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Numbers Chapter
Three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 3
In
this chapter an account is given of the genealogy of the priests and Levites,
and of the gift of the Levites to the priests, of the numbering of them, and
the service they were to perform; and first of the priests, the sons of Aaron, Numbers 3:1; and
then of the Levites, as given unto them, to wait upon them, and assist them, Numbers 3:5; and
these were taken instead of the firstborn, Numbers 3:11; and
ordered to be numbered, which was done accordingly by their families, Numbers 3:14; and
the sum of each is given, and the particular work assigned to them; of the
Gershonites, Numbers 3:21; of
the Kohathites, Numbers 3:27; of
the Merarites, Numbers 3:33; the
sum total of them is given, Numbers 3:39; then
the firstborn of the children of Israel, from a month old are ordered to be
numbered, and were, Numbers 3:40; and
these appearing to be more in number than the Levites, by two hundred seventy
three a direction is given that the two hundred seventy three should be
redeemed at the rate of five, shekels apiece, and the money paid to Aaron and
his sons, Numbers 3:44; which
was accordingly done, Numbers 3:49.
Numbers 3:1 Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
YLT
1And these [are] births of
Aaron and Moses, in the day of Jehovah's speaking with Moses in mount Sinai.
These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses,.... The
descendants of them, those of the former, who is named first, because the
eldest, were priests, and those of the latter Levites, and who are not very
plainly pointed at, but are included among the Amramites, Numbers 3:27; the
posterity of Moses being very obscure, only Levites, and these not particularly
named but swallowed up among the Kohathites: find the following account was as
it stood:
in the day that the Lord spoke with Moses in mount Sinai; and not,
altogether as it then, was when he spoke to him in the wilderness, of Sinai,
for then Aaron had four sons, but now two of them were dead as is after
observed; and it seems to be for the sake of this circumstance chiefly that
this clause is so put.
Numbers 3:2 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron:
Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
YLT
2And these [are] the names
of the sons of Aaron: the first-born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar;
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron,.... The
Targum of Jonathan adds, disciples of Moses, the master of the Israelites; none
of the posterity of Moses being expressly, named; Jarchi observes, that the
sons of Aaron are called the generations of Moses, because he taught them the
law; for whoever, he says, teaches his neighbour's son, the law, the Scripture
accounts of him as if he begat him, see 1 Corinthians 4:15,
Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar; as in Exodus 6:23.
Numbers 3:3 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the
anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.
YLT
3these [are] the names of
the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whose hand he hath consecrated for
acting as priest.
These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that
were anointed,.... With the holy, anointing oil, with which they were anointed
when, Aaron was and they only, see Exodus 30:30,
whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office; that is, whom
Moses consecrated, by anointing them, putting the priest's garments on them,
offering sacrifice for them, and filling their hands with sacrifices which is
the phrase here used for consecration: see Exodus 29:15.
Numbers 3:4 4 Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar
and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
YLT
4And Nadab dieth -- Abihu
also -- before Jehovah, in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah, in
the wilderness of Sinai, and sons they had not; and Eleazar -- Ithamar also --
acteth as priest in the presence of Aaron their father.
And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord,...., By
flaming fire, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, see Leviticus 10:2; and
so were not alive at this time when the account of the priests and Levites was
taken:
when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness
of Sinai; after the tabernacle was set up, and the service of it begun,
and quickly after their unction and consecration: of this strange fire; see
Gill on Numbers 10:1,
and they had no children; which is observed,
partly to show the punishment of them, and the reproach upon their names, that
they died childless, and had none to succeed them in the priesthood; for as the
Jewish writersF14Torat Cohanim apud Ceseph Misnah in Maimon.
Melachim, c. 1. sect. 7. Chaskuniin in loc. observe if they had left any behind
them, those would have come into the office before Eleazar and Ithamar; and
partly to show that all the priests in succeeding ages sprung from those next
mentioned:
and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office, in the
sight of Aaron their father; in his presence, under his inspection, and
by his direction, he seeing and observing that they did everything according to
the laws delivered by Moses, relating to, the office of the priesthood; or
while he was yet alive, as Aben Ezra, they were concerned with him, and acted
under him in the priestly office; and so the Septuagint version renders it,
"with Aaron their father"F15Which is approved by Noldius,
p. 731. ; but a Jewish writerF16Chaskuni. interprets it in a
different manner, "in the room of Aaron their father"; as if it
respected not any conjunction with him in the then present exercise of their
office in his lifetime, but their succession in it after his death; but the
former seems most correct.
