And the Levitesהַלְוִיִּםpurified themselves from sinוַיִּתְחַטְּאוּand washedוַיְכַבְּסוּtheir clothes,בִּגְדֵיהֶםand Aaronוַ אַהֲרֹןwavedיָּנֶףthemאֹתָםas a wave offeringתְּנוּפָהbeforeלִפְנֵיYHWH,יְהוָהand Aaronוַ אַהֲרֹןmade expiationיְכַפֵּרfor themעֲלֵיהֶםto cleanse them.לְטַהֲרָם
Numbers 8:21
Study it in the app“And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron waved them as a wave offering before YHWH, and Aaron made expiation for them to cleanse them.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Numbers 8:21, word by word
- And the Levitesלְוִיִּםleviyim
Levite
Levite: of the tribe of Levi.
Where else “leviyim” appears- purified themselves from sinיִּתְחַטְּאוּyitchatu
purify
To cleanse from sin or uncleanness.
Where else “yitchatu” appears- and washedיְכַבְּסוּyechabsu
wash
To wash clothes; or wash from sin.
Where else “yechabsu” appears- their clothesבִּגְדֵיbigde
garment
A garment with which someone covers the body, or a blanket for warmth.
Where else “bigde” appears- and Aaronאַהֲרֹןaharon
Aaron
Aaron, the older brother of Moses, his spokesman before Pharaoh and the first high priest of Israel.
Where else “aharon” appears- wavedיָּנֶףyanef
wave
To swing an offering before YHWH to present it.
Where else “yanef” appears- as a wave offeringתְּנוּפָהtenufa
wave offering
An offering waved before YHWH when presented.
Where else “tenufa” appears- beforeפְנֵיfene
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fene” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- made expiationיְכַפֵּרyechaper
atone
To cover guilt so there is forgiveness.
Where else “yechaper” appears- to cleanse themטַהֲרָtahara
declare clean
To wash someone of impurity, or pronounce them free of it.
Where else “tahara” appears
The context
20And Moses and Aaron and the whole community of the sons of Israel did to the Levites according to all that YHWH had commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so the sons of Israel did to them.
21 · This verse (above)
22And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; as YHWH had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.