And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.

NUMBERS 8:15KJV
Know the Bible

Numbers 8:15 (KJV)

What does Numbers 8:15 mean?

Numbers 8:15 describes how, after being cleansed and dedicated, the Levites were allowed to begin their special work serving in the tabernacle for the Israelites. The verse emphasizes that their service could only start once they had been purified and formally presented as an offering to God.

In this passage, God is instructing Moses about the steps needed before the Levites can serve in the tabernacle, which was the central place of worship for the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness. The Levites had a unique role, set apart from the rest of the people, and this verse highlights the importance of ritual cleansing and dedication before taking on sacred duties.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 8:15

  • "cleanse" (טָהֵר, ṭāhēr): This word means to make pure or ritually clean. The Levites could not begin their duties until they were ritually purified, showing the seriousness of their role.
  • "offer them for an offering" (תְּנוּפָה, tenuphah): This phrase refers to a special kind of presentation or wave offering. The Levites themselves were symbolically offered to God, not just their actions or sacrifices, underlining their total dedication.

Why Numbers 8:15 matters

  • Numbers 8:15 clarifies that the Levites’ service was not automatic; it required a process of preparation and dedication, which set them apart for their responsibilities.
  • The verse shows the care and order God required for those serving in the tabernacle, highlighting the seriousness of approaching sacred duties.
  • This instruction connects to the broader theme in Numbers 8 of the Levites being substitutes for the firstborn of Israel, emphasizing their special status and the need for ritual purity.

Where else these words appear

“offering” Hebrew H8573 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 29:24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.
  • Leviticus 8:29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the LORD commanded Moses.
  • Leviticus 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

“offer” Hebrew H5130 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
  • Leviticus 14:24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
  • Joshua 8:31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

“cleanse” Hebrew H2891 · used in 79 verses

  • Genesis 35:2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
  • Leviticus 14:31 Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.