levite
- Noun:
- A member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi: Specifically, a Levite is a descendant of the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In ancient Israel, this tribe was set apart for religious duties and did not receive a territorial inheritance like the other tribes.
- A temple assistant: More specifically, the term often refers to those members of the tribe who were not direct descendants of Aaron (who became the priests). These Levites assisted the priests in the care, maintenance, and service of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem.
- Noun:
- According to the biblical account, the Levite was responsible for transporting the sacred Ark of the Covenant.
- In the parable of the Good Samaritan, a priest and a Levite both passed by the injured man on the road.
- The duties of a Levite included singing, gatekeeping, and preparing sacrifices.
"The Levitical cities": Refers to the 48 cities, along with their pasturelands, allotted to the tribe of Levi throughout the territories of the other Israelite tribes, as described in the Hebrew Bible.
- The Levites were dispersed among the Levitical cities to teach the law to the people.
Capitalization: The word is often capitalized ("Levite") when referring specifically to the historical/religious group, similar to terms like "Israelite" or "Priest."
- The Priest and the Levite in the story represent the religious establishment.
Levitical (adjective): Pertaining to the Levites or to the Biblical Book of Leviticus.
- The Levitical code contains many laws regarding ritual purity.
Levi (proper noun): The patriarch from whom the tribe descended; the son of Jacob and Leah.
- Leviticus (proper noun): The third book of the Bible, containing laws given to the priests and Levites.
- Temple minister: A formal term for one who serves in a temple.
- Sacred attendant: Emphasizes the role of assisting in religious rites.
- (In specific context) Non-priestly descendant of Levi: A more precise description distinguishing them from the Aaronic priests.
(Note: "Levite" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs. The related phrases are fixed historical/religious terms.) - To serve as a Levite: To perform the duties associated with the Levitical office. - His family lineage meant he was destined to serve as a Levite.
(Note: There are no common modern idioms using the word "Levite." Its usage is almost entirely historical or religious. The term appears in fixed literary or biblical references.) - "A priest and a Levite": Often used together to represent religious officials or those expected to show compassion, based on the parable from the Gospel of Luke. - He felt abandoned by everyone, like the man passed by by the priest and the Levite.
- a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi (especially the branch that provided male assistants to the temple priests)