Numbers 3:5 5 And the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying:
YLT
5And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After he had given
him the order for the numbering the children of Israel, and for the manner of
their encampment and journeying:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 3:6 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before
Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
YLT
6`Bring near the tribe of
Levi, and thou hast caused it to stand before Aaron the priest, and they have
served him,
Bring the tribe of Levi near,.... Separate them from
the rest, set them apart for special service about, the sanctuary, let them
have a place nearer to it than the other tribes, or offer them, that is, to the
Lord, as in Numbers 8:11; as
well as bring them near to Aaron; so it follows:
and present them before Aaron the priest; that he may
receive them as a gift unto him, as servants to wait upon him; and! that he may
appoint and declare unto them their work, and set them about it:
that they may minister unto him; in guarding the
tabernacle taking care of the vessels of it, taking it down, carrying it, from
place to place, and setting it up as there was occasion for it.
Numbers 3:7 7 And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the
whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the
tabernacle.
YLT
7and kept his charge, and
the charge of all the company before the tent of meeting, to do the service of
the tabernacle;
And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole
congregation,.... The charge of Aaron and of all the people of Israel, which
was to secure the sanctuary from being polluted or plundered: this the Levites
were to be employed about, and thereby ease the high priest and the other
priests, and the people, of what otherwise would have been incumbent on them:
before the tabernacle of the congregation; not within
it, neither in the holy place, nor in the most holy place, where they might not
enter, to do any service peculiar thereunto, but at the door of the tabernacle,
and in the court of it, and in the rooms and chambers in it: and do the service
of the tabernacle; not to offer sacrifices on the altar of the burnt offering,
which stood in the court, and much less to burn incense on the altar of
incense, and to him the lamps, and set on the shewbread in the holy place; and
still less to enter into the most holy place, and do there what was to be done
on the day of atonement; but to do all that is before observed, and to bring
the people's offerings to the priest, and to assist in slaying them; and to
keep all profane and polluted persons out of it, the tabernacle, as we find in
later times; they were porters at it, and some of them were singers in it, and
had the care of various things belonging to it: see 1 Chronicles 9:14.
Numbers 3:8 8 Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the
tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the
work of the tabernacle.
YLT
8and they have kept all the
vessels of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons of Israel, to do the
service of the tabernacle;
And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the
congregation,.... Take care of them that none be lost or come to any damage,
especially while it was moving, and carried from place to place; then the
several parts of it, as well as the vessels in it, were committed to their care
and charge, the particulars of which see in Numbers 3:25,
and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the
tabernacle; See Gill on Numbers 3:7.
Numbers 3:9 9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons;
they are given entirely to him[a] from among
the children of Israel.
YLT
9and thou hast given the
Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are surely given to him out of the sons
of Israel.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons,.... To be
their ministers and servants:
they are wholly given unto him out of the children of
Israel: even all of them entirely, none excepted; the whole tribe which
were not in the priestly office; those were separated from the rest of the
tribes of Israel, and appointed for the service of the priests: or they were
"given, given"F17נתונים נתונים "dati, dati", Pagninus, Montanus,
Vatablus, Drusius. ; which is repeated not only to show that they were wholly
given, as we render it, but to denote the certainty of it, that they were
really given; and especially to declare the freeness of the gift; the priests
had them as free gifts, nor did they pay them any thing for, their service;
they were maintained another way, namely, by the tithes of the people; and
indeed the priests received a tithe out of the tithe of the Levites; so far
were they from contributing any thing to their support, or in consideration of
the service they did them.
Numbers 3:10 10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they
shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put
to death.”
YLT
10`And Aaron and his sons
thou dost appoint, and they have kept their priesthood, and the stranger who
cometh near is put to death.'
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons,.... To the
priestly office; this was done before, but is renewed for the confirmation of
it, and repeated to put them in mind of it, that they be careful to execute it,
as follows:
and they shall wait on their priest's office, to do what
was peculiar to it, both in the holy and in the most holy place, at the altar,
and within, the vail, where the Levites had nothing to do; and this is observed
that the priests might take notice, that by the gift of the Levites to them,
they were not excused from doing any part of service which was proper to them
as priests; for they were given them that they might more readily attend their
office, and be wholly employed in it; just as, under the Gospel dispensation,
deacons were appointed to take care of the secular affairs of the church, that
the apostles might give up themselves to the word of God and prayer, Acts 6:2,
and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; that comes
nigh to perform any part of the priest's office peculiar to him as to offer
sacrifice, burn incense, &c. whether he be a common Israelite, or even a
Levite, as Korah was; any that was not a priest was reckoned a stranger, and so
to be put to death for intruding into the office, as the above mentioned person
was: so Aben Ezra interprets it of anyone that came nigh to a priest, to be
with him or join with him in the execution of his office, whether an Israelite
or a Levite, he shall die: the Targum of Jonathan adds, by flaming fire before
the Lord.
Numbers 3:11 11 Then the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying:
YLT
11And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... Continued to speak
unto him, and give him the reason of his appointing the Levites to minister to
the priests and serve the tabernacle:
saying: as follows.
