1 The sons of Aaron
5 The Levites are given to the priests instead of the first-born
14 Are numbered by their families
21 The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27 Of the Kohathites
33 Of the Merarites
38 The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40 The first-born are freed by the Levites
44 The overplus are redeemed

generations Ge 2:4 5:1 10:1 Ex 6:16,20 Mt 1:1

spake Nu 1:1 Le 25:1 27:34

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Nu 26:60 Ex 6:23 28:1 1Ch 6:3 24:1

3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

the priests Ex 28:41 40:13,15 Le 8:2,12,30

whom he consecrated. Heb. whose hand he filled Ex 29:1-37 Le 8:1 9:1 Heb 7:28

4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

Nadab Nu 26:61 Le 10:1,2

5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

no reference

6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

The word hakraiv, here rendered bring near, is properly a sacrificial word, and signifies the presenting of a sacrifice or offering to the Lord. As an offering, the tribe of Levi was entirely given up to the service of the sanctuary, to be no longer their own, but the Lord's Nu 1:49-53 2:17,33 8:6-15,22-26 16:9-11 18:2-6 Ex 32:26-29 De 33:8,9 Mal 2:4

7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.

keep Nu 3:32 8:26 31:30 1Ch 23:28-32 26:20,22,26

to do the Nu 1:50 8:11,15,24-26

8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

Nu 4:15,28,33 10:17,21 1Ch 26:20-28 Ezr 8:24-30 Isa 52:11

9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

Nu 8:19 18:6,7 Eph 4:8,11

10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

they shall Nu 18:7 1Ch 6:32 Eze 44:8 Ac 6:3,4 Ro 12:7 1Ti 4:15,16

and the stranger Nu 3:38 1:51 16:35,40 18:3 1Sa 6:19 2Sa 6:7 2Ch 26:16-21 Eph 2:19 Heb 3:4 10:19-22

11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

no reference

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

When God miraculously destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians, he spared those of the Israelites; and, in commemoration of that event, he was pleased to appoint that all the first-born males 'should be set apart unto himself.' God is here pleased to relinquish this claim, and to appoint the whole tribe of Levi to attend his immediate service in their stead. Nu 3:41,45 8:16,18 18:6

13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

because Nu 8:16,17 18:15 Ex 13:2,12 22:29 34:19 Le 27:26 Eze 44:30 Lu 2:23 Heb 12:23

on the day Ex 12:29,30 13:15

14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

no reference

15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

Nu 3:22,28,34,39,40,43 18:15,16 26:62 Pr 8:17 Jer 2:2 31:3 Mr 10:14 2Ti 3:15

16 And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

word. Heb. mouth

17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

Nu 26:57,58 Ge 46:11 Ex 6:16-19 Jos 21:1 1Ch 6:1,2,16-19 15:5-23 23:6-23 24:1 25:1 26:1 Nu 11:1 12:1

18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei.

Nu 3:21 Ex 6:17-19 1Ch 6:17,20,21 23:7-11 25:3, 15:7 16:5

19 And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

Nu 3:27 Ex 6:18,20 1Ch 6:18,38 15:5,8-10,17-21 23:12,13,18-20 25:4 26:1 Ne 12:1-26

20 And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

Nu 3:33 Ex 6:19 1Ch 6:19,29,44-47 15:6 23:21-23 24:27-30 25:3

21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.

Nu 3:18

22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

from a month old. The males of all the other tribes were numbered from twenty years old and upwards; but, had the Levites been numbered in this way, they would not have been nearly equal in number to the first-born of the twelve tribes. Add to this, that as there must have been first-born of all ages in the other tribes, it was necessary that the Levites, who were to be their substitutes, should also be of all ages; and it appears to have been partly on this ground, that the Levites were numbered from a month old and upwards. Nu 4:38-40

23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.

Nu 1:53 2:17

24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

no reference

25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

the charge. From this and the next chapter, we see the very severe labour which the Levites were to perform, while the journeyings of the Israelites lasted. When we consider, that there was not less than 14 tons 266 lbs. of metal employed in the tabernacle, besides the immense weight of the skins, hangings, cords, boards, and posts, we shall find it was no easy matter to transport this moveable temple from place to place. The Gershonites, who were 7500 in number had to carry the tent, coverings, vail, hangings of the court, cords, etc.; the Kohathites, who were 8600, the ark, table, candlestick, altars, and instruments of the sanctuary; and the Merarites, who were 6200, the boards, bars, sockets, and all matters connected with these belonging to the tabernacle, with the pillars of the court, their sockets, pins, and cords. Nu 3:7 4:24-28 7:7 10:17 1Ch 9:14-33 23:32 26:21,22 2Ch 31:2,11-18 Ezr 8:28-30 Mr 13:34 Ro 12:6-8 Col 4:17 1Ti 1:18

the tabernacle and Ex 25:9 26:1-14 36:8-19 40:19

and the hanging Ex 26:36,37 36:37,38 40:28

26 And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

the hangings Ex 27:9-16 38:9-16

the cords Ex 35:18

27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.

