Mínshùjì 8

1 Yēhéhuá xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

2 Nǐ gàosu Yàlún shuō , diǎn dēng de shíhou , qī zhǎn dēng dōu yào xiàng dēngtái qiánmian fāguāng .

3 Yàlún biàn zhèyàng xíng . tā diǎn dēngtái shàng de dēng , shǐ dēng xiàng qián fāguāng , shì zhào Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī de .

4 Zhè dēngtái de zuòfǎ shì yòng jīnzi chuí chūlai de , lián zuò daì huā dōu shì chuí chūlai de . Móxī zhìzào dēngtái , shì zhào Yēhéhuá suǒ zhǐshì de yàngshì .

5 Yēhéhuá xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

6 Nǐ cóng Yǐsèliè rén zhōng xuǎn chū Lìwèi rén lái , jiéjìng tāmen .

7 Jiéjìng tāmen dàng zhèyàng xíng , yòng chú zuì shuǐ tán zaì tāmen shēnshang , yòu jiào tāmen yòng tì tóu dāo guā quán shēn , xǐ yīfu , jiéjìng zìjǐ .

8 Ránhòu jiào tā men qǔ yī zhǐ gōngniú dú , bìng tóng xiàn de sù jì , jiù shì diào yóu de xì miàn . nǐ yào Lìng qǔ yī zhǐ gōngniú dú zuò shú zuì jì .

9 Jiàng Lìwèi rén fèng dào huì mù qián , zhāo jù Yǐsèliè quánhuì zhòng .

10 Jiàng Lìwèi rén fèng dào Yēhéhuá miànqián , Yǐsèliè rén yào àn shǒu zaì tāmen tóu shàng .

11 Yàlún yĕ jiàng tāmen fèng dào Yēhéhuá miànqián , wéi Yǐsèliè rén dàng zuò yáo jì , shǐ tāmen hǎo bàn Yēhéhuá de shì .

12 Lìwèi rén yào àn shǒu zaì nà liǎng zhǐ niú de tóu shàng . nǐ yào jiàng yī zhǐ zuò shú zuì jì , yī zhǐ zuò Fánjì , xiàn gĕi Yēhéhuá , wéi Lìwèi rén shú zuì .

13 Nǐ yĕ yào shǐ Lìwèi rén zhàn zaì Yàlún hé tā érzi miànqián , jiàng tāmen dàng zuò yáo jì fèng gĕi Yēhéhuá .

14 Zhèyàng , nǐ cóng Yǐsèliè rén zhōng jiàng Lìwèi rén fēnbié chūlai , Lìwèi rén biàn yào guī wǒ .

15 Cǐ hòu Lìwèi rén yào jìn qù bàn huì mù de shì , nǐ yào jiéjìng tāmen , jiàng tāmen dàng zuò yáo jì fèng shàng .

16 Yīnwei tāmen shì cóng Yǐsèliè rén zhōng quán rán gĕi wǒde , wǒ jiǎnxuǎn tāmen guī wǒ , shì daìtì Yǐsèliè rén zhōng yīqiè tóushēng de .

17 Yǐsèliè rén zhōng yīqiè tóushēng de , lián rén daì shēngchù , dōu shì wǒde . wǒ zaì Āijí dì jī shā yīqiè tóushēng de nà tiān , jiàng tāmen fēnbié wéi shèng guī wǒ .

18 Wǒ jiǎnxuǎn Lìwèi rén daìtì Yǐsèliè rén zhōng yīqiè tóushēng de .

19 Wǒ cóng Yǐsèliè rén zhōng jiàng Lìwèi rén dàng zuò shǎngcì gĕi Yàlún hé tāde érzi , zaì huì mù zhōng bàn Yǐsèliè rén de shì , yòu wéi Yǐsèliè rén shú zuì , miǎndé tāmen āijìn shèng suǒ , yǒu zāiyāng líndào tāmen zhōngjiān .

20 Móxī , Yàlún , bìng Yǐsèliè quánhuì zhòng biàn xiàng Lìwèi rén rúcǐ xíng . fán Yēhéhuá zhǐ zhe Lìwèi rén suǒ fēnfu Móxī de , Yǐsèliè rén jiù xiàng tāmen zhèyàng xíng .

21 Yúshì Lìwèi rén jiéjìng zìjǐ , chúle zuì , xǐ le yīfu . Yàlún jiàng tāmen dàng zuò yáo jì fèng dào Yēhéhuá miànqián , yòu wéi tāmen shú zuì , jiéjìng tāmen .

22 Ránhòu Lìwèi rén jìn qù , zaì Yàlún hé tā érzi miànqián , zaì huì mù zhōng bàn shì . Yēhéhuá zhǐ zhe Lìwèi rén zĕnyàng fēnfu Móxī , Yǐsèliè rén jiù zĕnyàng xiàng tāmen xíng le .

23 Yēhéhuá xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

24 Lìwèi rén shì zhèyàng , cóng èr shí wǔ suì yǐwaì , tāmen yào qián lái rén zhí , bàn huì mù de shì .

25 Dào le wǔ shí suì yào tíng gōng tuì rèn , bú zaì bàn shì ,

26 Zhǐyào zaì huì mù lǐ , hé tāmende dìxiōng yītóng cìhou , jǐn shǒu suǒ fēnfu de , bú zaì bàn shì le . zhìyú suǒ fēnfu Lìwèi rén de , nǐ yào zhèyàng xiàng tāmen xíng .

Mínshùjì 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The lamps of the sanctuary. (1-4) Consecration of the Levites, and their service. (5-26)

Verses 1-4 Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, ( 2 Peter. 1:19 ) the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps. The work of ministers is to light these lamps, by expounding and applying the word of God. Jesus Christ is the only Light of our dark, sinful world; and by his atonement, by his word and the Holy Spirit, he diffuses light around.

Verses 5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites must be cleansed. They must be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Moses must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them. This signifies the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, that we may be fit to serve the living God. God declares his acceptance of them. All who expect to share in the privileges of the tabernacle, must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's creatures are his necessary servants, he needs not the service of any of them; so none are merely honorary servants, to do nothing. All whom God owns, he employs; angels themselves have their services.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 8

In this chapter orders are given for the lighting the seven lamps of the candlestick, Nu 8:1-4; and for the consecration of the Levites to their office, by a purification of them, Nu 8:5-8; by a separation of them from the children of Israel, and the imposition of their hands on them, and of the hands of the Levites on the offerings offered for them, Nu 8:9-15; and being thus given to the Lord, and claimed as his, instead of the firstborn of Israel, they are given to Aaron and his sons to do service in the tabernacle, Nu 8:16-22; and their age at which they were to enter into service and cease from it is fixed, Nu 8:23-26.