Numbers 3:12 12 “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from
among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb
among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,
YLT
12`And I, lo, I have taken
the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born
opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine;
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of
Israel,.... Separated them from others, and set them apart for the
service of the sanctuary; this was his own act and deed, and which he did of
his own will and pleasure, who is a sovereign Being, and might and would do
whatsoever he pleased, nor should any object unto him, or contradict him: and
this he did:
instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the
children of Israel; he made an exchange of those for the Levites; upon the
destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and saving the firstborn of Israel, he
claimed the latter as his own in a special sense, and now he gave up his right
to them, and instead thereof took the Levites; nor could the people of Israel
reasonably object to this, nor be uneasy at it, but rather be pleased with it;
since hereby they were not only freed from the charge of redeeming their
firstborn, but since they were the Lord's, he might have appointed them to be
servants to the priests; and every Israelite would choose rather, no doubt, to
part with a tribe for this service than to have their firstborn sons employed
in it; and there were none so fit as the tribe of Levi, not only because it was
a small tribe, but because the priests were of this tribe, to whom they were to
minister; and therefore as there was a connection between them, the Levites would
readily serve them: it is a notion that has obtained both among Jews and
Christians, that the firstborn before this time were priests in the family, but
now the Levites were taken in their room; and Jarchi particularly observes,
that when the firstborn sinned in the business of the calf, they were rejected,
and the Levites, who did not commit idolatry, were chosen in their room; but it
does not appear, before the fixing the priesthood in Aaron's family, that the
firstborn in a family were priests, and officiated as such, but rather the
father and head of the family for the whole, or everyone for himself, as in
Adam's family, he and his two sons; and moreover, it was a recent thing, and
only among the Hebrews, that the firstborn were in a peculiar manner the
Lord's, not as priests, only to be redeemed, and now the Levites were redeemed
in their room; it was not to be priests, but the servants of the priestsF18Vid.
Outram. de Sacrificiis, l. 1. c. 4. sect. 1,2,3. :
therefore the Levites shall be mine; whom he gave to the
priests to assist them in their work, which was for him and his glory.
Numbers 3:13 13 because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day
that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself
all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am
the Lord.”
YLT
13for Mine [is] every
first-born, in the day of My smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I
have sanctified to Myself every first-born in Israel, from man unto beast; Mine
they are; I [am] Jehovah.'
Because all the firstborn are mine,.... Not
merely in a general way, as all creatures are his, but in a special manner as
his own, and that for the following reason:
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; that is,
sanctified or set them apart as his own special property, or ordered the people
of Israel so to do, Exodus 13:2; for as
when he destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians, he saved the firstborn of
Israel, he had a special claim upon them as his; and though it was in the night
when he destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, yet it was the night which preceded
that day, and was a part of that day, even the fifteenth of Nisan, when the
instructions were given to sanctify all the firstborn; though, as Aben Ezra
observes, "day" signifies "time", so that it was at or
about the same time that the one and the other were done:
mine they shall be; this was declared when they were ordered to
be sanctified to him, but now they were to be exchanged for the Levites:
I am the Lord; who have sovereign power
to do as he would in claiming the firstborn, and then in exchanging them for
the Levites, and appointing the Levites to minister to the priests, and serve
in the tabernacle.
Numbers 3:14 14 Then the Lord spoke to
Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
YLT
14And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,.... At the
same time he gave the order, and made the declaration before mentioned, and in
the place where now the children of Israel were, and from whence they shortly
removed:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 3:15 15 “Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses,
by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
YLT
15`Number the sons of Levi by
the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a son of a month
and upward thou dost number them.'
Number the children of Levi,.... Who were left out of
the general muster of the children of Israel, but now were to be numbered
alone, and in a different manner, and for, a different purpose, the Lord having
a special regard auto, them, and special service for them:
after the house of their fathers, by their families; into which
the tribe was divided; house seems to be put for "houses", which were
principal ones; and these were divided into families, which branched from them,
and according to these, denominated from their fathers, and not their, mothers,
were they to be numbered; for as the Jewish writers often say, a mother's
family is no family; wherefore, if a Levite woman married into any other tribe,
as she might, her, descendants were not taken into this accounts only such
whose fathers were Levites, see Numbers 1:2,
every male from a month old and upwards shalt thou number them; the reason of
this was, because the firstborn, for whom they were to be exchanged, were at a
month old claimed by the Lord as his, and to be redeemed; and as this numbering
was on, another account than, that of the children of Israel, who were numbered
from twenty years of age and upwards, that they might on occasion be called out
to war, from which the Levites were exempted, and the numbering of them was for
the service of the sanctuary; so from their youth they were to be brought up
and trained for this, that they might be fit for it, and enter upon it at a
proper age.
Numbers 3:16 16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded.
YLT
16And Moses numbereth them
according to the command of Jehovah, as he hath been commanded.
And Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord,.... Took the
account of all of a month old in the several houses and families of the tribe
of Levi; though Moses is only here mentioned, yet it seems from Numbers 3:39; that
Aaron was concerned with him in it; yea, in an after numbering of the Levites
who were fit for business from thirty to fifty years of age, the chief of the
children of Israel were assisting to him and Aaron, Numbers 4:46,
as he commanded; he was obedient to the divine will in all
things, and so in this, though it was his own tribe and his own posterity,
which in all successive ages were to be no other than ministering servants to
the priests, and to have no inheritance in the land of Israel.
