Numbers 8:12

Num 8:12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.

Ver. 12. The one for a sin offering.] The sin offering for actual sin; the burnt offering for original.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 8:12-15. Lay their hands — To signify that they were offered by them and for them. Set the Levites before Aaron and his sons — Give the Levites to them, or to their service. Unto the Lord — For to him they were first properly offered, and by him given to the priests in order to his service. The Levites shall go in — Into the court, where they were to wait upon the priests at the altar of burnt-offering; and, at present, into the tabernacle, to take it down and set it up.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8:12-22 The Levites had to offer appropriate sacrifices before they performed their duties in the Tabernacle (8:15).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

12. For the sin-offering and burnt-offering see on Num_4:11.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bullocks,.... Or "on the head" (s); 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, Num 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.

(s) "super caput", Tigurine version. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Thou, Moses, though the Hebrew here seems to refer it to Aaron, "he shall." But the Septuagint and Arabic agree with the Vulgate, and the context shews that Moses is the person (Calmet) who had chiefly to officiate. Aaron also performed his part, ver. 11. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Upon the heads of the bullocks; to signify, that they were offered by them and for them. See Exo 29:15,19; Le 1:4; 3:2; 4:4.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. The Levites shall lay their hands — This imposition of hands differs from that in Num_8:10, inasmuch as it symbolically transfers guilt, (see Lev_1:4, note,) which is implied in an atonement. See Lev_4:20; Lev_16:10-34, notes. Even those whom God has accepted as a gift must be atoned for before they can begin to serve around the sanctuary. But there are in the Pentateuch no precepts regulating the personal conduct and life of the Levites as are there given for the priests, Leviticus 21.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shall lay their hands upon the beads of the bullocks. In token that they constituted these victims the ritual representatives and embodiments, the one of their sin, to be consumed and done away as by fire, the other of their life and strength, to be wholly offered unto God and accepted as by fire.

HOMILIES BY E.S. PROUT Vers. 12, and 19. An offering to God, needing for itself an atonement.

The tribe of Levi was set apart for God"s service in the tabernacle in place of all the firstborn. Before they could enter on that service they needed a special call and consecration, including atoning sacrifices (verses 5-12). Thus we are reminded of the obvious truth that, without a sacrifice for us, we can never ourselves be acceptable sacrifices to God. Illustrate from the position of Rom_12:1 in the Epistle, coming after the exposition of the mercies of God, including the atonement of Christ. (Ro 3) But in verse 19 the services of the Levites (or the Levites themselves) are said to be an atonement. The Levites were regarded as a vicarious offering to God (verses 10, 11). In the wider sense of the word atonement, they are said to make (or to be) an atonement. ("The priests made an atonement by sacrifice; the Levites by attendance. M. Henry.) Yet even this vicarious offering needs to be atoned for (verse 12). Hence the lesson, that every human saint (separated to God, verse 14), service, or sacrifice needs an atonement. This is needed for

1. All God"s chosen servants, "a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. (Illustrate from 1Jn_1:7-10 1Jn_2:1, 1Jn_2:2, and from Joh_13:10)

2. All God"s selected ministers (pastors, missionaries, etc.). Illustrate from Tertullian"s request to his brethren: "Ye have sought, and ye have found; ye have knocked, and it is opened to you. Thus much I ask, that when you seek again, you remember me, Tertullian, a sinner;" or from W. Carey the missionary"s selected epitaph"A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, On thy kind arms I fall.

3. All the most sacred services of the most saintly men. Their prayers need to be prayed for; their tears to be washed from impurity; their gifts of gold to be refined from the dross of earthly motives. Though all Christians are priests unto God, their most solemn priestly acts need the blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin. P.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lay their hands - To signify that they were offered by them and for them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The Levites were then to close this transfer of themselves to the Lord with a sin-offering and burnt-offering, in which they laid their hands upon the sacrificial animals. By this imposition of hands they made the sacrificial animals their representatives, in which they presented their own bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice well-pleasing to Him. The signification of the dedication of the Levites, as here enjoined, is still further explained in Num 8:13-19. The meaning of Num 8:13. is this: According to the command already given (in Num 8:6-12), thou shalt place the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and wave them as a wave-offering before the Lord, and so separate them from the midst of the children of Israel, that they may be Mine. They shall then come to serve the tabernacle. So shalt thou cleanse them and wave them. The same reason is assigned for this in Num 8:16, Num 8:17, as in Num 3:11-13 (כּל בּכור for כּל־בּכור, cf. Num 3:13); and in Num 8:18 and Num 8:19, what was commanded in Num 3:6-9 is described as having been carried out. On Num 8:19 see Num 1:53.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

atonement

(See Scofield "Exo 29:33")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Levites must place their hands on the heads of the bulls

This is a symbolic action that identifies the Levites with the animals being offered. In this way the person is offering himself through the animal to Yahweh. (See: Symbolic Action)

lift them up as a wave offering to me

Aaron was to present the Levites to Yahweh as if he were lifting up an offering to Yahweh. AT: "dedicate them to me, as if you were lifting them up a wave offering to me" (See: Simile)

translationWords

Levi

burnt offering

son

sacrifice

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.