Under this name may be comprised all the descendants of Levi;
but it principally denotes those who were employed in the lowest
ministries of the temple, by which they were distinguished from the
priests, who, being descended from Aaron, were likewise of the race of
Levi by Kohath, but were employed in higher offices. The Levites were
descendants of Levi, by Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, excepting the
family of Aaron; for the children of Moses had no part in the
priesthood, and were only common Levites. God chose the Levites instead
of the first-born of all Israel, for the service of his tabernacle and
temple, Num. iii, 6, &c. They obeyed the priests in the ministrations of
the temple, and brought to them wood, water, and other things necessary
for the sacrifices. They sung and played on instruments, in the temple,
&c; they studied the law, and were the ordinary judges of the country,
but subordinate to the priests. God provided for the subsistence of the
Levites, by giving them the tithe of corn, fruit, and cattle; but they
paid to the priests the tenth of their tithes; and as the Levites
possessed no estates in the land, the tithes which the priests received
from them were looked on as the first-fruits which they were to offer to
the Lord, Num. xviii, 21–24. God assigned them for their habitations
forty-eight cities, with fields, pastures, and gardens, Num. xxxv. Of
these thirteen were given to the priests, six of which were cities of
refuge, Joshua xx, 7; xxi, 19, 20, &c. While the Levites were actually
employed in the temple, they were subsisted out of the provisions in
store there, and out of the daily offerings there made; and if any
Levite quitted the place of his abode, to serve the temple, even out of
the time of his half-yearly or weekly waiting, he was received there,
kept and provided for, in like manner as his other brethren, who were
regularly in waiting, Deut. xviii, 6–8. The consecration of Levites was
without much ceremony. They wore no particular habit to distinguish them
from the other Israelites, and God ordained nothing particularly for
their mourning, 2 Chron. xxix, 34. The manner of their consecration may
be seen in Num. viii, 5–7, &c.
Josephus says, that in the reign of Agrippa, king of the Jews, about A.
D. 62, six years before the destruction of the temple by the Romans, the
Levites desired permission from that prince to wear the linen tunic like
the priests; and this was granted. This innovation was displeasing to
the priests; and the Jewish historian remarks, that the ancient customs
of the country were never forsaken with impunity. He adds, that Agrippa
permitted likewise the families of the Levites, whose duty it was to
guard the doors, and perform other troublesome offices, to learn to sing
and play on instruments, that they might be qualified for the temple
service as musicians. The Levites were divided into different classes:
Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronites or priests, Num. iii,
&c. The Gershonites, whose number was seven thousand five hundred, were
employed in the marches through the wilderness in carrying the veils and
curtains of the tabernacle; the Kohathites, whose number was eight
thousand six hundred, in carrying the ark and sacred vessels of the
tabernacle; the Merarites, whose number was six thousand two hundred, in
carrying the several pieces of the tabernacle which could not be placed
upon the chariots; and the Aaronites were the priests who served the
sanctuary. When the Hebrews encamped in the wilderness, the Levites were
placed around the tabernacle; Moses and Aaron at the east, Gershon at
the west, Kohath at the south, and Merari at the north. Moses ordained
that the Levites should not begin in the service of the tabernacle till
they were five-and-twenty years of age, Num. viii, 24–26; or, as he says
elsewhere, from thirty to fifty years old, Num. iv, 3. But David,
finding that they were no longer employed in these grosser offices of
transporting the vessels of the tabernacle, appointed them to enter on
service at the temple at twenty years of age. The priests and Levites
waited by turns, weekly, in the temple. They began their weeks on one
Sabbath day, and on the Sabbath day in the following week went out of
waiting, 1 Chronicles xxiii, 24; 2 Chron. xxi, 17; Ezra iii, 8. When an
Israelite made a religious entertainment in the temple, God required
that the Levites should be invited to it, Deut. xii, 18, 19.
but it principally denotes those who were employed in the lowest
ministries of the temple, by which they were distinguished from the
priests, who, being descended from Aaron, were likewise of the race of
Levi by Kohath, but were employed in higher offices. The Levites were
descendants of Levi, by Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, excepting the
family of Aaron; for the children of Moses had no part in the
priesthood, and were only common Levites. God chose the Levites instead
of the first-born of all Israel, for the service of his tabernacle and
temple, Num. iii, 6, &c. They obeyed the priests in the ministrations of
the temple, and brought to them wood, water, and other things necessary
for the sacrifices. They sung and played on instruments, in the temple,
&c; they studied the law, and were the ordinary judges of the country,
but subordinate to the priests. God provided for the subsistence of the
Levites, by giving them the tithe of corn, fruit, and cattle; but they
paid to the priests the tenth of their tithes; and as the Levites
possessed no estates in the land, the tithes which the priests received
from them were looked on as the first-fruits which they were to offer to
the Lord, Num. xviii, 21–24. God assigned them for their habitations
forty-eight cities, with fields, pastures, and gardens, Num. xxxv. Of
these thirteen were given to the priests, six of which were cities of
refuge, Joshua xx, 7; xxi, 19, 20, &c. While the Levites were actually
employed in the temple, they were subsisted out of the provisions in
store there, and out of the daily offerings there made; and if any
Levite quitted the place of his abode, to serve the temple, even out of
the time of his half-yearly or weekly waiting, he was received there,
kept and provided for, in like manner as his other brethren, who were
regularly in waiting, Deut. xviii, 6–8. The consecration of Levites was
without much ceremony. They wore no particular habit to distinguish them
from the other Israelites, and God ordained nothing particularly for
their mourning, 2 Chron. xxix, 34. The manner of their consecration may
be seen in Num. viii, 5–7, &c.
Josephus says, that in the reign of Agrippa, king of the Jews, about A.
D. 62, six years before the destruction of the temple by the Romans, the
Levites desired permission from that prince to wear the linen tunic like
the priests; and this was granted. This innovation was displeasing to
the priests; and the Jewish historian remarks, that the ancient customs
of the country were never forsaken with impunity. He adds, that Agrippa
permitted likewise the families of the Levites, whose duty it was to
guard the doors, and perform other troublesome offices, to learn to sing
and play on instruments, that they might be qualified for the temple
service as musicians. The Levites were divided into different classes:
Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronites or priests, Num. iii,
&c. The Gershonites, whose number was seven thousand five hundred, were
employed in the marches through the wilderness in carrying the veils and
curtains of the tabernacle; the Kohathites, whose number was eight
thousand six hundred, in carrying the ark and sacred vessels of the
tabernacle; the Merarites, whose number was six thousand two hundred, in
carrying the several pieces of the tabernacle which could not be placed
upon the chariots; and the Aaronites were the priests who served the
sanctuary. When the Hebrews encamped in the wilderness, the Levites were
placed around the tabernacle; Moses and Aaron at the east, Gershon at
the west, Kohath at the south, and Merari at the north. Moses ordained
that the Levites should not begin in the service of the tabernacle till
they were five-and-twenty years of age, Num. viii, 24–26; or, as he says
elsewhere, from thirty to fifty years old, Num. iv, 3. But David,
finding that they were no longer employed in these grosser offices of
transporting the vessels of the tabernacle, appointed them to enter on
service at the temple at twenty years of age. The priests and Levites
waited by turns, weekly, in the temple. They began their weeks on one
Sabbath day, and on the Sabbath day in the following week went out of
waiting, 1 Chronicles xxiii, 24; 2 Chron. xxi, 17; Ezra iii, 8. When an
Israelite made a religious entertainment in the temple, God required
that the Levites should be invited to it, Deut. xii, 18, 19.