Numbers 3:17 17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon,
Kohath, and Merari.
YLT
17And these are sons of Levi
by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
And these were the sons of Levi, by their names,.... The
immediate offspring and descendants of that patriarch:
Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; these went down with him
into Egypt, Genesis 46:11.
Numbers 3:18 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon
by their families: Libni and Shimei.
YLT
18And these [are] the names
of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
And these are the names of the sons of Gershon, by their
families,.... Or to Gershon belonged two families, called after the names
of his sons, who were now numbered, namely:
Libni and Shimei; and who are elsewhere mentioned as his
sons, Exodus 6:17; and
from hence were the families of the Libnites and Shimites, as in Numbers 3:21.
Numbers 3:19 19 And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram,
Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
YLT
19And the sons of Kohath, by
their families, [are] Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
And the sons of Kohath, by their families,.... Who was
the second son of Levi:
Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel; so in Exodus 6:18; and
from whom were named the family of the Amramites, to which Moses and Aaron
belonged; and the families of the Izeharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites, as
they are called, Numbers 3:27.
Numbers 3:20 20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and
Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
YLT
20And the sons of Merari by
their families [are] Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites, by
the house of their fathers.
And the sons, of Merari, by their families,.... The third
son of Levi:
Mahli and Mushi; the same as in Exodus 6:19; from
whom were denominated the families of the Mahlites and Mushites, who, as the
preceding families, were numbered at this time: these
are the families of the
Levites, according to the house of their fathers; in all eight families.
Numbers 3:21 21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites
and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the
Gershonites.
YLT
21Of Gershon [is] the family
of the Libnite, and the family of the Shimite; these are the families of the
Gershonite.
Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family
of the Shimites,.... The first son of Levi:
these are the family of the Gershonites; that were
now, numbered.
Numbers 3:22 22 Those who were numbered, according to the number of
all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there
were seven thousand five hundred.
YLT
22Their numbered ones, in
number, every male from a son of a month and upward, their numbered ones [are]
seven thousand and five hundred.
Those that were numbered of them,.... Of the two families
that sprung from Gershon:
according to the number of all the males, from a month old and
upwards: in the said families:
even those that
were numbered of them, were seven thousand and five hundred; 7,500 men,
which was neither the least nor the largest number of the sons of Levi.
Numbers 3:23 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind
the tabernacle westward.
YLT
23The families of the
Gershonite, behind the tabernacle, do encamp westward.
The families of the Gershonites,.... The two before
mentioned, the Libnites and Shimites:
shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward; this was
their situation when encamped; they were placed in the rear of the camp of the
Levites, between the tabernacle and the camp of Ephraim, which was westward
also, Numbers 1:18.
Numbers 3:24 24 And the leader of the father’s house of the
Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
YLT
24And the prince of a
father's house for the Gershonite [is] Eliasaph son of Lael.
And the chief of the house of the fathers of the Gershonites,.... Who had
the chief authority over them, and the chief direction of them in what they
were to do:
shall be Eliasaph the
son of Lael; but who he was, or of which family of the Gershonites, whether
of the Libnites or Shimites, is not said here or elsewhere; nor do the Jewish
writers, who affect to know every thing, pretend to tell us.
Numbers 3:25 25 The duties of the children of Gershon in the
tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its
covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
YLT
25And the charge of the sons
of Gershon in the tent of meeting [is] the tabernacle, and the tent, its
covering, and the vail at the opening of the tent of meeting,
And the charge of the sons of Gershom,.... The
Libnites and Shimites:
in the tabernacle of the congregation; or with
respect to the things of it, when it was taken down and committed to them; for
otherwise they had no place in it, nor might they enter into it, or do any
service therein:
shall be the tabernacle
and the tent; the former intends not the boards of it, which were the charge
of the Merarites, Numbers 3:36; but
the curtains, as Aben Ezra, or the under curtains, as Jarchi calls them, which
were made of fine twined linen, Exodus 26:1; and
the latter is to be understood of the eleven curtains, as Aben Ezra, the
curtains of goats hair, which were made for the roof of the tabernacle, as
Jarchi observes, see Exodus 26:7,
the covering thereof: made of rams' skins, and
badgers' skins, which were thrown over the tent, Exodus 26:14,
and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; the vail, as
Jarchi calls it; not what divided the holy and most holy places, for that fell
to the charge of the Kohathites, Numbers 3:31; but
the vail or hanging which was at the door of the tent, or which led into the
holy place, Exodus 26:36.
Numbers 3:26 26 the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of
the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their
cords, according to all the work relating to them.
YLT
26and the hangings of the
court, and the vail at the opening of the court, which [is] by the tabernacle
and by the altar round about, and its cords, to all its service.
