The Meaning of Numbers 8:8 Explained

Numbers 8:8

KJV: Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

YLT: and have taken a bullock, a son of the herd, and its present, flour mixed with oil, -- and a second bullock a son of the herd thou dost take for a sin-offering,

Darby: And they shall take a young bullock and its oblation of fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

ASV: Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then let them take  a young  bullock  with his meat offering,  [even] fine flour  mingled  with oil,  and another  young  bullock  shalt thou take  for a sin offering. 

What does Numbers 8:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 8:1-13 - Lights In God's House Clean Workmen
It is strange to come on this paragraph about the candlestick amid the preparations for leaving Sinai. But typically it is appropriate, because the people of God are called, in their earthly pilgrimage, to shine as lights in the world.
The beaten work of gold is significant of persecution, and the one lump of gold indicates the essential unity of the Church. The Levites were symbolically cleansed by the water and the razor. This was required for those who were sprung from a stock so cruel, Genesis 49:7.
Next they were offered to God, i.e., Israel transferred to them the obligations of ministry, which up to this time had been performed by the firstborn. As the priest was wont to wave a portion of the sacrifice before God, so Aaron, Numbers 8:11. The counterpart of this is Acts 13:3. Missionaries, teachers and others who perform certain functions for us all, may be regarded as wave-offerings. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 8

1  How the lamps are to be lighted
5  The consecration of the Levites
23  The age and time of their service

What do the individual words in Numbers 8:8 mean?

And let them take a bull a son young and with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil and bull a second son of a bull you shall take as a sin offering
וְלָֽקְחוּ֙ פַּ֣ר בֶּן־ בָּקָ֔ר וּמִנְחָת֔וֹ סֹ֖לֶת בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשָּׁ֑מֶן וּפַר־ שֵׁנִ֥י בֶן־ בָּקָ֖ר תִּקַּ֥ח לְחַטָּֽאת

וְלָֽקְחוּ֙  And  let  them  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
פַּ֣ר  a  bull 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּר  
Sense: .
בֶּן־  a  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בָּקָ֔ר  young 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וּמִנְחָת֔וֹ  and  with  its  grain  offering 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
סֹ֖לֶת  of  fine  flour 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סׄלֶת  
Sense: fine flour.
בְּלוּלָ֣ה  mixed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: בָּלַל 
Sense: to mix, mingle, confuse, confound.
בַשָּׁ֑מֶן  with  oil 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
וּפַר־  and  bull 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּר  
Sense: .
שֵׁנִ֥י  a  second 
Parse: Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בָּקָ֖ר  of  a  bull 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
תִּקַּ֥ח  you  shall  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְחַטָּֽאת  as  a  sin  offering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.