Levi

Levi

Meaning: "Attached" - Leah believed that having given birth to another son, Jacob would become attached to her (Genesis 29:34).

Symbol: Breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:4)

Stone/Color: Stone color not represented on the breastplate; Often associated with the tabernacle colors - gold, purple, blue and red.

Family: Third son of Jacob, born to Leah (Genesis 29:34)

Size: First Census: 22,000. Second Census: 23,000. Not counted with the other tribes in the first census. They were counted separately, because they were caretakers of the tabernacle and not fighting men.

Location: Joshua gave them 48 towns throughout the Promised Land in which to live and serve as ministers of the law among the tribes.

Jacob's Blessing: Along with his brother Simeon, Levi attacked the people of the city of Shechem to avenge the assault of his sister Dinah (Genesis 24:24-31). Jacob rebuked Levi and Simeon saying, “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel. (Genesis 49:5-7)

Moses' Blessing: "Bless his substance, Lord, and accept the work of his hands" (Deuteronomy 3:11)

Notable: The priests were chosen from the tribe of Levi. Levites who were not chosen to be priests still participated in caretaking of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:5-10). Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest wore the breastplate with the precious stones and entered the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle. He sprinkled a sacrificed animal's blood on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant to atone for the people's sins (Leviticus 16). The Levites sided with the Southern Kingdom of Judah and migrated to Jerusalem after the Northern Kingdom engaged in idol worship and rejected the Levites as priests (2 Chronicles 11:13-17). When the Jews returned to the land after exile, Ezra had to send a special delegation to persuade some of the Levites to return (Ezra 8:15-36). Moses, Aron (the first high priest), Miriam, Ezra, Ezekiel, Jon the Baptist, and Barnabas were from the tribe of Levi.

Categories: Bible, Twelve Tribes of Israel