And the hangings of the court,.... Which formed the
great open court that encompassed the tabernacle, and was an hundred cubits
long and fifty broad; Exodus 27:9,
and the curtain for the door of the court: which was an
hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, Exodus 27:16,
which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about: this refers
to the court, the hangings, and curtains of the door of it, which are spoken
of; and this court surrounded the tabernacle, and the altar which was without
the tabernacle, as Aben Ezra observes, and which was the altar of burnt
offering that stood within this court; for the particle על
sometimes signifies "about"F19Vid. Nold. Partic. Ebr.
Concord. p. 992. , and the word סביב,
"around", being joined with it, requires this sense:
and the cords of it; which seem to be the
cords of the court, which fastened the hangings and curtains to brass pins, or
stakes fixed in the ground to keep them tight, that the wind might not move
them to and fro; but Jarchi says, these were the cords of the tabernacle and
tent, and not of the court; and indeed the tabernacle had its cords as well as
the court, Exodus 38:18; the
cords of the court were in the charge of the Merarites, Numbers 3:37,
for all the service thereof: for that part of the
tabernacle and court which the Gershonites had in their care and custody.
Numbers 3:27 27 From Kohath came the family of the Amramites,
the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of
the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
YLT
27And of Kohath [is] the
family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the
Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are families of the
Kohathite.
And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites,.... So called
from Amram, the first son of Kohath, and father of Aaron and Moses; so that
Moses and Aaron, and their children, are included in this family:
and the family of Izeharites; of which family was
Korah, Numbers 16:1,
and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; which four
families had their names from Kohath's four sons, Numbers 3:19,
these are the families of the Kohathites; which were as
many as both the other sons of Levi.
Numbers 3:28 28 According to the number of all the males, from a month
old and above, there were eight thousand six[b] hundred
keeping charge of the sanctuary.
YLT
28In number, all the males,
from a son of a month and upward, [are] eight thousand and six hundred, keeping
the charge of the sanctuary.
In the number of all the males, from a month old and upwards, were
eight thousand and six hundred,.... 8,600 men, which was the largest number
of any of the houses of the Levites; but considering it had double the number
of families in it, the increase was not so large in proportion, at least to
Gershon, whose two families wanted but 1,100 of these four:
keeping the charge of the sanctuary; of the holy and most
holy places, and the vessels and instruments belonging thereunto; not that the
males of a month old were keeping them, but when they were grown up and were
capable of it, they had the charge thereof, in which they were instructed and
trained up from their youth.
Numbers 3:29 29 The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on
the south side of the tabernacle.
YLT
29The families of the sons of
Kohath encamp by the side of the tabernacle southward.
The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the
tabernacle southward. Or to the right, which was the more honourable place, excepting
the east or front, which was reserved for Moses and Aaron, and his sons, and
who were one of these families; and is the reason why this honour was conferred
upon them, as well as they had the more honourable charge, having the holy
places and holy things committed to their care; and one from among them was
appointed over all the Levites, and the chief of them, as they had also, when
they came into the land of Canaan, almost as many cities of refuge as both
their other brethren had: their situation about the tabernacle was between that
and the camp of Reuben, and this accounts for it, how Korah who was of one of the
families of the Kohathites, became so intimately acquainted with, and joined in
a conspiracy with Dathan and Abiram, who were of the tribe of Reuben, Numbers 16:1.
Numbers 3:30 30 And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families
of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
YLT
30And the prince of a
father's house for the families of the Kohathite [is] Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the
Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. The same man,
who, with his brother Mishael, carried Nadab and Abihu out of the camp, and
buried them, Leviticus 10:4; he
descended from the last and youngest of the families of the Kohathites; and
some think this was one reason at least of Korah's dissatisfaction, and of his
entering into a conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, because one of a younger
family of his house was preferred to this dignity before him.
Numbers 3:31 31 Their duty included the ark, the table, the
lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they
ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
YLT
31And their charge [is] the
ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the
sanctuary with which they serve, and the vail, and all its service.
And their charge shall be the ark,.... That is,
when the tabernacle was taken down, and carried from place to place, this, and
the following things, were committed to their care and custody, the ark with
the mercy seat, and all appertaining thereunto, which were in the holy of
holies:
and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars; the table of
shewbread, and the candlestick of pure gold, with its lamps, and the altar of
incense, all which stood in the holy place, and the altar of burnt offering,
which was in the court, for both altars were their charge:
and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister; all the
vessels which belonged to the above things; for the table, candlestick, and
altars, all had vessels appertaining to them:
and the hanging; that is, the vail, as Jarchi interprets it,
which divided between the, holy and the most holy place; all the other hangings
for the court, and the door of it, and for the door of the tabernacle, were the
charge of the Gershonites, Numbers 3:25,
and all the service thereof; what belonged to the
things in this part of the tabernacle.
Numbers 3:32 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be
chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept
charge of the sanctuary.
