Deuteronomy 18:6
New International Version
If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,

New Living Translation
“Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the LORD chooses for worship.

English Standard Version
“And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the LORD will choose,

Berean Standard Bible
Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,

King James Bible
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

New King James Version
“So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses,

New American Standard Bible
“Now if a Levite comes from any of your towns throughout Israel where he resides, and he comes whenever he desires to the place which the LORD chooses,

NASB 1995
“Now if a Levite comes from any of your towns throughout Israel where he resides, and comes whenever he desires to the place which the LORD chooses,

NASB 1977
“Now if a Levite comes from any of your towns throughout Israel where he resides, and comes whenever he desires to the place which the LORD chooses,

Legacy Standard Bible
“Now if a Levite comes from any of your gates of the towns throughout Israel where he sojourns and comes whenever he desires to the place which Yahweh chooses,

Amplified Bible
“Now if a Levite comes from any of your cities throughout Israel where he resides, and comes whenever he wishes to [the sanctuary] the place which the LORD chooses;

Christian Standard Bible
When a Levite leaves one of your towns in Israel where he was staying and wants to go to the place the LORD chooses,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When a Levite leaves one of your towns where he lives in Israel and wants to go to the place the LORD chooses,

American Standard Version
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah shall choose;

Contemporary English Version
Any Levite can leave his hometown, and go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped,

English Revised Version
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A Levite from any of your cities in Israel may come from where he has been living to the place the LORD will choose. He may come as often as he wants

Good News Translation
"Any Levite who wants to may come from any town in Israel to the one place of worship

International Standard Version
"Any descendant of Levi who wishes to do so may come from any city or part of Israel where he resides to the place that the LORD will choose.

Majority Standard Bible
Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,

NET Bible
Suppose a Levite comes by his own free will from one of your villages, from any part of Israel where he is living, to the place the LORD chooses

New Heart English Bible
If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives as a foreigner, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which the LORD shall choose;

Webster's Bible Translation
And if a Levite shall come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD shall choose;

World English Bible
If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Yahweh shall choose,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when the Levite comes from one of your cities, out of all Israel where he has sojourned, and has come with all the desire of his soul to the place which YHWH chooses,

Young's Literal Translation
'And when the Levite cometh from one of thy cities out of all Israel, where he hath sojourned, and hath come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah doth choose,

Smith's Literal Translation
And when the Levite shall come from one of thy gates from all Israel where he sojourned there, and he came with all the desire of his soul to the place which Jehovah shall choose:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If a Levite go out of any one of the cities throughout all Israel, in which he dwelleth, and have a longing mind to come to the place which the Lord shall choose,

Catholic Public Domain Version
If a Levite departs from one of the cities, throughout all of Israel, in which he lives, and if he wills and desires to go to the place which the Lord will choose,

New American Bible
When a Levite goes from one of your communities anywhere in Israel in which he has been residing, to visit, as his heart may desire, the place which the LORD will choose,

New Revised Standard Version
If a Levite leaves any of your towns, from wherever he has been residing in Israel, and comes to the place that the LORD will choose (and he may come whenever he wishes),
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And if a Levite come from any of the towns of your brethren out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his soul to the place which the LORD shall choose;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if a Levite will come, one of your brethren of all Israel from where he dwells, he will come with all the desire of his soul to the place that LORD JEHOVAH has chosen;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if a Levite come from one of the cities of all the children of Israel, where he himself dwells, accordingly as his mind desires, to the place which he shall have chosen,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Provision for Priests and Levites
5For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time. 6Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose, 7then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the LORD.…

Cross References
Numbers 18:20-24
Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites. / Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting. / No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting, or they will incur guilt and die. ...

Joshua 13:14
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.

1 Samuel 2:36
And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”

2 Chronicles 31:4-5
Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. / As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously provided the firstfruits of the grain, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance—a tithe of everything.

Nehemiah 12:44-47
And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving. / They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed. / For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. ...

Ezekiel 44:28-30
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. / They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. / The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes.

Leviticus 7:7-8
The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law applies to both. It belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it. / As for the priest who presents a burnt offering for anyone, the hide of that offering belongs to him.

1 Corinthians 9:13-14
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? / In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Hebrews 7:5
Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.

Matthew 10:10
Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.

Luke 10:7
Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

Numbers 18:8-9
Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute. / A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.

