Numbers 8:9

Num 8:9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:

Ver. 9. The whole assembly.] By their representatives the elders, or the firstborn; figuring the Church of Christ, those "firstborn which are written in heaven." {Heb 12:23}

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.

That thou mayest do this in presence of them all.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together, &c.--As it was plainly impossible that the whole multitude of the Israelites could do this, a select portion of them must be meant. This party, who laid their hands upon the Levites, are supposed by some to have been the first-born, who by that act, transferred their peculiar privilege of acting as God's ministers to the Levitical tribe; and by others, to have been the princes, who thus blessed them. It appears, from this passage, that the imposition of hands was a ceremony used in consecrating persons to holy offices in the ancient, as, from the example of our Lord and His apostles, it has been perpetuated in the Christian Church.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(9) The whole assembly of the children of Israel—i.e., as elsewhere, the representatives of the people.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 Lev 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.

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

9, 10. The whole assembly — Representatively, through the elders and principal persons of the several tribes. See Num_1:18; Num_14:2; Num_14:7, notes. Moreover, it would be impossible for all the children of Israel to put their hands upon the Levites. This is a natural form by which benediction has been expressed in all ages and among all people. It is usually the act of one superior in age or official position. Neither Moses nor Aaron monopolizes this ceremony, because the aim of this symbolic act is not to confer authority, but to transfer to the Levites the national obligation to serve Jehovah in the person of the firstborn of Israel. Hence the rite is performed by the tribe-princes in behalf of all the people, “as a sign that they released them from the possession of the nation, and assigned and handed them over to Jehovah” (Knobel) as perpetual substitutes for the firstborn. The authority came solely from him. No man, no body of men can make a true minister in holy things of one whom God has not qualified and called.

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

Moses was then to cause them to draw near before the tabernacle, i.e., to enter the court, and to gather together the whole congregation of Israel, viz., in the persons of their heads and representatives.

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.)

assemble the whole community

"gather the whole community"

before Yahweh

Here Yahweh refers to himself by his own name.

the people of Israel must lay their hands on the Levites

The action "laying on hands" on someone was often done to dedicate them to Yahweh's work or service. AT: "The people Israel must lay their hands on the Levites, dedicating them to me" (See: Symbolic Action)

as a wave offering

Aaron was to present the Levites to Yahweh with the same amount of dedication as if they were a sacrifice given to him. AT: "if they were a wave offering" (See: Simile)

translationWords

tent of meeting

Yahweh

hand

servant

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

והקהלת את כל עדת AND THOU SHALT GATHER THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] TOGETHER — Because the Levites were made, so to speak, an expiatory offering in their stead, let them come and stand at their offering and put their hands upon them (the Levites) as is prescribed in the case of an offering (cf. Leviticus 1:4).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.