Nu 3:19 1Ch 23:12 26:23

28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

eight thousand Nu 4:35,36

keeping Nu 3:7,31

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.

Nu 3:23 1:53 2:10

30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

no reference

31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

the ark Nu 4:4-16 Ex 25:10-40 31:1 32:1 33:1 34:1 35:1 37:1-24 39:33-42 40:2-16,30

the altars Ex 37:1-8 30:1-10 37:25-29 38:1-7

and the hanging Ex 26:31-33 36:35,36

32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

Nu 4:16,27 20:25-28 2Ki 25:18 1Ch 9:14-20 26:20-24

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

Nu 3:20 1Ch 6:19 23:21

34 And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

Nu 5:1

35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.

shall Nu 3:28,29 1:53

northward Nu 2:25

36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

under the custody and charge. Heb. the office of the charge. the boards Nu 4:29-33 7:8 Ex 26:15-29,32,37 27:9-19 35:11,18 36:20-34,36 38:17-20 39:33

37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

no reference

38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

toward Nu 3:23,29,35 1:53 2:3

keeping Nu 1:10 18:1-5 1Ch 6:48,49

for the charge Nu 3:7,8,10

39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

and Aaron, The word weaharon, and Aaron, has a point over each of its letters, probably designed as a mark of spuriousness. The word is wanting in the Samaritan, Syriac, and Coptic, and also in eight of Dr. Kennicott's and in four of De Rossi's MSS. Moses alone, as Houbigant observes, was commanded to number the Levites, for as the money with which the first-born were redeemed was to be paid to Aaron and his sons, it was decent that he, whose advantage it was that the number of the first-born should exceed, should not be authorized to take that number himself. Twenty and two thousand, this total does not agree with the particulars; for the Gershonites were 7500, the Kohathites 8600, and the Merarites 6200, which make a total of 22,300. Several methods of solving this difficulty have been proposed by learned men. Houbigant supposes there is an error in the enumeration of the Kohathites in ver. 28; the numeral shesh, 'six,' being written instead of shalosh, 'three', before 'hundred.' Dr. Kennicott's mode of reconciling the discrepancy, however, is the most simple. He supposes that an error has crept into the number of the Gershonites in ver. 22, where instead of 7500 we should read 7200, as caph final, which stands for 500, might have been easily mistaken for resh, 200. (Dr. Kennicott on the Hebrew Text, vol. 11, p.212.) Either of these modes will equally reconcile the difference. Nu 4:47,48 26:62 Mt 7:14

40 And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

Nu 3:12,15,45 Ex 32:26-29 Ps 87:6 Isa 4:3 Lu 10:20 Php 4:3 2Ti 2:19 Heb 12:23 Re 3:5 14:4

41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

Nu 3:12,45 8:16 18:15 Ex 24:5,6 32:26-29 Mt 20:28 1Ti 2:6

42 And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

no reference

43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

Nu 3:39

44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

no reference

45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

Nu 3:12,40,41

46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;

redeemed Nu 18:15 Ex 13:13

the two hundred. As the number of the Levites was 22,000, and the first-born males of the Israelites were 22,273, there were therefore 372 more of the latter than of the former, which are here ordered to be redeemed. The price of redemption is fixed at five shekels, or about 15s. each, in ver 47. This money, amounting to 1365 shekels, equal to F204. 15s. English, was taken of the first-born. There is some difficulty, however, in determining which of the first-born should be redeemed by paying this sum, and which should be exchanged for the Levites; for every Israelite, no doubt, would rather have his first-born redeemed by a Levite, than pay five shekels; and yet some of them must have incurred this expense. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, to prevent contention, Moses took 22,000 slips of parchment, and wrote on each a son of Levi, and 273 more, on which he wrote five shekels; then putting them in an urn, and shaking them together, he ordered every one of the first-born to draw out a slip. If he drew out one with the first inscription, he said to him, a Levite hath redeemed thee; but if he drew out one of the latter, he said, pay the price. This is pronounced by Dr. A. Clarke to be a stupid, silly tale; but when we know that the determination by lot was used among the Israelites, it does not seem improbable that it was now resorted to, though we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the detail. This species of redeeming men is referred to by Peter in his 1st Epistle, 1:18,19.

which are Nu 3:39-43

47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)

five shekels Nu 18:16 Le 27:6

the shekel Nu 3:50 Ex 30:13 Le 27:25 Eze 45:12

48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.

no reference

49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:

no reference

50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

Nu 3:46,47 Mt 20:28 1Ti 2:5,6 Tit 2:14 Heb 9:12 1Pe 1:18 3:18

51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Moses Nu 3:48 16:15 1Sa 12:3,4 Ac 20:33 1Co 9:12 1Pe 5:2

as the Lord Mal 4:4