YLT
32And [to] the prince of the
princes of the Levites, Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, [is] the oversight of
the keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.
And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,.... Who was
of the first of these families, the Amramites:
shall be chief over the
chief of the Levites; over the three chiefs of the three houses of the Levites, who
were Eliasaph the son of Lael, the chief of the Gershonites; and Elizaphan the
son of Uzziel, the chief of the Kohathites; and Zuriel the son of Abihail, the
chief of the Merarites:
and have the oversight
of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary; the Kohathites, who had
the care of the things belonging to the holy and most holy places; and these were
particularly under the inspection of Eleazar, because they were things the
priests had a, special concern in; see Numbers 4:32.
Numbers 3:33 33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and
the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
YLT
33Of Merari [is] the family
of the Mahlite, and the family of the Mushite; these [are] the families of
Merari.
Of Merari were the family of the Mahlites, and the family
of the Mushites,.... So called from his two sons Mahli and Mushi, Numbers 3:20,
these are the families of Merari; the youngest
son of Levi, Numbers 3:17.
Numbers 3:34 34 And those who were numbered, according to the number
of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.
YLT
34And their numbered ones, in
number, all the males from a son of a month and upward, [are] six thousand and
two hundred.
And those that were numbered of them,.... Of the
above two families:
according to the number of all the males, from a month old and
upward, were six thousand and two hundred; 6,200 men; the least
number of them all.
Numbers 3:35 35 The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of
Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the
north side of the tabernacle.
YLT
35And the prince of a
father's house for the families of Merari [is] Zuriel son of Abihail; by the
side of the tabernacle they encamp northward.
And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari,.... I think
it should rather be rendered, "and the chief of the house", that is,
of the Merarites, "the father to the families of Merari"; the common
father to them all, having the chief authority and power over them, and so in Numbers 3:24,
shall be Zuriel the son
of Abihail; of whom we read nowhere else, nor is it certain of which family
he was, whether of the Mahlites or Mushites:
these shall pitch on
the side of the tabernacle northward; to the left of it,
between that and the camp of Dan.
Numbers 3:36 36 And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included
the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils,
all the work relating to them,
YLT
36And the oversight -- the
charge of the sons of Merari -- [is] the boards of the tabernacle, and its
bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all its
service,
And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall
be the boards of the tabernacle,.... Both of the holy and
the most holy place, which were the walls of the tabernacle, and which were
covered with curtains; these when taken down for journeying were committed to
the care of the Merarites; and because these, with what, follow, were a heavy
carriage, they were allowed wagons to carry them; and who on this account had
more wagons given them than to the Gershonites, for the Kohathites had none, Numbers 7:6,
and the bars thereof; which kept the boards
tight and close, see Exodus 26:26,
and the pillars thereof; the pillars on which the
vail was hung, that divided between the holy and most holy place, and, on which
the hanging was put for the door of the vail, Exodus 26:32,
and the sockets thereof; in which both the boards
and pillars were put, Exodus 26:19.
Numbers 3:37 37 and the pillars of the court all around, with their
sockets, their pegs, and their cords.
YLT
37and the pillars of the
court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.
And the pillars of the court round about,.... Of the
great court which went round the tabernacle, on which pillars the hangings were
hung:
and their sockets; into which the, pillars were put; of both
which see Exodus 27:9,
and their pins, and their cords, the pins were fixed in
the ground, and the cords fastened the hangings of the court to them, whereby
they were kept tight and unmoved by the winds; see Exodus 27:19.
Numbers 3:38 38 Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle
on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and
his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of
Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.
YLT
38And those encamping before
the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting, at the east, [are] Moses
and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of
the sons of Israel, and the stranger who cometh near is put to death.
And those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east,.... At which
was the entrance into the tabernacle:
even before the
tabernacle of the congregation eastward; that is, before the
court of the tabernacle, where the people assembled together:
shall be Moses, Aaron,
and his sons; Moses the chief ruler, and Aaron the high priest, and his sons
priests under him; these had the most honourable place of all, beings at the
front of the tabernacle, between that and the camp of Judah. There is an
extraordinary prick on the word Aaron, to show, as Jarchi says, that he was not
in the number of Levites, though of the tribe of Levi, being high priest:
keeping the charge of the sanctuary, for the charge of the
children of Israel; either in their room and stead, which otherwise they must have
kept; or rather for their safety and security, keeping out all persons from
entering into the sanctuary, who had no business there, that they died not, as
it follows:
and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death; that is,
whoever came nigh to enter into the holy place, and did, who was no priest,
though an Israelite, and even a Levite, or into the most holy place, excepting
the high priest, it was death unto him, either by the civil magistrate, or by
the hand of heaven; so the Targum of Jonathan.
Numbers 3:39 39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and
Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their
families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two
thousand.
YLT
39All those numbered of the
Levites whom Moses numbered -- Aaron also -- by the command of Jehovah, by
their families, every male from a son of a month and upward, [are] two and
twenty thousand.
