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Numbers Chapter Eight

 

Numbers 8 Outlines

Arrangement of the Lamps (v.1~4)

Cleansing and Dedication of the Levites (v.5~26)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 8

In this chapter orders are given for the lighting the seven lamps of the candlestick Numbers 8:1; and for the consecration of the Levites to their office by a purification of them Numbers 8:5; by a separation of them from the children of Israel and the imposition of their hands on them and of the hands of the Levites on the offerings offered for them Numbers 8:9; and being thus given to the Lord and claimed as his instead of the firstborn of Israel they are given to Aaron and his sons to do service in the tabernacle Numbers 8:16; and their age at which they were to enter into service and cease from it is fixed Numbers 8:23.

 

Numbers 8:1   And the Lord spoke to Moses saying:

   YLT  1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... Whether immediately after the offerings of the princes or at another time is not certain; Aben Ezra thinks it was in the night God spake unto him because then the lamps were lighted and burning:

saying; as follows.

 

Numbers 8:2   2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him ‘When you arrange the lamps the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’”

   YLT  2`Speak unto Aaron and thou hast said unto him In thy causing the lights to go up over-against the face of the candlestick do the seven lights give light.'

Speak unto Aaron and say unto him .... It being his work to light the lamps though as Ben Gersom observes it was not incumbent on an high priest alone to do this for it also belonged to the sons of Aaron who were common priests Exodus 27:21; though it is probable that as this was the first time of lighting them it might be done by Aaron himself his sons attending and assisting him; in which he was an eminent type of Christ the great High Priest who lights the lamps in all his golden candlesticks the churches Revelation 1:20 and from whom they have all their light and all the supplies of it:

when thou lightest the lamps; which was done at evening Exodus 30:8; pointing at the great light set up by Christ the light of the world in the evening of it in the last days:

the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick; the Targum of Jonathan is "at the same time of thy lighting the lamps over against the candlestick there shall be seven lamps giving light: three on the west side and three on the east side and the seventh in the middle:'and in the like order Jarchi places them who observes that the three eastward looked over against the middlemost the wicks that were in them; and so the three westward the tops of the wicks were over against the middlemost: and he also observes that the middlemost lamp was no other than the body of the candlestick and so all the rest of the lamps were over against and looked to that; and this is the sense of MaimonidesF13Hilchot Beth Hacbehirah c. 3. sect. 8. and other Jewish writers; but the truer meaning of the phrase is that the seven lamps gave light as they were to do to that part of the holy place that was opposite to the candlestick the north part of it where stood the shewbread table the candlestick being in the south Exodus 40:22; that the table of the Lord might have light as it was proper it should; and the priests might see to set on and take off the bread which otherwise they could not there being no window in the place; See Gill on Exodus 25:37.

 

Numbers 8:3   3 And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand as the Lord commanded Moses.

   YLT  3And Aaron doth so; over-against the face of the candlestick he hath caused its lights to go up as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

And Aaron did so he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick .... As God had taken up his residence in the most holy place as appears by the voice speaking from off the mercy seat Numbers 7:89; and sacrifices were begun to be offered in the outward court on the altar of burnt offering it was proper that the service of God in the holy place should also be set on foot; as placing of the shewbread on the shewbread table and burning incense on the golden altar of incense; which could not well be done until the lamps were lighted and therefore orders were given for the lighting them which was accordingly done by Aaron:

as the Lord commanded Moses; Exodus 25:37.

 

Numbers 8:4   4 Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses so he made the lampstand.

   YLT  4And this [is] the work of the candlestick: beaten work of gold; unto its thigh unto its flower it [is] beaten work; as the appearance which Jehovah shewed Moses so he hath made the candlestick.

And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold .... As it is also said to be; See Gill on Exodus 25:31; and See Gill on Exodus 25:36

unto the shalt thereof unto the flowers thereof was beaten work; of which see Exodus 25:31

according unto the pattern which the Lord had showed Moses; when on Mount Sinai with him:

so he made the candlestick; that is ordered it to be made and took care that it was made exactly to the pattern he had of it; otherwise Bezaleel was the artificer; and so the Targum of Jonathan here expresses him by name.

 

Numbers 8:5   5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying:

   YLT  5And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... the same time the order about lighting the lamps was given; and this section is joined to the former Aben Ezra thinks to show that Aaron employed himself in lighting the lamps but in the rest of the services the Levites helped him and stood before him to do what he commanded them: they were ordered to be taken and given to Aaron before; and they were numbered and their services appointed to each division of them; and now they are ordered to be ordained and consecrated to their office:

saying; as follows.

