Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

8:23-26 The Retirement of the Levites. At age 50 Levites were to retire from the duty of the service (i.e., the work involved in transporting the tabernacle) because carrying the tabernacle was too hard for older men. But they were allowed to continue to act as guards (vv. 25-26). In 4:23 it is said that Levites start their labor of carrying the tabernacle when they are 30 years old, but here they start at age 25 (8:24). The reason for the difference is unclear: maybe from the ages of 25 to 30 they were viewed as apprentices.