Levites

The image depicts Levites teaching the law to the people, as illustrated in the 1873 book, The Story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Levites (Hebrew: לֵוִיִּי) were a direct descendant of Levi, the third son of Jacob. They are also referred to as the tribe of Levi or the Levite people. They were classified into three families—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, named after the three sons of Levi.

The Levites served in the temple on behalf of the other tribes of Israel and were responsible for making atonement for the sins of the people. Among the tribe of Levi, the descendants of Kohath—the lineage of Aaron—became priests. The remaining Levites, excluding Aaron’s direct descendants, were assigned to various duties in the temple. The term Levite can refer to all descendants of Levi, but more commonly, it is used in a narrower sense to refer only to those who served in the temple under the supervision of the priests.

Role of Levites

The role of the Levites evolved over time, but their primary responsibility was to assist the priests in offering sacrifices at God’s temple. Men from the tribe of Levi—excluding the descendants of Aaron—were appointed as temple servants beginning at the age of 25 or 30 (or as early as 20 during the kingdom era), and they served until the age of 50.

Before the construction of the temple, the Levites were tasked with setting up and dismantling the Tabernacle and carrying the ark of the covenant. After the temple was established, they helped ensure that the sacrificial rituals were carried out smoothly. They prepared the bread and grain offerings for the altar, cleaned and maintained the sacred utensils used in worship, and arranged burnt offerings in accordance with the regulations of the feasts.

In addition, they were stationed as gatekeepers around the temple to prevent unauthorized entry and organized professional choirs to offer praise to God. Beyond their temple duties, the Levites also fulfilled administrative roles in daily community life and contributed to the education and legal judgment of the people.

Category	Position	Specific Mission	Verse
Worship- Related Duties	Assisting the Priest	· Purifying all the sacred objects · Kneading the consecrated bread and fine flour grain offerings · Managing all the scales and measuring instruments · Slaughtering the animals and offering burnt sacrifices according to the prescribed regulations	Nu 3:5–9; 1 Ch 23:28–32
	Setting Up and Dismantling the Tabernacle	· Wrapping the furnishings and utensils of the sanctuary with cloth, carrying the dismantled Tabernacle, and marching with it · Setting up the Tabernacle during periods of encampment	Nu 10:17 Nu 10:21
	Praise	· Singing spiritual songs with harps, lyres, and cymbals	1 Ch 25
	Ark of the Covenant	· Carrying the ark of the covenant and serving God	1 Ch 16:4
Duties Outside of Worship	Gatekeeping	· Guarding the gates around the temple and the royal palace. · Guarding the storehouses of the temple	1 Ch 26 2 Ch 23:4–7
	Law Education	· Reading and teaching the Law before all Israel · Purifying themselves and sanctifying the people	Dt 31:10–11; 2 Ch 35:3, 6; Ne 8:7–8
	Tax Collection	· Collecting taxes for the repair and maintenance of the temple	2 Ch 24:4–13
	Supervision	· Overseeing the construction and repairs of the temple	1 Ch 28:21; 2 Ch 34:12–13
	Judgment	· Administering the law of the LORD and settling disputes among the residents of Jerusalem	Dt 17:8–11; 2 Ch 19:8

Inheritance of the Levites

The Levites were set apart for God in place of the firstborn sons of Israel. On the night of the Passover, just before the Israelites left Egypt, God spared all the firstborn of Israel. To commemorate this event, all firstborn—both human and animal—were consecrated as belonging to God. The Levites were then chosen to take the place of the firstborn of Israel and, as such, became God’s possession. Because the Levites were to take God Himself as their inheritance, they were excluded from the division of the land of Canaan, which was allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel according to their population. Instead of receiving land, the Levites were supported through the offerings presented by the Israelites to God. These offerings became the Levites’ portion and inheritance.

Residence of the Levites

Although they did not receive a tribal territory, the Levites were given designated cities within the territories of the other tribes. A total of 48 cities were allocated to them, including six cities of refuge—Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead, Golan in Bashan, Hebron, Shechem, and Kedesh in Galilee. In these cities, the Levites taught the people the Law of God.

Location of the Cities of Refuge Allocated to the Tribe of Levi

• Cities Allocated to the Tribe of Levi

Tribe	Number of Cities	Cities
Reuben	4	Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath
Simeon	1	Ain
Judah	8	Hebron (Kiriath Arba), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Juttah, Beth Shemesh
Dan	4	Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon, Gath Rimmon
Naphtali	3	Kedesh in Galilee, Hammoth Dor, and Kartan
Gad	4	Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, Jazer
Asher	4	Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, Rehob
Issachar	4	Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, En Gannim
Zebulun	4	Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, Nahalal
Ephraim	4	Shechem, Gezer, Kibzaim, Beth Horon
Manasseh	4	Golan in Bashan, Taanach, Gath Rimmon (Rimmon), Be Eshtarah
Benjamin	4	Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, Almon

Tithe

The Levites received the tithes offered by the people of each tribe as their compensation for serving in the sanctuary. These tithes were presented to God and then allotted to the Levites in place of a territorial inheritance. From the tithes they received, the Levites were also instructed to set aside the best portion and offer a tithe of it back to God, thus acknowledging that their inheritance, too, belonged to God.