 

Numbers 8:6   6 “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially.

   YLT  6`Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel and thou hast cleansed them.

Take the Levites from among the children of Israel .... Among whom they were mixed as were all the tribes mixed together as Aben Ezra says before they took their journey from Mount Sinai; however from hence forward they were distinguished from Israelites as they are both in Scripture and in Jewish writings; see 1 Chronicles 9:2; though this seems to design no other but their appointment and separation to their work and service as ministers to the priests of the Lord; and so as Aaron did not assume the honour of priesthood to himself but was called of God the Levites did not take the honour of their office to themselves but had it by the appointment and call of God:

and cleanse them; with water by sprinkling the water of purification on them and by washing their bodies and clothes with water; which outward washing was a sign of moral purity which was necessary to their employment in the service of the sanctuary; for though there was no particular uncleanness on them either ceremonial or moral but what was common to men; yet it was proper by such outward rites to put them and others in mind that they which are employed about holy things should be eminently pure and holy; and as their business was to carry holy things to bear the sacred vessels of the sanctuary from place to place when needful they ought of all men to be clean Isaiah 52:11 and in this they were emblems of the ministers of the word who ought to be pure as in heart so in life and conversation and be examples of purity to others 2 Corinthians 6:6.

 

Numbers 8:7   7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them and let them shave all their body and let them wash their clothes and so make themselves clean.

   YLT  7`And thus thou dost to them to cleanse them: sprinkle upon them waters of atonement and they have caused a razor to pass over all their flesh and have washed their garments and cleansed themselves

And thus shall thou do unto them to cleanse them .... Or order Aaron to do unto them; the cleansing of the Levites was the work of Aaron either by himself or by his order; in which he was a type of Christ who is the refiner and purifier of the sons of Levi Malachi 3:3

sprinkle water of purifying upon them; or "water of sin"F14מי חטאת "aquas peccati" Montanus; "aquam peccati" Piscator Drusius; "the sin water" Ainsworth. ; water which purifies from sin in a ceremonial sense; and this was water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer which was the purification of persons deified by the dead as Jarchi observes; and though the law concerning the red heifer and of making the water of purification is not made mention of till afterwards Numbers 19:1 yet it was very probably given before; and the Jews sayF15Seder Olam Rabba c. 7. p. 22. it was on the second of Nisan or the first month which was the day after the tabernacle was erected that Eleazar the priest burnt the red heifer and sprinkled all Israel; this only "sanctified to the purifying of the flesh" Hebrews 9:13 in a ceremonial sense but was typical of the blood of Christ which "purges the conscience from dead works"; that so men may be fitted and qualified as the Levites were "to serve the living God" Hebrews 9:14

and let them shave all their flesh; the hair of their bodies in all parts thereof; even the beard as Aben Ezra notes some say; yet not the corners of it; but the whole hair of the body everywhere was to be shaved off; to denote the most perfect purity and a removal of all superfluity of haughtiness and excrescences of the flesh from them: so the Egyptian priests used to shave their whole body every third day lest there should be anything filthy in those that served the godsF16Herodot. Enterpe sive l. 2. c. 37. : this cleansing of the Levites was after the same manner as lepers were cleansed: and Jarchi observes from one of their writers that because the Levites gave an atonement for the firstborn who committed idolatry which is called the sacrifices of the dead and the leper is called a dead man they were obliged to shaving as the lepers; but Ben Gersom gives a better reason for the shaving of them; that it was to put them in mind that they should forsake material (or corporeal) things and employ themselves in the service of God; see Acts 6:2 2 Timothy 2:4

and let them wash their clothes; and much more their bodies as Chaskuni after the manner of those who were polluted by touching a dead body; typical of the saints having their bodies washed with pure water and their garments washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb Hebrews 10:22

and so make themselves clean; the Targum of Jonathan adds in forty seahs of water; and according to the sense of that paraphrase both the bodies and clothes of the Levites were dipped in water.

 

Numbers 8:8   8 Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering.

