King James Version

Numbers 18:23

But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וְעָבַ֨דveavadand keep in bondageעָבַדconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and keep in bondage”, a completed action in a sequenceH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…הַלֵּוִ֜יhalevithe Leviiteלֵוִיִּיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Leviite”, the ordinary formH3881a Levite or descendant of LeviLeviite.ה֗וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עֲבֹדַת֙avodatworkעֲבֹדָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “work”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5656work of any kindact, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought.אֹ֣הֶלoheltentאֹהֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “tent”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH168a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)covering, (dwelling) (place), home, tabernacle, tent.מוֹעֵ֔דmoedappointedמוֹעֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “appointed”, the ordinary formH4150properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally ayear; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand)appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn(-ity), synogogue, (set) time (appointed).וְהֵ֖םvehemand theyהֵםconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.יִשְׂא֣וּyisvlift upנָשָׂאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “lift up”, an unfinished actionH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…עֲוֺנָ֑םaonamfaultעָוֺןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “fault”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5771perversity, i.e. (moral) evilfault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.חֻקַּ֤תchuqatappointedחֻקָּהnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “appointed”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2708{an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)}appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute.עוֹלָם֙olamalwayעוֹלָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םledoroteykhemto ageדּוֹרpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to age”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1755properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwellingage, [idiom] evermore, generation, (n-) ever, posterity.וּבְתוֹךְ֙uvetokheand in amongתָּוֶךְconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).בְּנֵ֣יbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יִנְחֲל֖וּyinchalvinheritנָחַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “inherit”, an unfinished actionH5157to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent), or (generally) to occupy; causatively, to bequeath, or (generally) distribute, instatedivide, have (inheritance), take as a heritage, (cause to, give to, make to) inherit, (distribute for, divide (for, for an, by), give for, have, leave for, take (for)) inheritance, (have in, cause to, be made to) possess(-ion).נַחֲלָֽהnachalahheritageנַחֲלָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “heritage”, the ordinary formH5159properly, something inherited, i.e. (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portionheritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession. Compare H5158 (נַחַל).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

But the Levites alone shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

Young’s Literal Translation

and the Levites have done the service of the tent of meeting, and they — they bear their iniquity; a statute age-during to your generations, that in the midst of the sons of Israel they have no inheritance;

World English Bible

But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance.

Darby Translation

But the Levite, he shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it is an everlasting statute throughout your generations. And among the children of Israel shall they possess no inheritance;

Douay-Rheims

But only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle, and bear the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall not possess any other thing,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Levite himself shall perform the service of the tabernacle of witness; and they shall bear their iniquities, it is a perpetual statute throughout their generations; and in the midst of the children of Israel they shall not receive an inheritance.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ λειτουργήσει ὁ Λενίτης αὐτὸς τὴν λειτουργίαν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου· καὶ αὐτοὶ λήψονται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν, νόμιμον αἰώνιον εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐν μέσῳ υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ οὐ κληρονομήσουσι κληρονομίαν.