Numbers 18:2 kjv
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 nkjv
Also bring with you your brethren of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of witness.
Numbers 18:2 niv
Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.
Numbers 18:2 esv
And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
Numbers 18:2 nlt
"Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi ? your ancestral tribe ? to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.
Numbers 18 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Priestly/Levitical Distinction & Role | ||
| Num 3:5-10 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest... for the priests... | Levites given as gifts to Aaron. |
| Num 3:38 | But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary… | Priestly charge before the Tabernacle. |
| Num 4:47-49 | From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old... all that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden… | Levites' specific duties and age. |
| Num 8:6-26 | Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them… that they may execute the service of the LORD. | Consecration and duties of the Levites. |
| 1 Chr 23:27-32 | For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered… For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house… | Levites' service supporting priests in the Temple. |
| Sanctuary and Holy Things | ||
| Exod 25:8-9 | And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee… | Command to build the Tabernacle. |
| Lev 10:1-2 | And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer… and offered strange fire before the LORD… | Consequences of unauthorized priestly approach. |
| Num 1:51 | And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. | Death for unauthorized approach to Tabernacle. |
| Num 17:12-13 | And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die… whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die. | Fear of the common Israelite approaching the Tabernacle. |
| Accountability & Consequences | ||
| Num 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… | Aaron and sons bear the priestly responsibility. |
| Deut 10:8 | At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister… | Levi separated for specific service. |
| Shadows & Fulfillment in Christ | ||
| Heb 7:11-14 | If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood… what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec… | Levitical priesthood's insufficiency, Christ's priesthood. |
| Heb 7:18-19 | For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof… | Old system made nothing perfect. |
| Heb 8:1-2 | Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary… | Christ, our High Priest in the true Tabernacle. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle… not with the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood… | Christ's perfect sacrifice and ministry. |
| Heb 10:19-20 | Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus… by a new and living way… | New covenant access for believers. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices… | Believers as a holy priesthood. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him… | Believers' royal priesthood. |
| Rev 1:6 | And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father… | Believers as kings and priests. |
| Rom 12:1 | I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. | Believers offer spiritual worship. |
| Phil 2:17 | Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. | Christian ministry as service/sacrifice. |
| 1 Cor 9:13 | Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? | Ministry supported by what they serve. |
Numbers 18 verses
Numbers 18 2 Meaning
Numbers 18:2 instructs Aaron to bring his fellow Levites to join and assist him and his priestly sons in their service within the Tabernacle compound. It establishes a critical distinction: while the general body of Levites were to "join with" and "minister to" the priests, the direct and unique ministerial role "before the tabernacle of witness"—which involved officiating at the altar and entering the sacred parts of the sanctuary—was exclusively reserved for Aaron and his consecrated descendants. This verse delineates the respective roles and responsibilities within the holy service, ensuring order and sanctity in Israel's worship.
Numbers 18 2 Context
Numbers chapter 18 directly follows the severe consequences of Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16-17), where numerous individuals challenged God's appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron and attempted to usurp the priesthood. God unequivocally confirmed Aaron's priesthood through the miraculous budding of his rod. This verse, along with the rest of Chapter 18, details the specific duties, responsibilities, and provisions for both the priests (Aaron and his sons) and the Levites (the rest of the tribe of Levi). Its primary purpose is to clarify, define, and reaffirm the distinct, divinely-ordained roles within Israel's worship system, thus preventing any future confusion or unauthorized approaches to holy things and solidifying the established divine order.
Numbers 18 2 Word analysis
"And bring with you" (וְהַקְרֵב֙ - və-haq·rêḇ): The Hebrew verb is a Hiphil imperative, indicating a causative action – Aaron is commanded to "cause them to come near" or "bring them forward." This highlights Aaron's active role and authority in summoning the Levites, under divine direction. It's not a suggestion but a command.
"your brethren also" (גַּם֩ אַחֶ֨יךָ֙ - gam ’a·ḥeḵā): "Brethren" (’aḥêḵā) emphasizes the shared lineage and familial connection within the tribe of Levi. "Also" (gam) indicates that they are to be included in the Tabernacle service alongside the priests, yet distinct in their specific function.
"the tribe of Levi" (מַטֵּה לֵוִ֜י - maṭ·ṭêh lē·wî): This refers to the non-priestly families within Levi (Kohathites, Gershonites, Merarites) who were set apart for service to the Tabernacle but were not of Aaron's direct lineage.