All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron,
numbered at the commandment of the Lord, throughout their families,.... Whence it
appears, that Moses was not alone, but Aaron with him, in numbering the
Levites, and that by the appointment of the Lord. The word "Aaron",
in the Hebrew text, has a dot on every letter, for what reason it is not
certain; the word itself is left out in the Samaritan and Syriac versions:
all the males, from a month old and upward, were twenty and
two thousand; 22,000 men; but by putting the sums together they amount to
three hundred more; for of the Gershonites there were 7,500, and of the
Kohathites 8,600, and of the Merarites 6,200, in all 22,300; which difficulty
some endeavour to remove by saying, as Aben Ezra observes, that the Scripture
takes a short way, mentioning the thousands, and leaving out the hundreds but
this, he says, is not right, nor is it the way of the Scripture in this
chapter: and in an after account of the firstborn of the Israelites, not only
the hundreds are mentioned, but the broken number of seventy three. Others think
there is a corruption crept into the text somewhere in the particular numbers,
through the inadvertency of some copyist; and suppose it to be in the number of
the Kohathites, where they fancy שש, six, is put
instead of שלש, three: but there is no occasion to
suppose either of these, for which there is no foundation, since the reason why
three hundred are left out in the sum total may be, because there were so many
firstborn among the Levites, and these could not be exchanged for the firstborn
of the other tribes; they, as such, being the Lord's, and one firstborn could
not redeem another; and so it is said in the TalmudF20T. Bab.
Becoroth, fol. 5. 1. , these three hundred were firstborn, and there is no
firstborn redeems a firstborn, or frees from the redemption price of five
shekels.
Numbers 3:40 40 Then the Lord said to
Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month
old and above, and take the number of their names.
YLT
40And Jehovah saith unto
Moses, `Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel from a son of a
month and upward, and take up the number of their names;
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... After he had taken
the number of the Levites:
number all the firstborn of the children of Israel, from a month
old and upward, and take the number of their names; that they
might be compared with the number of the Levites, and the difference between
them observed.
Numbers 3:41 41 And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the
livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of
the children of Israel.”
YLT
41and thou hast taken the
Levites for Me (I [am] Jehovah), instead of every first-born among the sons of
Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of every firstling among the
cattle of the sons of Israel.'
And thou shall take the Levites for me,.... For his
service, to minister to his priests, and serve in his tabernacle:
I am the Lord; who has a right to all,
and can claim who he pleases for himself in a special manner, and therefore
could and did take the Levites to himself:
instead of the firstborn among the children of Israel; these he had
taken to him before, and ordered to be sanctified unto him, and for whom a
redemption price was paid to his priests for the support of them, and the
tabernacle service, and now it was his will to make an exchange of these for
the Levites:
and the cattle of the Levites, instead of all the firstling among
the cattle of the children of Israel: every firstling of clean
cattle was the Lord's, and given to his priests, and the firstlings of unclean
cattle were redeemed with a lamb, and which were given to the same; and now
instead of these he requires the cattle of the Levites; not that they should be
deprived of their use of them, or that they should be taken and sacrificed, but
that they should be with them devoted to him, and they should possess them in
his right.
Numbers 3:42 42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children
of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
YLT
42And Moses numbereth, as
Jehovah hath commanded him, all the first-born among the sons of Israel.
And Moses numbered, as the Lord commanded him,.... No doubt
assisted by others, though not mentioned:
all the firstborn among the children of Israel; which some
think were only those that were born since they came out of Egypt, as
Bonfrerius, Bishop Patrick, and others.
Numbers 3:43 43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number
of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were
twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
YLT
43And all the first-born --
male -- by the number of names, from a son of a month and upward, of their
numbered ones, are two and twenty thousand two hundred and seventy and three.
And all the firstborn males,.... For such only were
ordered to be numbered, and not firstborn females:
by the number of names; which were particularly
taken:
from a month old and upward; for before that time
they were not sanctified to the Lord, nor subject to the redemption price:
of those that were numbered of them were twenty and two
thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen; 22,273 men; so that
there were two hundred seventy three more than the Levites, Numbers 3:39.
Numbers 3:44 44 Then the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying:
YLT
44And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After the number was
taken, and gave him directions what to do upon it:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 3:45 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among
the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their
livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord.
YLT
45`Take the Levites instead
of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites
instead of their cattle; and the Levites have been Mine; I [am] Jehovah.
Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children
of Israel,.... The Lord had declared before that he had taken them, and now
he bids Moses take them, who had numbered them, and give them to Aaron, instead
of the firstborn, whose numbers were also taken for this purpose:
and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; but not to be
given to Aaron and his sons, or to the priests for their use, but to remain
with the Levites for their use, who were now separated from the other tribes,
and taken into the service of God; and as they were dedicated to God, so their
cattle likewise for their support as his ministers:
and the Levites shall be mine; in a special manner his,
being devoted to his service:
I am the Lord; who had a right to do
this, and expected to be obeyed in it.
