Lexical Definition

‎לֵוִי‎ Lêvîy (lay-vee') Levi ^N:N-M-P
from ‎לָוָה‎; attached

Levi. See also ‎לֵוִי‎, ‎לֵוִיִּי‎.

• § Levi = "joined to"
• Levi, a son of Jacob

1) the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites

See Greek: Λευΐ · Λευΐς

Extended Information

• A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34
• son of: Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל) and Leah (לֵאָה)
• brother of: Reuben (רְאוּבֵן), Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן), Judah (יְהוּדָה), Issachar (יִשָּׂשכָר), Zebulun (זְבוּלוּן) and Dinah (דִּינָה)
• half-brother of: Dan (דָּן), Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי), Gad (גָּד), Asher (אָשֵׁר), Joseph (יוֹסֵף) and Benjamin (בִּנְיָמִין)
• father of: Gershon (גֵּרְשׁוֹן), Kohath (קְהָת), Merari (מְרָרִי) and Jochebed (יוֹכֶבֶד)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: לֵוִי
I. ‎לֵוִי‎ proper name, masculine Levi (√ and meaning dubious; Gen 29:34 (J) interpreted as joined, i. e. husband to wife; Num 18:2; Num 18:4 (P; apparently in word-play) of Levites as joined to, attendant upon, Aaron; originally as attached to, accompanying Israel from Egypt, Lag^{Or. ii. 20 f.}; as attached to, attending upon the ark, Bau^{Priest. 74}; in this case I.‎לֵוִי‎ would be derived from II. ‎לֵוִי‎ in priestly sense; Hom^{A. u. A. 1890, 30 f.} proposes Minaean ‎לוא‎, lau'ân, priest, compare Id^{Süd-Arab. Chrest. 127}; against all such views see Kau^{SK 1890, 771 f.} We^{Prol. ed. 5, 141; Hist. Israel 145} Sta^{ZAW i (1881), 112 ff.} Gray^{Prop. Names, p. 96}, compare Nö^{ZMG xi (1886). 167}, make ‎לֵוִי‎ name, of a people from ‎לֵאָה‎ (q. v.); compare a further suggestion We^{Skizzen iii. 114}) — ᵐ5 Λευ(ε)ι(ν); —

1. a. Levi, son of Jacob and Leah, as individual, Gen 29:34; Gen 34:25; Gen 34:30; Gen 35:23; Gen 49:5 (all J); Gen 35:23; Gen 46:11; Exod 1:2; Exod 6:16; Exod 16:16; Num 3:17; Num 16:1 (all P); 1Chr 21; 1Chr 5:22; 1Chr 6:1*; 1Chr 6:4*; 1Chr 6:23*; 1Chr 6:28*; 1Chr 6:32*; 1Chr 23:6; so ‎׳‎‎בַּתלֿ‎ [‎אֶתֿ‎] Exod 2:1 (E), Num 26:59 (P).
b. as head of a family of descendants, in phrase ‎בֵּית לֵוִי‎ Exod 2:1 (E), and (with reference to tribe; late) Num 17:23*, ‎׳‎‎מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית ל‎ Zech 12:13.
c. often ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי(ֿ) ל‎ Exod 32:26; Exod 32:28 (E), Josh 21:10 (P), ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי(ֿ) ל‎ with tribal reference Num 3:15; Num 4:2; Num 18:21 (charged with service of tabernacle, and hence to receive tithes; all P); as priests ‎הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי‎ Deut 21:5; Deut 31:9, compare Mal 3:3, and ‎׳‎‎לֹא הָיוּ מִבְּנֵי ל‎ 1Kgs 12:31 from the ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי ל‎ the Zadokites are selected as priests Ezek 40:46 according to 1Chr 9:18; 1Chr 23:24; 1Chr 23:27 ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי ל‎ are subordinate officials in temple (compare v1Chr 23:28f.), compare 1Chr 24:20 sharply distinguished from priests Ezra 8:15; Neh 12:23 (compare vNeh 12:22); so also in later stratum of story of Korah's revolt Num 16:7; Num 16:8; Num 16:10 (P²).

2. as name of tribe, ‎׳‎‎שֵׁבֶט ל‎ Deut 18:1 (priestly tribe), ‎׳‎‎מַטֵּה ל‎ Num 1:49 (in charge of tabernacle), Num 3:6; Num 18:2 (ministers unto Aaron); ‎לֵוִי‎ alone = (tribe of) Levi Deut 27:12; Deut 33:8 (earlier poem), Num 26:58 (P), Ezek 48:31; Mal 2:4 (priestly tribe, compare vMal 2:1), 1Chr 21:6; 1Chr 27:17 ‎׳‎‎מַטֵּה ל‎ =rod of (the tribe of) Levi Num 17:18* (P); also (no inheritance, because charged with service of tabernacle) Deut 10:9.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Son of Israel • Son of Jacob; progenitor of the Levites

Jacob's son living at the time of the Patriarchs

Levi, son of Jacob and Leah, was the progenitor of the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel (Gen.29.34; 49.5-7; Exo.6.16-25).

• Jacob's son who founded the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;
• referred to as Levi or Levite לֵוִי, or Levite לֵוִי, or Levi or Levite or Levitical לֵוִיִּי, or Levi Λευΐ, or Levite Λευΐτης, or Levitical Λευϊτικός;
• son of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל and Leah לֵאָה;
• a brother of Reuben רְאוּבֵן, Simeon שִׁמְעוֹן, Judah יְהוּדָה, Issachar יִשָּׂשכָר, Zebulun זְבוּלוּן and Dinah דִּינָה;
• half-brother of: Dan דָּן, Naphtali נַפְתָּלִי, Gad גָּד, Asher אָשֵׁר, Joseph יוֹסֵף and Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין;
• father of Gershon גֵּרְשׁוֹן, Kohath קְהָת, Merari מְרָרִי and Jochebed יוֹכֶבֶד.

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 (Lk.10.32; Jn.1.19; Act.4.36). The Levitical priesthood is contrasted with the superior priesthood of Christ (Heb.7.1-28).

All entries for Levi: לֵוִי ☩ לֵוִי ☩ לֵוִיִּי ☩ Λευΐ ☩ Λευΐτης ☩ Λευϊτικός

Related Profiles:

• Israel (father)
• Leah (mother)
• Reuben (sibling)
• Simeon (sibling)
• Judah (sibling)
• Dan (sibling)
• Naphtali (sibling)
• Gad (sibling)
• Asher (sibling)
• Issachar (sibling)
• Zebulun (sibling)
• Dinah (sibling)
• Joseph (sibling)
• Benjamin (sibling)
• Gershon (child)
• Kohath (child)
• Merari (child)
• Jochebed (child)