LEVITAS

Descendants of Levi son of Jacob. Levi’s three sons, Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, were each the head of a clan (Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16; Num. 3:17; 1 Chron. 6:16-48). Moses and Aaron, Levites, belonged to the house of Amram, of the family of Kohath (Ex. 6:16, 18, 20, 26).

(a) Call of the Levites.

The men of the tribe of Levi had to take care of the sanctuary, but Aaron and his sons were separated for the priestly function, of a hereditary nature. The care and transportation of the precious tabernacle and the preparation of everything necessary for the sacred service could not be entrusted to a single individual, nor even to a single family.

There were many people who had to participate in this honorable task. At the exit from Egypt, when the firstborn of Egypt were killed in the tenth plague, the Hebrews had to put the blood on the lintel of the doors and on the doorposts in each house, in order to protect the firstborn of the Israelites.

With this, they became the property of Jehovah and were thus consecrated to him (Ex. 13:11-16); However, instead of being at the service of the sanctuary, the firstborn of all the tribes were replaced by the Levites.

The reason for this change is that they were the only ones of Israel who gave themselves decisively to the service of Jehovah, showing their zeal for Him, at the time when the apostate people had given themselves over to the worship of the golden calf (Ex. 31 :26-29; Num. 3:9, 11-13, 40, 41, 45 ff.; 8:16-18).

There were 22,273 firstborn males, not counting the firstborn of the Levites, when the Sinai census was taken (Num. 3:43, 46). The Levites numbered 22,000 (Num. 3:39). Adding the figures given in verses 22, 28, 34, we obtain 22,300.

The question has been raised whether there has been an error in the transcription or whether these are 300 Levite firstborns who, due to the causes of incapacity prescribed in the law, could not replace those of the other tribes.

The 22,000 Levites thus served as substitutes; As for the 273 firstborn who were not covered by the number of the substitute Levites, they were ransomed for a price of five shekels of silver per head (vv. 46-51).

(b) Duties of the Levites.

These were the transportation of the tabernacle and its materials when breaking camp; pitch the tent, take care of all the utensils, and assist the priests in their various works (Num. 1:50-53; 3:6-9, 25-37; 4:1-33; 1 Sam. 6: 15; 2 Samuel 15:24). The descendants of Aaron, being both Levites and priests, frequently bear the name Levites (Deut. 33:8-10; Josh. 14:3; 21:1, 4; Mal. 3:3). As high dignitaries and sons of Levi, they could, if they deemed it necessary, perform whatever Levitical services they wanted.

(c) Age limit.

The Levites began their duties at 30 years of age (Num. 4:3; 1 Chron. 23:3-5), at 25 years of age (Num. 8:24), and later at 20 years of age (1 Chron. 23: 24, 27). No. 4 contains the definition of the service of the Levites at thirty years old, as “ministering in the service and having charge of work in the tabernacle of the congregation…, each one according to his office and according to his position” (vv. 47, 49).

The entire chapter specifies the tasks. It is plausible that at 30 years of age the Levites were considered fit for all kinds of complete service with respect to the sanctuary, and for the solemn transportation of the tabernacle and its furniture.

At a later date, they entered into honorary roles, which required wisdom and discretion (Num. 4:1-33; 1 Chron. 23:4-5). But at 25 years of age the Levites could already begin an ordinary service, which involved various ordinary duties; It is never said that the most honorable duties were carried out by Levites under 25 years of age (Num. 8:24-26; 1 Chron. 23:25-32).

David lowered the age of access to the most humble Levitical functions and set them at 20 years, the age at which the other Israelites were eligible for military service (1 Chron. 23:24, 27).

In fact, since the ark was in Jerusalem (vv. 25, 26) and the service of the sanctuary was established, it was good that the young men began early and usefully in the fulfillment of their Levitical duties.

Since then, Levites legally accessed their positions at the age of 20 (2 Chr. 31:17; Ezra 3:8). They began as assistants to the priests and the leaders of the Levites (1 Chr. 23:28-31; cf. 2 Chr. 29:34; 35:11); but it is probable that they were not considered admissible to the highest offices (guardians of the gates, members of the sacred orchestra, administrators, judges) before the age of 30 (1 Chron. 23:3-5).

At the age of 50 they left regular duties, but were free to assist their successors in the sanctuary service (Num. 8:25, 26).

(d) Clothing and residence of the Levites, and their division into classes.

No official clothing had been commanded for them, but on great festivals they wore fine linen clothing (1 Chron. 15:27; 2 Chron. 5:12). In the first century AD, the Levites assigned to the sacred choir obtained from King Agrippa, with the ratification of the Sanhedrin, the right to wear linen vestments regularly, like the priests (Ant. 20:9, 6).

The Levites were not obliged to give all their time to the sanctuary or to dwell continually in its vicinity. When the country of Canaan was divided, the Levites did not receive a portion of the territory like the other tribes. Entirely consecrated to the service of the sanctuary, they had God Himself as their inheritance (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9).

They were given four cities per tribe along with their villages: 13 for the priests descended from Aaron in the territories of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin (Josh. 21:4), and 35 cities for the northern and eastern tribes (Josh. 21:5-7; Num. 35:1-8). For their subsistence, the Levites received the tithes due to Jehovah (Lev. 27:30-33; cf. Num. 18:21-24), the first fruits of the crops (Ex. 23:19; Lev. 2:14; 23:17, etc.), the firstborn of the flocks (Ex. 13:12 ff.; Lev. 27:26; Num. 18:15 ff.), as well as certain portions of the sacrifices (Num. 18:26 H.H.).

Most of the year they lived in their respective cities, and went up to Jerusalem on certain dates to carry out their duties. David divided the Levites into four classes:

(A) Those who assisted the priests in the service of the sanctuary.
(B) The judges and the scribes.
(C) The door guards.
(D) The musicians.

Each of these classes, except perhaps the second, was subdivided into 24 sections (families) that took turns in service (1 Chr. 24-26; cf. 15:16-24; 2 Chr. 19:8- 11; 30:16-17; Ezra 6:18; Neh. 13:5). When the national schism took place after the death of Solomon, numerous Levites and priests living in the territory of Benjamin left the northern kingdom for Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chron. 11:13-15).