1These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day in that Jehovah spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab was the firstborn, and then there were AbiUd, EliEzer, and IthaMar. 3They were the anointed Priests who were made perfect for the Priesthood. 4However, Nadab and AbiUd died before Jehovah when they offered [incense] to Him in an unauthorized way, while they were in the Sinai Desert. And because they had no children, just EliEzer and IthaMar served as Priests with their father Aaron. 5Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and told him, 6‘Bring the tribe of Levi up in front of Aaron the Priest, for they are to all serve him. 7They must follow his instructions and then give the instructions to of the children of Israel, there in front of the Tent of Proofs… and they must work at the Tent. 8They are to take care of all the furnishings at the Tent of Proofs, and to instruct the children of Israel about things having to do with the Tent. 9Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons the Priests, for they have been given to Me as a gift from among the children of Israel. 10‘Appoint Aaron and his sons to be in charge of the Tent of Proofs. Then they must give instructions concerning the Priesthood, everything that belongs to the Altar, and everything inside the veil. And anyone else who touches these things must die.’ 11Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and said, 12‘Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the children of Israel [to take the place] of [the rest of] the [firstborn] males that are among the children of Israel. [The Levites] are their ransom, and they are Mine. 13For, all the firstborn have been Mine since the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I chose all the firstborn in Israel as holy to Myself – both the men and the animals – and they are Mine, for I am Jehovah.’ 14Then Jehovah spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert and said, 15‘Take a census of the sons of Levi by family lines and divisions… count every male from a month old and up.’ 16So, Moses and Aaron counted them following Jehovah’s instructions. 17The sons of Levi were Gedson, CaAth, and MeraRi. 18Gedson’s sons (and family lines) were Lobeni and Semei. 19CaAth’s sons (and family lines) were AmRam, IsSaAr, Hebron, and OziEl. 20MeraRi’s sons (and family lines) were MoOli and Musi. These were the families of the Levites by family lines. 21The Gedson family lines were those of Lobeni and Semei. 22And the number of males [in that line], which were a month old and older, was seven thousand five hundred. 23The sons of Gedson were to camp behind the Tent on its west side. 24The ruler of the family of Gedson was EliSaph, the son of DaEl. 25The instructions that were given to the sons of Gedson concerning the Tent of Proofs, was to care for the tent itself, the veil that covers the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, 26the curtains for the courtyard, the veil to the courtyard (which is around the Tent), and the like. 27There were [four] divisions that were counted [in the family line] of CaAth. They were AmRam, IsSaAr, Hebron, and OziEl. 28There were eight thousand six hundred males a month old and older, and they were given these instructions regarding the holy things: 29The families of the sons of CaAth were to camp next to the Tent, along its south side. 30The ruler of the family line and divisions of CaAth was EliSaphan, the son of OziEl. 31They were told that they were to be in charge of the Chest, the Table, the Sacred Lamp, the Altars, and all the furnishings in the Holy Place that were used in holy service inside the veil, and all their parts. 32The head over the chiefs of the Levites was EliEzer, the son of Aaron the Priest. He was appointed to give all the instructions regarding the holy things. 33The family lines of MeraRi were those of MoOli and Musi. 34All the males a month old and older among this line, were counted at six thousand and fifty. 35The head of the family line and divisions of MeraRi was SuriEl, the son of AbiChail. They were to camp next to the Tent, along its north side. 36The sons of MeraRi were told that they were to be in charge of the Tent’s caps, rafters, posts, sockets, all their fittings and pieces, 37the posts for the courtyard, and their bases, pins, and ropes. 38Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the Tent of Proofs on its east side. They were to take care of the Holy Place and give instructions about it to the children of Israel. And anyone who touched it was to die. 39All the Levites who Moses and Aaron counted, which were a month old and older (by family lines), following Jehovah’s instructions, were twenty-two thousand. 40Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and said, ‘Now count all the firstborn males among the children of Israel who are a month old and older, and take their names. 41Then take the Levites for Me in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel. Also, take all the Levites’ cattle in place of the first-born of the cattle of the children of Israel, for I am Jehovah.’ 42So Moses counted all the firstborn of the children of Israel, just as Jehovah commanded him. 43And all the male firstborn a month old and older that were counted by name were twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-three. 44Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and said, 45‘Now take the Levites in place of all the first-born of the sons of Israel, and the Levite’s cattle in place of their cattle, and they must be Mine, for I am Jehovah. 46And the ransom [that must be paid] for all the firstborn of the sons of Israel that exceed the number of Levites (the two hundred and seventy-three) 47[must be paid for] with five silver-coins per person. They must be paid for using the holy double-silver coins at twenty copper coins per silver coin. 48Then give the money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for those who exceed their number.’ 49So, Moses took the silver as the ransom for those that exceeded the number who were bought by the Levites. 50The amount of holy silver coins that he took from the firstborn of the sons of Israel was one thousand, three hundred and sixty-five. 51Then Moses gave the ransom for these extra ones to Aaron and his sons, according to the instructions that Jehovah gave to Moses.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE LEVITES' SERVICE. (Num. 3:1-51)
These . . . are the generations of Aaron and Moses, &c.--This chapter contains an account of their families; and although that of Moses is not detailed like his brother's, his children are included under the general designation of the Amramites (
Num 3:27), a term which comprehends all the descendants of their common father Amram. The reason why the family of Moses was so undistinguished in this record is that they were in the private ranks of the Levites, the dignity of the priesthood being conferred exclusively on the posterity of Aaron; and hence, as the sacerdotal order is the subject of this chapter, Aaron, contrary to the usual style of the sacred history, is mentioned before Moses.
in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai--This is added, because at the date of the following record the family of Aaron was unbroken.