"the tribe of your father" (מַטֵּה אָבִ֔יךָ - maṭ·ṭêh ’ā·ḇîḵā): This phrase further underscores the common ancestor, Levi, shared by both priests and Levites. It reinforces that their differentiation in service does not negate their tribal kinship.
"that they may be joined with you" (וְנִלְווּ֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ - və-nil·wū ‘ā·leḵā): The Hebrew verb nilwû (from לָוָה, lavah) means "to join," "to be attached," or "to cleave." This word is a clear wordplay on the name "Levi" (לֵוִי), reminding the Levites of their foundational role: they are the "joined" ones, attached to the sanctuary and the priests, symbolizing their supportive and assisting function in God's service.
"and minister unto you" (וִישָׁרְתֻ֖ךָ - wî·šār·ṯuḵā): The verb šārat (שָׁרַת) means "to serve," "to minister." The preposition "unto you" (ḵā) specifies the direction and recipient of their service: their ministry is to the priests. This distinguishes their role from the priests, whose ministry is "before the Lord."
"but you and your sons with you" (וְאַתָּה֩ וּבָנֶ֨יךָ֙ אִתָּ֔ךְ - wə-’at·tāh ū·ḇā·neḵā ’it·tāḵ): The opening conjunction wə- ("and" or "but") functions here as a strong contrast, emphasizing the separate, exclusive role of Aaron and his sons. "With you" clarifies that the priests' ministry is a direct, combined family function.
"shall minister before the tabernacle of witness" (לִפְנֵי אֹ֥הֶל הָֽעֵדֻֽת - lip̄·nê ’ō·hel hā·‘ē·ḏuṯ): "Minister" (שָׁרַת - šārat) again, but with the preposition "before" (lip̄nê), signifying direct, immediate service in the most sacred space. The "Tabernacle of Witness" (’ōhel hā·‘ēḏuṯ, literally "Tent of the Testimony") refers specifically to the part of the Tabernacle that contained the Ark of the Covenant, which housed the tablets of the Testimony (Exod 25:16, 21-22), indicating God's covenant presence. This highlights the priests' unique, mediatorial role in relation to God's immediate presence.
"the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father": This group of words serves to reinforce the tribal solidarity of all Levites, while simultaneously stressing the internal distinction of the Aaronic line. They are kin, yet their callings differ profoundly. This commonality prevents hostility while the distinction prevents usurpation.
"that they may be joined with you, and minister unto you": These two phrases clearly define the Levites' assisting, supportive, and subordinate role. Their proximity to the priests does not elevate them to the priesthood, but enables them to serve the priestly office. This 'joining' reinforces the name of Levi (to be joined).
"but you and your sons with you shall minister before the tabernacle of witness": This sharp contrast firmly establishes the unique, exclusive, and supreme responsibility of Aaron and his direct descendants for the sacred rituals within the innermost parts of the Tabernacle. This prevents recurrence of challenges like Korah's.
Numbers 18 2 Bonus section
- The emphasis on "Tabernacle of Witness" serves as a direct reminder of the covenant established at Sinai, embodied by the Law (the 'witness') within the Ark. The priests' specific function "before" this "witness" signified their role as primary mediators of the covenant and its implications.
- The Hebrew verb sharāt (to minister) used for both Levites and priests, albeit with different prepositions (unto vs. before), suggests that service, generally, is a core Levitical and priestly characteristic. However, the prepositions "unto you" and "before the tabernacle of witness" indicate vastly different spheres and objects of that service. Levites served people/priests for holy things, priests served God concerning holy things.
- This distinction also provided a layer of protection: the Levites acted as a buffer between the common Israelites and the direct presence of God in the Holy Place, safeguarding both the people from accidental transgression and the sanctity of God's dwelling.
Numbers 18 2 Commentary
Numbers 18:2 is a foundational text delineating the division of labor and spiritual authority within the Israelite Tabernacle service following the crisis of Korah's rebellion. It confirms that while the entire tribe of Levi was consecrated for divine service, there was a strict demarcation between the Aaronic priesthood (Aaron and his sons) and the other Levitical families. The Levites' role was to be "joined with" and "minister to" the priests, providing essential support, maintaining the physical structure, and handling the transport of the sacred components of the Tabernacle, but never performing the actual atoning rituals or entering the most holy areas. This precise instruction secured the sanctity of God's presence by limiting direct access and specific sacerdotal functions to the divinely chosen line, preventing further presumption and protecting the people from divine wrath. It is a divine order designed to maintain holiness and prevent chaos in approaching God.