Levi
Levi, son of Jacob and Leah, was the progenitor of the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel.
The name Levi means “associated with him”
MaleJacob's sonTribe of LeviPatriarchs eraOld & New Testaments25 books393 verses
Summary
A man who founded the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Genesis 29:34; referred to as Levi or Levite (לֵוִי), Levite (Aramiac לֵוָי), Levi or Levite or Levitical (לֵוִי), Levi (Λευΐ), Levite (Λευΐτης), or Levitical (Λευϊτικός); son of Israel and Leah; a brother of Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah; half-brother of: Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin; father of Gershon, Kohath, Merari and Jochebed.
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393 verses
Includes 64 verses that refer to Levi without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.
- When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
- The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance.
- Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,
- …then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 18:8Referred to, not namedThey shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.
- And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.
- In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
- So you shall rejoice—you, the Levite, and the foreigner dwelling among you—in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.
- When you have finished laying aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat and be filled within your gates.
- Then you shall declare in the presence of the LORD your God, “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all the commandments You have given me. I have not transgressed or forgotten Your commandments.
- Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be silent, O Israel, and listen! This day you have become the people of the LORD your God.
- “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
- Then the Levites shall proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:
- So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
- …he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:
- Deuteronomy 31:26Referred to, not named“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.
- Deuteronomy 31:27Referred to, not namedFor I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!
- Deuteronomy 31:28Referred to, not namedAssemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
- Deuteronomy 31:29Referred to, not namedFor I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger by the work of your hands.”
- Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
- …and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
- All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
- To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The food offerings to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
- To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
- For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites.
- The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.
- The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east.”
- Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel
- So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
- The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
- So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
- …to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:
- The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities: From the tribe of Ephraim
- This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands.
- This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Jokneam, Kartah,
- In all, twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari, the remaining Levite clans.
- For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites.
- And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah.
- “Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”
- “Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in
- …and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah.
- Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.
- Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”
- And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
- So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
- Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
- So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.
- And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold objects, and they placed them on the large rock. That day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD.
- Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had passed out of the city.
- …and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. So the priests and Levites carried them up.
- Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.
- These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
- The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
- The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:
- …the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
- …the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
- …the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
- Their fellow Levites were assigned to every kind of service of the tabernacle, the house of God.
- So the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities and their pasturelands.
- Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
- From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;
- …he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites.
- But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God.
- 1 Chronicles 9:28Referred to, not namedSome of them were in charge of the articles used in worship, to count them whenever they were brought in or taken out.
- 1 Chronicles 9:29Referred to, not namedOthers were put in charge of the furnishings and other articles of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices.
- A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread.
- Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.
- All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.
- From Levi: 4,600,
- And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers in all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands, so that they may join us.
- Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”
- Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
- David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
- And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
- So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.
- And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.
- David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
- So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
- Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.
- And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
- Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.
- 1 Chronicles 16:1Referred to, not namedSo they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
- David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.
- But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.
- Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
- The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.
- 1 Chronicles 23:4Referred to, not named“Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,
- Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
- These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD.
- So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles for its service.”
- For according to the final instructions of David, the Levites twenty years of age or older were counted,
- The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.
- Now these were the rest of the descendants of Levi: From the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.
- And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites, according to their families.
- As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.
- Each day there were six Levites on the east, four on the north, four on the south, and two pairs at the storehouse.
- Now their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated things.
- …over Levi was Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron was Zadok;