   YLT  8and have taken a bullock a son of the herd and its present flour mixed with oil -- and a second bullock a son of the herd thou dost take for a sin-offering

Then let them take a young bullock .... Of two years old as the Jewish writers gather from the other in the next clause being called the second; though the wise men say one of three years old is fit for such a sacrifice; nay others say if four or five years old; but the decision is according to the wise menF17Misn. Parah c. 1. sect. 2. & Bartenora in ib. .

with his meat offering even fine flour mingled with oil: which always went along with a burnt offering and consisted of three tenth deals of line flour and half an hin of oil Numbers 28:12

and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering; which was the offering for the sin of the whole congregation of Israel through ignorance; and this being for all the Levites and they being instead of the firstborn of Israel such an offering was required; and though there was no particular sin charged upon them but it became necessary for their perfect cleansing and expiation.

 

Numbers 8:9   9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

   YLT  9and thou hast brought near the Levites before the tent of meeting and thou hast assembled the whole company of the sons of Israel

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation .... Not without it but within it in the court of the tabernacle at least at the door of it where stood the altar of burnt offering on which sacrifices for them were now to be offered:

and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together; the heads of the tribes and elders of the people as Aben Ezra interprets this phrase in Leviticus 8:3; where the whole congregation is said to be assembled at the consecration of the priests as here at the consecration of the Levites having a concern therein as well as to be spectators and witnesses of this solemn affair; and no doubt as many of them as could conveniently assemble at the door of the tabernacle did though every individual of that large body of people could not possibly do it.

 

Numbers 8:10   10 So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites;

   YLT  10and thou hast brought near the Levites before Jehovah and the sons of Israel have laid their hands on the Levites

And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord .... From the door of the tabernacle to the altar of burnt offering where the Lord was in some sense present to accept the sacrifices offered to him:

and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites; as were used to be put upon sacrifices for the Levites were themselves offered for an offering of the children of Israel as is expressed in Numbers 8:11; by which rite they signified that they voluntarily parted with them and gave them up to the Lord and transferred their service to them in which they were to serve in their room and stead; these according to some Jewish writers were the firstborn of Israel that laid their hands on the Levites a type of the general assembly and church of the firstborn; or rather the princes and heads of the tribes who represented the whole body. Some think by this rite is signified the consent of the people in the designation and appointment of the ministers of the word to their work and office; but what in the New Testament seems to answer to this is the laying of the hands of the presbytery on ministers of the word 1 Timothy 4:14.

 

Numbers 8:11   11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a wave offering from the children of Israel that they may perform the work of the Lord.

   YLT  11and Aaron hath waved the Levites -- a wave-offering before Jehovah from the sons of Israel and they have been -- for doing the service of Jehovah.

And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord .... Or "wave"F18והניף "et motabit" Tigurine version; "et faciet elevare" Pagninus Montanus Vatablus; "et agitabit" Drusius; "et agitato" Piscator. them as a wave offering which was moved to and fro backwards and forwards; not that they were actually so waved and moved to and fro by Aaron which could not be done by him; though it is possible he might make such a motion himself and they might do the like after him thereby signifying that they belonged unto the Lord of the whole earth; and some think this testified their readiness to serve the Lord; to which may be added their constant employment in his service being always in motion doing one piece of service or another continually; as the people of God and especially the ministers of the word should be always abounding: in the work of the Lord. Ainsworth supposes that the troubles and afflictions of the ministers of God are figured hereby:

for an offering of the children of Israel; to the Lord hereby devoting them to his service:

that they may execute the service of the Lord; for them in their room and stead do what otherwise they must have done; see Numbers 3:7; with this compare Isaiah 66:20.

 

Numbers 8:12   12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites.

   YLT  12`And the Levites lay their hands on the head of the bullocks and make thou the one a sin-offering and the one a burnt-offering to Jehovah to atone for the Levites

And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bullocks .... Or "on the head"F19על ראש "super caput" Tigurine version. Pagninus Montanus Junius & Tremellius. ; on the head of everyone of them as Aben Ezra thereby as it were transferring their sins to them for these were to make atonement for them as the latter part of the verse shows; and this was a figure of the imputation of sin to Christ and taught that doctrine and led the faith of the offerers to the sin bearing and sin atoning Saviour:

and thou shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering unto the Lord; that is shall order to be offered; for not Moses but Aaron offered these offerings as Aben Ezra observes of which this is a proof that Aaron is said to make the atonement for them Numbers 8:21 for which purpose these sacrifices were offered particularly the first; and the latter by way of thanksgiving for atonement made by the former: so it follows:

to make an atonement for the Levites; who could not be admitted to service until their sins were expiated; as no man is worthy to be employed in the work of God but such for whom reconciliation for their sins is made by the blood and sacrifice of Christ by which they are purged from dead works to serve the living God.