History of the Levites

Moses’ Period

When the Israelites worshiped the golden calf in the wilderness, the Levites did not join in the idolatry. Instead, they stood on God’s side and carried out judgment against those who had sinned. In response to their faithfulness, God blessed the tribe of Levi. He granted the priesthood to the descendants of Aaron and assigned the remaining Levites the role of assisting the priests and serving in the Tabernacle.

However, a significant incident occurred when Korah, a Levite, led a rebellion, expressing dissatisfaction that only Aaron’s descendants were permitted to serve as priests. To resolve this, God performed a miraculous sign: Aaron’s staff, among the twelve tribal leaders’ staffs, alone budded and blossomed with almond flowers—clearly proving that Aaron was the one chosen by God. Through this event, God definitively distinguished the roles and means of support between the priests and the other Levites.

On the first day of the eleventh month in the 40th year after the Israelites left Egypt, Moses delivered his final sermon on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River. After writing down all the words of the Law in a book, he entrusted it to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant, instructing them to place it beside the ark as a witness.

The United Monarchy Period

With the construction of the temple in Jerusalem by David and Solomon, the duties of the Levites—previously focused on serving the portable Tabernacle—were restructured and newly organized. At that time, there were 38,000 male Levites aged 30 and older. Among them, 24,000 assisted the priests with sacrificial duties in the temple; 6,000 served as officials and judges, teaching the Law and making decisions on religious matters; 4,000 were appointed as gatekeepers; and another 4,000 served as members of the temple choir, offering praise to God. The Levites who served in the temple were divided into 24 divisions to rotate their duties. Their responsibilities included assisting the priests with sacrifices, purifying and maintaining sacred objects, preparing the consecrated bread and grain offerings, and managing the scales and measuring instruments used in the sanctuary. In addition to these tasks, they were charged with guarding the temple and continually offering praise to God.

The Divided Kingdom Period

After the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was divided into the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern Kingdom of Israel. Over time, both kingdoms became negligent in their worship of God and fell into idolatry. However, some kings of Judah, grieved by the nation’s spiritual decline and suffering, sought to restore God’s statutes and laws—and were blessed for their efforts. Among them, two notable reformers were Hezekiah and Josiah.

King Hezekiah reestablished the duties of the priests and Levites, assigning them to their proper roles in serving God. He also ensured that the people offered tithes and various agricultural offerings, providing generously for the Levites and priests. This allowed them to dedicate themselves fully to observing and teaching God’s Law.

Later, during the reign of King Josiah, the Levites played key roles in his temple renovation and religious reforms. Josiah instructed them to oversee and hire skilled workers for the restoration project. The Levites also served as scribes, overseers, and gatekeepers during this time. It was during this process that the Book of the Law was discovered. Upon understanding God’s will through the Book, Josiah celebrated the Passover with great reverence and grandeur, receiving God’s blessing for restoring proper worship.

Age of the Return From the Captivity

After the southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon, the people were taken into captivity for 70 years. Eventually, they were freed when King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree allowing them to return to Jerusalem. In response to Cyrus’s command to rebuild the temple of the LORD, the work began under the leadership of Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Jeshua. As the builders laid the foundation of the temple, the priests and Levites played trumpets and cymbals, and the people lifted up a great shout of praise to God.

Later, during the second wave of return, Ezra gathered those who were willing to return to Jerusalem and carried with him the offerings and sacred articles to be used in the temple. However, before departing, Ezra realized that no Levites were among the group. He therefore made a special effort to recruit Levites to join the journey. As a result, a group of about 2,000 people, including priests, Levites, descendants of King David, and other Israelites, returned to their homeland.

Nehemiah, a Jew serving as a high official in the Persian Empire, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins. He petitioned King Artaxerxes and was appointed governor of Judah, leading the third wave of returnees to Jerusalem. Nehemiah encouraged the people and directed them in the rebuilding of the city walls. Despite strong opposition from enemies, the work was completed because the people put their full trust in God. After the walls were restored, Nehemiah appointed gatekeepers, singers, and Levites, and the people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. During this time, the Levites not only assisted with sacrificial duties, but also led songs of praise, ensured the fair distribution of offerings, and instructed the people in the Law of God.

See also

• Priest
• Order of Priest
• Jew
• Sacrifices in the Old Testament