Numbers 4:3

4:3 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company 1  to do the work in the tent of meeting.

Numbers 4:23

4:23 You must number them from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work of the tent of meeting.

Numbers 4:30

4:30 You must number them from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all who enter the company to do the work of the tent of meeting.

Numbers 4:35

4:35 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting;

Numbers 4:39

4:39 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting –

Numbers 4:43

4:43 from thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, everyone who entered the company for the work in the tent of meeting –

Numbers 8:11

8:11 and Aaron is to offer 2  the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work 3  of the Lord.

Numbers 8:15

8:15 “After this, the Levites will go in 4  to do the work 5  of the tent of meeting. So you must cleanse them 6  and offer them like a wave offering. 7 

Numbers 29:7

The Day of Atonement

29:7 “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy assembly. You must humble yourselves; 8  you must not do any work on it.

1 tn The word “company” is literally “host, army” (צָבָא, tsava’). The repetition of similar expressions makes the translation difficult: Heb “all [who] come to the host to do work in the tent.”

2 tn The Hebrew text actually has “wave the Levites as a wave offering.” The wave offering was part of the ritual of the peace offering and indicated the priest’s portion being presented to God in a lifted, waving motion for all to see. The Levites were going to be in the sanctuary to serve the Lord and assist the priests. It is unclear how Moses would have presented them as wave offerings, but the intent is that they would be living sacrifices, as Paul would later say in Rom 12:1 for all Christians.

3 tn The construction emphasizes the spiritual service of the Levites, using the infinitive construct of עָבַד (’avad) followed by its cognate accusative.

4 tn The imperfect tense could also be given the nuance of the imperfect of permission: “the Levites may go in.”

5 tn Heb “to serve.”

6 tn The two verbs in the rest of this verse are perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutive constructions, making them equal to the imperfect. Some commentators try to get around the difficulty of repetition by making these future perfects, “and you will have cleansed,” as opposed to a summary statement, “for thus you will cleanse….”

7 tc The Greek text adds “before the Lord.”

8 tn Heb “afflict yourselves”; NAB “mortify yourselves”; NIV, NRSV “deny yourselves.”

sn The verb seems to mean “humble yourself.” There is no explanation given for it. In the days of the prophets fasting seems to be associated with it (see Isa 58:3-5), and possibly the symbolic wearing of ashes.