2 Kings 23:9
Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.


Treasury of Scripture

And if a Levite come from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD shall choose;

come

Numbers 35:2,3
Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them…

and come with

Psalm 26:8
LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Psalm 27:4
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

Psalm 63:1,2
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; …

unto the place

Jump to Previous
Anywhere Choose Chooses Cities Desire Desires Israel Levite Marked Mind Moved Moves Resides Sojourned Sojourneth Soul Strong Throughout Towns Whenever
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Anywhere Choose Chooses Cities Desire Desires Israel Levite Marked Mind Moved Moves Resides Sojourned Sojourneth Soul Strong Throughout Towns Whenever
Deuteronomy 18
1. The LORD is the priests and Levites' inheritance
3. The priests' due
6. The Levites' portion
9. The abominations of the nations are to be avoided
15. Christ the Prophet is to be heard
20. The presumptuous prophet is to die














Now if a Levite comes
The Levites were a distinct tribe set apart for religious duties in Israel. The Hebrew root for "Levite" is לֵוִי (Levi), which means "joined" or "attached." This reflects their role in being joined to God’s service, distinct from the other tribes who were given land. Historically, the Levites were scattered among the tribes to teach the law and maintain the spiritual health of the nation. This phrase indicates the mobility and freedom of the Levites to serve where needed, emphasizing their dedication to God over territorial inheritance.

from any of your gates
The term "gates" in ancient Israelite culture refers to the city gates, which were central to community life, serving as places of gathering, judgment, and commerce. The Hebrew word for "gates" is שַׁעַר (sha'ar). This phrase suggests that Levites could come from any city or town within Israel, highlighting the widespread presence and influence of the Levites throughout the nation. It underscores the accessibility of spiritual guidance and the importance of maintaining a godly presence in every community.

from where he lives among all the Israelites
This phrase indicates that Levites lived among the people, not isolated in a single location. The Hebrew word for "lives" is גּוּר (gur), meaning to sojourn or dwell. This reflects the Levites' role as spiritual sojourners, living among the people to provide religious instruction and support. Their presence among all Israelites symbolizes the integration of faith into daily life and the importance of having spiritual leaders accessible to all.

and comes whenever he desires
The freedom for a Levite to come "whenever he desires" underscores the voluntary nature of their service and dedication. The Hebrew word for "desires" is נָדַב (nadab), meaning to be willing or to volunteer. This highlights the Levites' commitment to serve God out of love and devotion rather than obligation. It reflects the principle that true service to God is motivated by a willing heart, a theme echoed throughout Scripture.

to the place the LORD will choose
This phrase refers to the central place of worship that God would designate, which eventually became Jerusalem and the Temple. The Hebrew word for "choose" is בָּחַר (bachar), meaning to select or elect. This emphasizes God's sovereignty in determining the place of worship and the importance of worshiping according to His direction. It also foreshadows the centralization of worship in Jerusalem, pointing to the unity and focus of Israel's worship on the one true God. This choice by God signifies His desire for order and reverence in worship, a principle that remains vital in Christian worship today.

(6-8) And if a Levite come.--The Levites with the priests were to receive forty-eight cities in Israel, with the suburbs (Numbers 35:7). There was as yet no provision made by which all could serve in turn at the tabernacle. When David divided them all into courses, priests, Levites, singers (and porters?) alike, there was no longer any need for this provision. The institutions of David prove its antiquity. The only case in history that illustrates it is that of the child Samuel. His father, Elkanah, was a descendant of Korah. He dwelt in Mount Ephraim, and came up to Shiloh year by year. But Samuel was dedicated by his mother to perpetual service there, and as long as the tabernacle continued in Shiloh, the child Samuel "ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest"--not as a priest, but as a Levite in attendance upon the priests.

Verses 6-8. - Only a portion of the Levites were engaged in the service of the sanctuary; the rest lived in their towns throughout the country. It might happen, however, that a Levite, moved by pious feeling, would come to the place of the sanctuary to worship there; and it is prescribed that such a one should fare as his brethren the Levites engaged in the service of the sanctuary fared; he should minister along with them, and share with them in the gifts of the worshippers; and this in addition to any private means he might have from the sale of his patrimony. Where he sojourned. The Levite, though not homeless, was regarded as only a sojourner in the land, inasmuch as the tribe had no inheritance (נַחֲלָח) there. They shall have like portions to eat; literally, they shall eat portion as portion, i.e. share and share alike. That which cometh of the sale of his patrimony; literally, his price upon [the house] of [his] fathers, i.e. the produce of the sale effected on the house he inherited from his ancestry (cf. Leviticus 25:33).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now if
וְכִֽי־ (wə·ḵî-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a Levite
הַלֵּוִ֜י (hal·lê·wî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

moves
יָבֹ֨א (yā·ḇō)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from any
מֵאַחַ֤ד (mê·’a·ḥaḏ)
Preposition-m | Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 259: United, one, first

town
שְׁעָרֶ֙יךָ֙ (šə·‘ā·re·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

of residence
גָּ֣ר (gār)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

throughout
שָׁ֑ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

and comes
וּבָא֙ (ū·ḇā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

in all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

earnestness
אַוַּ֣ת (’aw·waṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 185: Longing

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the place
הַמָּק֖וֹם (ham·mā·qō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

the LORD
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

will choose,
יִבְחַ֥ר (yiḇ·ḥar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 18:6 If a Levite comes from any (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 18:5
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