from the common space, and the only designated access point for laypeople. It was the point of communion, sacrifice, and instruction.
• of the tent of meeting: Hebrew: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ʾōhel môʿēḏ).
  • tent: אֹהֶל (ʾōhel), literally "tent" or "dwelling." This is the portable sanctuary, signifying God's temporary, nomadic presence with Israel in the wilderness.
  • of meeting: מוֹעֵד (môʿēḏ), derived from the root יָעַד (yāʿad) mentioned above. It means "appointed place" or "appointed time." The "Tent of Meeting" is where God appoints to meet with His people, primarily through Moses and subsequently through the priests. It signifies divine appointment for divine encounter. This is not just any tent, but the sacred space consecrated for interaction with God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And assemble all the congregation": This phrase highlights the divine mandate for corporate gathering. The event of priestly ordination was not to be a private or isolated affair but a communal undertaking, requiring the witness and participation of the entire people. It stresses the corporate nature of the covenant and the community's stake in the purity and proper function of its spiritual leadership.
• "at the entrance of the tent of meeting": This specific location underscores the centrality of the Tabernacle in Israelite life and worship. It was the consecrated place where God's presence dwelt, where sin could be atoned for, and where God communicated with His people. Positioning the assembly here emphasized that the priesthood was integral to Israel's access to God and His covenant blessings, and that this access was tightly controlled and divinely ordered. This was the precise point where ordinary Israelite's interaction with the sacred began.

Leviticus 8 3 Bonus section

The scale of "all the congregation" is often interpreted in ancient Near Eastern contexts not as every single man, woman, and child, but as the corporate body represented by its heads of families, elders, and appointed leaders, who acted on behalf of the whole. This pragmatic interpretation would have allowed for the efficient gathering of tens or hundreds of thousands of people in the wilderness, who would physically be unable to fit precisely "at the entrance." This assembly also sets a pattern for significant national events and public worship in Israel's history, demonstrating God's consistent desire for His people to participate corporately in His work and revelation.

Leviticus 8 3 Commentary

Leviticus 8:3 establishes the imperative public dimension of the priestly consecration. This command, flowing from God through Moses, orchestrated not merely an act of compliance but a momentous visual theology for the whole nation. The meticulous assembly of "all the congregation" at the sacred "entrance of the Tent of Meeting" underscores that the newly consecrated priesthood was fundamentally for them. This was not a private guild, but divinely ordained servants operating for the entire covenant community.

The act of assembly was an essential pre-requisite, serving several crucial functions: it solidified the divine authority behind the priesthood, dispelling any notion of human selection; it impressed upon the people the gravity and sacredness of the priestly office; and it symbolically involved the entire nation in this foundational act of worship and covenant living. The entrance of the Tent of Meeting was the primary zone where ordinary Israelites interacted with the Tabernacle's sacrificial system and sought atonement, thus witnessing the installation of their spiritual mediators there made perfect sense. It highlighted the priesthood's role as the means of approach to God, foreshadowing the accessibility granted through the High Priest, Jesus Christ. This grand gathering served as a national testimony, affirming the Lord's chosen representatives and the order by which He would dwell among His people.