Deuteronomy 10:8-11

10:8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi ¹  to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings ²  in his name, as they do to this very day. 10:9 Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance ³  among his brothers; ⁴  the Lord is his inheritance just as the Lord your God told him. 10:10 As for me, I stayed at the mountain as I did the first time, forty days and nights. The Lord listened to me that time as well and decided not to destroy you. 10:11 Then he ⁵  said to me, “Get up, set out leading ⁶  the people so they may go and possess ⁷  the land I promised to give to their ancestors.” ⁸ 

¹ sn The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi. This was not the initial commissioning of the tribe of Levi to this ministry (cf. Num 3:11-13; 8:12-26), but with Aaron’s death it seemed appropriate to Moses to reiterate Levi’s responsibilities. There is no reference in the Book of Numbers to this having been done, but the account of Eleazar’s succession to the priesthood there (Num 20:25-28) would provide a setting for this to have occurred.

² sn To formulate blessings. The most famous example of this is the priestly “blessing formula” of Num 6:24-26.

³ sn Levi has no allotment or inheritance. As the priestly tribe, Levi would have no land allotment except for forty-eight towns set apart for their use (Num 35:1-8; Josh 21:1-42). But theirs was a far greater inheritance, for the Lord himself was their apportionment, that is, service to him would be their full-time and lifelong privilege (Num 18:20-24; Deut 18:2; Josh 13:33).

⁴ tn That is, among the other Israelite tribes.

⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

⁶ tn Heb “before” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “at the head of.”

⁷ tn After the imperative these subordinated jussive forms (with prefixed vav) indicate purpose or result.

⁸ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 15, 22).