Numbers 8:11

8:11 and Aaron is to offer ¹  the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work ²  of the Lord.

Numbers 8:13

8:13 You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron ³  and his sons, and then offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.

Numbers 3:12

3:12 “Look, ⁴  I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of ⁵  every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,

¹ tn The Hebrew text actually has “wave the Levites as a wave offering.” The wave offering was part of the ritual of the peace offering and indicated the priest’s portion being presented to God in a lifted, waving motion for all to see. The Levites were going to be in the sanctuary to serve the Lord and assist the priests. It is unclear how Moses would have presented them as wave offerings, but the intent is that they would be living sacrifices, as Paul would later say in Rom 12:1 for all Christians.

² tn The construction emphasizes the spiritual service of the Levites, using the infinitive construct of עָבַד (’avad) followed by its cognate accusative.

³ tc The Greek text adds the Lord here: “before the Lord, before Aaron.”

⁴ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here carries its deictic force, calling attention to the fact that is being declared. It is underscoring the fact that the Lord himself chose Levi.

⁵ tn Literally “in the place of.”