# Levites Service from Age 25-50 vs. 30-50



## Ed Walsh (Sep 14, 2018)

Note: I have learned that there will be little interest in the obscure questions I sometimes ask but here goes anyway. I hope someone will be able to help me out.
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*Numbers 4:1-4*; verse 3 states, "from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting."
verse 4 "This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things."

But...

*Numbers 8:23–25* (ESV)
23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting.
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more.

Here's a footnote from G. J. Wenham's commentary, chapter 8 footnote 75

From 25 years old and upward (24). This regulation conflicts with the provision in chapter 4 that the Levites between the ages of 30 and 50 (see verses 3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47) are to be in the labour force. The LXX already tried to harmonize these figures by reducing the age limit to 25 in chapter 4. Jewish commentators suggest that Levites served an apprenticeship for the first five years. Critical commentators argue that 8:23–26 is from a different, probably later, source than chapter 4, a step towards the 20 years of 1 Chronicles 23:24; 2 Chronicles 31:17; Ezra 3:8.​
Any ideas on how or if we can harmonize this apparent contradiction?

Thanks,

Ed


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## Poimen (Sep 14, 2018)

Summarising Matthew Henry: Chapter 4 deals with their attendance upon the holy things of the Lord (vs. 4); chapter 8 deals with their induction into the service. Thus the five year difference indicates that there was a probationary or a kind of discipleship period.

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## TylerRay (Sep 14, 2018)

Ed Walsh said:


> Note: I have learned that there will be little interest in the obscure questions I sometimes ask but here goes anyway. I hope someone will be able to help me out.
> =============​
> *Numbers 4:1-4*; verse 3 states, "from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting."
> verse 4 "This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things."
> ...


Gill has an interesting note:


> [A]t thirty years of age a Levite entered into the service of bearing and carrying burdens; and at twenty five years of age he entered into the service of the tent or tabernacle, where he was employed in lighter service, such as opening and shutting the doors of the sanctuary, keeping out strangers and unclean persons, and singing the songs of the sanctuary; but was not concerned till thirty years of age in carrying the vessels of the sanctuary on the shoulders, as the Kohathites; or in taking down and setting up the tabernacle, loading and unloading the wagons, as the Gershonites and Merarites; which is the business assigned unto them, and spoken of in Numbers 4:22, where the age of thirty years, and upward, is mentioned, as the time of their entrance on it, Numbers 4:23.

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