Levi לֵוִי
Son of Jacob; progenitor of the Levites
Biography
Levi was the third son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and Leah (Gen.29.34). Along with his brother Simeon, he took revenge on the Shechemites for the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen.34.25-31). Jacob rebuked them for this act on his deathbed (Gen.49.5-7). Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (Gen.46.11; Exo.6.16). His descendants, the Levites, were set apart as the priestly tribe (Exo.32.26-29; Num.3.5-13). They were responsible for the tabernacle and its services (Num.1.47-54; 3.14-39; 4.1-49; 8.5-26). The Levites were given cities throughout Israel, but no territorial inheritance (Num.35.1-8; Jos.21.1-42). Notable Levites include Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. The Levites are frequently mentioned in the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament, as well as in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. In the New Testament, Levites are mentioned in connection with the temple and its services (Luk.10.32; Jhn.1.19; Act.4.36). The Levitical priesthood is contrasted with the superior priesthood of Christ (Heb.7.1-28).
Family
Parents
Siblings
- Reuben Tribe of ReubenSon of IsraelFirstborn son of Jacob and LeahView full profile →
- Simeon Tribe of SimeonSon of IsraelSon of Jacob and Leah, one of the twelve tribes.View full profile →
- Judah Tribe of JudahSon of IsraelIsraelite tribe, kingdom, and provinceView full profile →
- Dan Tribe of DanSon of IsraelFifth son of Jacob, founder of Israelite tribeView full profile →
- Naphtali Tribe of NaphtaliSon of IsraelSon of Jacob, founder of the tribe of Naphtali.View full profile →
- Gad Tribe of GadSon of IsraelIsraelite tribe; descended from Gad, son of Jacob.View full profile →
- Asher Tribe of AsherSon of IsraelSon of Jacob and Zilpah, founder of the tribe of AsherView full profile →
- Issachar Tribe of IssacharSon of IsraelSon of Jacob and Leah, forefather of tribeView full profile →
- Zebulun Tribe of ZebulunSon of IsraelIsraelite tribe, son of Jacob and LeahView full profile →
- Dinah Early PatriarchJacob's daughterDaughter of Jacob and LeahView full profile →
- Joseph Early PatriarchJacob's sonSon of Jacob, ruler in EgyptView full profile →
- Benjamin Tribe of BenjaminSon of IsraelYoungest son of Jacob and RachelView full profile →
Offspring
- Gershon Tribe of LeviSon of LeviFirstborn son of Levi; head of the Gershonite Levites.View full profile →
- Kohath Tribe of LeviLevi's sonSon of Levi; Levite clan ancestorView full profile →
- Merari Tribe of LeviSon of LeviThe third son of Levi and founder of the Merarites.View full profile →
- Jochebed Tribe of LeviSister of GershonMother of Moses, Aaron, and MiriamView full profile →
In Scripture
24 biblical books ; 15 with study contentGenesis 5 verses
- Genesis 29:34
"She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 34:25
"On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 34:30
"Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.”"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 35:23
"The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 46:11
"The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari."
Study Genesis →
Exodus 5 verses
- Exodus 1:2
"Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,"
Study Exodus → - Exodus 2:1
"A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife."
Study Exodus → - Exodus 6:16
"These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years."
Study Exodus → - Exodus 32:26
"then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him."
Study Exodus → - Exodus 32:28
"The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men fell of the people that day."
Study Exodus →
Numbers 5 verses
- Numbers 1:49
"“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel;"
- Numbers 3:15
"“Count the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward.”"
- Numbers 3:17
"These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari."
- Numbers 4:2
"“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,"
- Numbers 16:7
"put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”"
Deuteronomy 5 verses
- Deuteronomy 10:8
"At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 18:1
"The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 21:5
"The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 27:12
"“These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin."
Study Deuteronomy → - Deuteronomy 33:8
"About Levi he said, “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah."
Study Deuteronomy →
Joshua 3 verses
- Joshua 13:14
"Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 13:33
"But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them."
Study Joshua → - Joshua 21:10
"and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot."
Study Joshua →
1 Chronicles 5 verses
- 1 Chronicles 2:1
"These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,"
- 1 Chronicles 6:1
"The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari."
- 1 Chronicles 6:16
"The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari."
- 1 Chronicles 6:38
"the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel."
- 1 Chronicles 6:43
"the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | לֵוִי | H3878 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | לֵוִי | H3878 |
| Aramaic | Hebrew | לֵוָי | H3879 |
| Named | Hebrew | לֵוִי | H3881 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | לֵוִי | H3881 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | לֵוִי | H3881 |
| Greek | Greek | Λευΐ | G3017J |
| Group | Greek | Λευΐτης | G3019 |
| Group | Greek | Λευϊτικός | G3020 |
Levi (2)
pressing assurance that with the birth of this third son, her husband might be drawn closer to her in the bonds of conjugal affection. There is a play upon the name in Nu 18:2,4, where direction is given that the tribe of Levi be "joined unto" Aaron in the ministries of the sanctuary. The etymology here suggested is simple and reasonable. The grounds on which some modern scholars reject it are purely conjectural. It is asserted, e.g., that the name is adjectival, not nominal, describing one who attaches himself; and this is used to support theory that the Levites were those who joined the Semitic people when they left Egypt to return to Palestine, who therefore were probably Egyptians. Others think it may be a gentilic form le'ah, "wild cow" (Wellhausen, Prolegomena, 146; Stade, Stade, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, 152); and this is held to be the more probable, as pointing to early totem worship!
Levi shared with Simeon the infamy incurred at Shechem by the treacherous slaughter of the Shechemites (Ge 34). Jacob's displeasure was expressed at the time (Ge 34:3), and the memory was still bitter to him in his last days (Ge 49:5 f). The fate predicted for the descendants of Simeon and Levi (Ge 49:7), in the case of the latter on account of the tribe's stedfast loyalty in a period of stern testing, was changed to a blessing (Ex 32:26). In later literature the action condemned by Jacob is mentioned with approval (Judith 9:2 ff). Levi was involved in his brothers' guilt with regard to Joseph (Ge 37), and shared their experiences in Egypt before Joseph made himself known (Ge 42; 43; 44; 45). Three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were born to him in Canaan, and went down with the caravan to Egypt (Ge 46:11). Nothing further is known of the personal history of this patriarch. He died and found sepulture in Egypt. For the tribal history and possessions, see PRIESTS AND LEVITES.
W. Ewing
le-vi'-a-than (liwyathan (Job 41:1-34), from [~lawah, "to fold"; compare Arabic name of the wry neck, Iynx torquilla, abu-luwa, from kindred lawa, "to bend"):
(1)