Numbers 8:16
New International Version
They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.

New Living Translation
“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.

English Standard Version
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

Berean Standard Bible
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

King James Bible
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

New King James Version
For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
for they are exclusively given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of the firstborn of every womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

NASB 1995
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

NASB 1977
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the first-born of all the sons of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Amplified Bible
for they are wholly given to Me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for Myself instead of all who are born first, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

Christian Standard Bible
For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For they have been exclusively assigned to Me from the Israelites. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.

American Standard Version
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because they are a gift given to me from within the children of Israel, in the place of every firstborn one opening the womb of all of the children of Israel; I have brought them to me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For these are given to me for a present out of the midst of the children of Israel: I have taken them to myself instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel that open every womb.

Contemporary English Version
They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have taken them instead of the firstborn that open every womb in Israel,

English Revised Version
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They will be the only Israelites given to me. I have taken them to be mine as substitutes for every firstborn male offspring of the Israelites.

Good News Translation
I have claimed them in the place of all the first-born sons of the Israelites, and they belong to me alone.

International Standard Version
since they've been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I've taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb—every firstborn of the Israelis,

JPS Tanakh 1917
For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto Me.

Literal Standard Version
For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who opens any womb—the firstborn of all; I have taken them for Myself from the sons of Israel;

Majority Standard Bible
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

New American Bible
For they, among the Israelites, are totally dedicated to me; I have taken them for myself in place of everyone that opens the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

NET Bible
For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.

New Revised Standard Version
For they are unreservedly given to me from among the Israelites; I have taken them for myself, in place of all that open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites.

New Heart English Bible
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

World English Bible
For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

Young's Literal Translation
'For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cleansing the Levites
15After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting. 16For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. 17For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.…

Cross References
Exodus 13:2
"Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast."

Numbers 3:9
Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.

Numbers 3:12
"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

Numbers 3:45
"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me.

wholly given.

Numbers 3:12,45
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; …

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Breaketh Children First Firstborn First-Born Instead Israel Israelite Israelites Issue Male Mother's Open Openeth Wholly Womb
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Numbers 8
1. How the lamps are to be lighted
5. The consecration of the Levites
23. The age and time of their service














(16) Instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel.--It is difficult to determine whether the second clause is to be regarded as an exact equivalent, or as a limitation of the first. If an exact equivalent, a different meaning must be assigned to the firstborn from that which it commonly bears in the Pentateuch, where it appears to be restricted to the firstborn son on the father's side. (Cf. Exodus 13:2.)

Verse 16. - For they are wholly given unto me. See Numbers 3:5-13, the substance of which is emphatically repeated here.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

[the Levites]
הֵ֙מָּה֙ (hêm·māh)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

have been wholly given
נְתֻנִ֨ים (nə·ṯu·nîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to Me
לִ֔י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

from among
מִתּ֖וֹךְ (mit·tō·wḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the sons
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

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

I have taken
לָקַ֥חְתִּי (lā·qaḥ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3947: To take

them for Myself
אֹתָ֖ם (’ō·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

in place of
תַּחַת֩ (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

who come first
פִּטְרַ֨ת (piṭ·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6363: That which separates or first opens

from the womb,
רֶ֜חֶם (re·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7358: The womb

the firstborn
בְּכ֥וֹר (bə·ḵō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

of all
כֹּל֙ (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the sons
מִבְּנֵ֣י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

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


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OT Law: Numbers 8:16 For they are wholly given to me (Nu Num.)
Numbers 8:15
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