Numbers 3:46 46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and
seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the
number of the Levites,
YLT
46`And [from] those ransomed
of the two hundred and seventy and three (who are more than the Levites) of the
first-born of the sons of Israel,
And for those that are to be redeemed, &c. With
money, there being not Levites enough to answer to them, and exchange for them:
of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of
the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; for the sum
total of the Levites, as given, was but 22,000, Numbers 3:39,
whereas the sum total of the firstborn of Israel were 22,273, Numbers 3:43, so
that there were, two hundred seventy three more of the latter than of the
former; and what was to be done with these next follows.
Numbers 3:47 47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually;
you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the
shekel of twenty gerahs.
YLT
47thou hast even taken five
shekels a-piece by the poll -- by the shekel of the sanctuary thou takest;
twenty gerahs the shekel [is];
Thou shall even take five shekels apiece the poll,.... Or head;
every firstborn, or his parent for him, was bound to pay five shekels, which
were about eleven or twelve shillings of our money, and which was afterwards
settled as the price of such a redemption, Numbers 18:16,
after the shekel of the sanctuary shall thou take them; being full
weight according to the standard there kept:
the shekel is twenty gerahs; See Gill on Leviticus 27:25.
Numbers 3:48 48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess
number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
YLT
48and thou hast given the
money to Aaron, and to his sons, whereby those over and above are ransomed.'
And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is
to be redeemed,.... Or the superfluous number, the number of them that exceeded
the Levites, namely, two hundred seventy three; the price of their redemption
is ordered to be given
unto Aaron, and to his sons; since the Levites were
taken in lieu of the firstborn, whose redemption money belonged to the priests;
and seeing the Levites were given to Aaron and his sons on that consideration,
and there being a deficiency of them to answer to the firstborn, it was but
right and just that the redemption price of the superfluous number should be
paid to them.
Numbers 3:49 49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were
over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.
YLT
49And Moses taketh the ransom
money from those over and above those ransomed by the Levites;
And Moses took the redemption money,.... Of five shekels per
head:
of them that were over and above redeemed by the Levites; or were more
than those redeemed by them. A Levite redeemed a firstborn, or freed him from
the redemption price, being taken in lieu of him: 22,000 Levites were
answerable to 22,000 firstborn of Israel; but as there were no more Levites
than the above number, there remained two hundred seventy three firstborn to be
redeemed by money, and it was the redemption money of these Moses took.
Numbers 3:50 50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took
the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according
to the shekel of the sanctuary.
YLT
50from the first-born of the
sons of Israel he hath taken the money, a thousand and three hundred and sixty
and five -- by the shekel of the sanctuary;
Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money,.... Or
"for the firstborn", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, and so
the Hebrew particle מאת is sometimes usedF21Vid.
Nold. Partic. Ebr. Concord. p. 579. ; for children of a month old or little
more could not pay the money, but their parents for them, which was paid by
them, and Moses received it for the superfluous number of two hundred seventy
three; but it is a matter of doubt of whom this was exacted, and by whom paid,
and who could be reckoned as this superfluous number, unless they were the last
two hundred seventy three that were numbered: some have thought this was paid
out of the public stock, which was a ready way of doing it, but whether
reasonable is not so manifest, since these firstborn were the properties of
particular persons; the more commonly received method of doing it with the
Jewish writers was, according to Jarchi and Abarbinel, and so in the TalmudF23T.
Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 17. 1. by lot; the former of which describes the manner of
doing it thus, 22,000 pieces (of paper or parchment) were brought, and on them
written, "a son of Levi", or "a Levite", and two hundred
seventy three other pieces, and on them were written, "five shekels";
these were mixed together and put into an urn or box, and then they were bid to
come and take out the pieces, and according as the lot was, they were allowed
as redeemed by the Levites, or paid the redemption money: and as this was a
method much in use with the Hebrews, it is not improbable:
a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels,
after the shekel of the sanctuary; 1,365 shekels, which is
exactly the number of shekels that two hundred seventy three should pay,
reckoning five shekels per head; which Jarchi counts thus, for two hundred
firstborn, a thousand shekels; for seventy firstborn, three hundred fifty; and
for three firstborn fifteen, shekels, which in all amounted to about an hundred
seventy pounds of our money.
Numbers 3:51 51 And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his
sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
YLT
51and Moses giveth the money
of those ransomed to Aaron, and to his sons, according to the command of
Jehovah, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed,.... That were
redeemed this way, and not by Levites, as in Numbers 3:49, but
by money, paying five shekels a head:
unto Aaron and his sons; to whom the Levites were
given; and this money, as a recompence for the deficiency of the number of
them, to answer to the firstborn exchanged for them:
according to the word of the Lord; Numbers 3:48,
as the Lord commanded Moses; so did he, being a
faithful servant in all things in the house of God; he did not convert it to
his own use, or to any other use than to what God had appointed it.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)