 

Numbers 8:13   13 “And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord.

   YLT  13and thou hast caused the Levites to stand before Aaron and before his sons and hast waved them -- a wave-offering to Jehovah;

And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons .... After atonement was made for them as Aben Ezra observes; then they were presented to Aaron and his sons to whom they were given to he their ministers and assistants to them:

and offer them for an offering unto the Lord: or and "waved them" &c. as before that is order them to be waved; for not Moses but Aaron did this and indeed was done already; and therefore should rather be rendered as by Bishop Patrick after thou hast offered or waved them.

 

Numbers 8:14   14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and the Levites shall be Mine.

   YLT  14and thou hast separated the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel and the Levites have become Mine;

Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel .... By sprinkling the water of purification upon them; by offering sacrifices for them; by presenting them before the Lord with the hands of the people of Israel put upon them; by offering and waving them before the Lord and by setting them before Aaron and his sons as their ministers:

and the Levites shall be mine: in a special and peculiar manner devoted to his service and by him given to his priests for that purpose; so the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan "and the Levites shall minister before me.'

 

Numbers 8:15   15 After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering.

   YLT  15and afterwards do the Levites come in to serve the tent of meeting and thou hast cleansed them and hast waved them -- a wave-offering.

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 usedF20See Noldius p. 289 290 299. .

 

Numbers 8:16   16 For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb the firstborn of all the children of Israel.

   YLT  16`For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel .... All of them entirely and most certainly; or "given given"F21נתנים נתנים "dati dati" Pagninus Montanus Vatablus; so Drusius and Ainsworth. which is repeated for the confirmation of it; or because of their being twice given first to the Lord by the children of Israel and then by the Lord to Aaron and his sons as Chaskuni; though Jarchi interprets it of the different parts of their service they were devoted to given for bearing and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary and given for the song or to be singers in the temple:

instead of such as open every womb even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto me; See Gill on Numbers 3:12 and See Gill on Numbers 3:13.

 

Numbers 8:17   17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself.

   YLT  17for Mine [is] every first-born among the sons of Israel among man and among beast; in the day of my smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself;

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 Exodus 13:2.

 

Numbers 8:18   18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

   YLT  18and I take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel:

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 Numbers 3:12.

 

Numbers 8:19   19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting and to make atonement for the children of Israel that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

   YLT  19`And I give the Levites gifts to Aaron and to his sons from the midst of the sons of Israel to do the service of the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the sons of Israel and there is no plague among the sons of Israel in the sons of Israel's drawing nigh unto the sanctuary.'

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 Numbers 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 Numbers 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 Numbers 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 8:20   20 Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites so the children of Israel did to them.

   YLT  20And Moses doth -- Aaron also and all the company of the sons of Israel -- to the Levites according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so have the sons of Israel done to them.

And Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel .... The several parties concerned in the consecration of the Levites: these

did 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 8:21   21 And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

   YLT  21And the Levites cleanse themselves and wash their garments and Aaron waveth them a wave-offering before Jehovah and Aaron maketh atonement for them to cleanse them

And the Levites were purified .... From sin by the sprinkling of the sin water or water of purification on them Numbers 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 Numbers 8:11

and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them; by offering the sacrifices for them Numbers 8:12.

 

Numbers 8:22   22 After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites so they did to them.

   YLT  22and afterwards have the Levites gone in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; as Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites so they have done to them.

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 8:23   23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying

   YLT  23And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

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 8:24   24 “This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting;

   YLT  24`This [is] that which [is] the Levites': from a son of five and twenty years and upward he doth go in to serve the host in the service of the tent of meeting

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 Numbers 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 othersF23Ben Gersom in loc. Bartenora in Pirke Abot c. 5. sect. 21. ; 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 Numbers 4:22 where the age of thirty years and upward is mentioned as the time of their entrance on it Numbers 4:23.

 

Numbers 8:25   25 and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work and shall work no more.

   YLT  25and from a son of fifty years he doth return from the host of the service and doth not serve any more

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 saidF24Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Cholin c. 1. sect. 6. 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.

 

Numbers 8:26   26 They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting to attend to needs but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

   YLT  26and he hath ministered with his brethren in the tent of meeting to keep the charge and doth not do service; thus thou dost to the Levites concerning their charge.'

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 Bible