H3879 H3879
Levites (Aramaic plural), descendants of Levi serving in temple worship
This Aramaic plural form designates the Levites, the tribe descended from Levi who were set apart for service in Israel's sanctuary. The term appears in Ezra's Aramaic documents describing the temple restoration and worship under Persian authorization. These passages consistently pair 'the priests and the Levites,' maintaining the distinction between the two groups of sacred ministers—the Aaronic priests who offered sacrifices, and the broader Levitical clan who assisted in temple service, music, and teaching.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Aramaic term appears four times in Ezra's official Persian correspondence. The Jews, priests, and Levites celebrated Passover together after completing the temple (Ezra 6:16). The priests and Levites were organized by divisions for God's service in Jerusalem (Ezra 6:18). King Artaxerxes' decree allowed any priests and Levites who wished to return to Jerusalem to do so (Ezra 7:13). The royal decree exempted priests and Levites from taxation (Ezra 7:24). The Ketiv-Qere variants show textual uncertainty about the precise Aramaic plural form. Spanish y-levitas, French et-Lévites, and German preserve the standard transliteration with conjunction markers. 4×
AR["وَ-اللَّاوِيُّون", "وَ-لَاوِيُّوهُ"]·ben["আর-লেবীয়দের", "আর-লেবীয়েরা"]·DE["[ולויא]"]·EN["and-Levites", "and-the-Levites"]·FR["et-Lévites"]·heb["ו-לויא"]·HI["और-लेवियों", "और-लेवियों-को"]·ID["dan-orang-orang-Lewi"]·IT["e-Leviti"]·jav["lan-para-Lewi"]·KO["그리고-그-레위인들"]·PT["e-levitas", "e-os-levitas"]·RU["и-левитов", "и-левиты"]·ES["y-a-los-levitas", "y-levitas", "y-los-levitas"]·SW["na-Walawi"]·TR["ve-Levililer", "ve-Levilileri", "ve-Levililerin"]·urd["اور-لاویوں", "اور-لاویوں-نے", "اور-لاویوں-کو"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [לֵוָי] n. gent. Levite (BH לֵוִי);—pl. emph. לויא Kt, לְוָאֵי Qr (K§§ 61, 6); 52. d), Ezr 6:16, 18; 7:13, 24 (all + priests).