2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron--All the sons of Aaron, four in number, were consecrated to minister in the priest's office. The two oldest enjoyed but a brief term of office (
Lev 10:1-
Lev 10:2;
Num 3:4;
Num 26:61); but Eleazar and Ithamar, the other two, were dutiful, and performed the sacred service during the lifetime of their father, as his assistants, and under his superintendence.
5 Bring the tribe of Levi near--The Hebrew word "bring near" is a sacrificial term, denoting the presentation of an offering to God; and the use of the word, therefore, in connection with the Levites, signifies that they were devoted as an offering to the sanctuary, no longer to be employed in any common offices. They were subordinate to the priests, who alone enjoyed the privilege of entering the holy place; but they were employed in discharging many of the humbler duties which belonged to the sanctuary, as well as in various offices of great utility and importance to the religion and morals of the people.
9 they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel, &c.--The priests hold the place of God, and the Levites are the servants of God in the obedience they render to the priests.
11 I have taken the Levites, &c.--The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (
Exod 13:12;
Exod 22:29), who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to adopt the patriarchal usage of appointing the oldest to act as the priest of the family. But the privilege of redemption that was allowed the first-born opened the way for a change; and accordingly, on the full organization of the Mosaic economy, the administration of sacred things formerly committed to the first-born was transferred from them to the Levites, who received that honor partly as a tribute to Moses and Aaron, partly because this tribe had distinguished themselves by their zeal in the affair of the golden calf (
Exod 32:29), and also because, being the smallest of the tribes, they could ill find suitable employment and support in the work. (See on
Deut 33:8). The designation of a special class for the sacred offices of religion was a wise arrangement; for, on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might not be at leisure to wait on the service of the sanctuary, and sacred things might, from various causes, fall into neglect. But the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service ensured the regular performance of the rites of religion. The subsequent portion of the chapter relates to the formal substitution of this tribe.
I am the Lord--that is, I decree it to be so; and being possessed of sovereign authority, I expect full obedience.
14 Number the children of Levi--They were numbered as well as the other tribes; but the enumeration was made on a different principle--for while in the other tribes the number of males was calculated from twenty years and upward [
Num 1:3], in that of Levi they were counted "from a month old and upward." The reason for the distinction is obvious. In the other tribes the survey was made for purposes of war [
Num 1:3], from which the Levites were totally exempt. But the Levites were appointed to a work on which they entered as soon as they were capable of instruction. They are mentioned under the names of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, sons of Levi, and chiefs or ancestral heads of three subdivisions into which this tribe was distributed. Their duties were to assist in the conveyance of the tabernacle when the people were removing the various encampments, and to form its guard while stationary--the Gershonites being stationed on the west, the Kohathites on the south, and the families of Merari on the north. The Kohathites had the principal place about the tabernacle, and charge of the most precious and sacred things--a distinction with which they were honored, probably, because the Aaronic family belonged to this division of the Levitical tribe. The Gershonites, being the oldest, had the next honorable post assigned them, while the burden of the drudgery was thrown on the division of Merari.
32 chief--rather, "chiefs" of the Levites. Three persons are mentioned as chiefs of these respective divisions [
Num 3:24,
Num 3:30,
Num 3:35]. And Eleazar presided over them; whence he is called "the second priest" (
2Kgs 25:18); and in the case of the high priest's absence from illness or other necessary occasions, he performed the duties (
1Kgs 4:4).
38 those that encamp, &c.--That being the entrance side, it was the post of honor, and consequently reserved to Moses and the priestly family. But the sons of Moses had no station here.
39 twenty and two thousand--The result of this census, though made on conditions most advantageous to Levi, proved it to be by far the smallest in Israel. The separate numbers stated in
Num 3:22,
Num 3:28,
Num 3:34, when added together, amount to twenty-two thousand three hundred. The omission of the three hundred is variously accounted for--by some, because they might be first-born who were already devoted to God and could not be counted as substitutes; and by others, because in Scripture style, the sum is reckoned in round numbers. The most probable conjecture is, that as Hebrew letters are employed for figures, one letter was, in the course of transcription, taken for another of like form but smaller value.
40 Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, &c.--The principle on which the enumeration of the Levites had been made was now to be applied to the other tribes. The number of their male children, from a month old and upward, was to be reckoned, in order that a comparison might be instituted with that of the Levites, for the formal adoption of the latter as substitutes for the first-born. The Levites, amounting to twenty-two thousand, were given in exchange for an equal number of the first-born from the other tribes, leaving an excess of two hundred seventy-three; and as there were no substitutes for these, they were redeemed at the rate of five shekels for each (
Num 18:15-
Num 18:16). Every Israelite would naturally wish that his son might be redeemed by a Levite without the payment of this tax, and yet some would have to incur the expense, for there were not Levites enough to make an equal exchange. Jewish writers say the matter was determined by lot, in this manner: Moses put into an urn twenty-two thousand pieces of parchment, on each of which he wrote "a son of Levi," and two hundred seventy-three more, containing the words, "five shekels." These being shaken, he ordered each of the first-born to put in his hand and take out a slip. If it contained the first inscription, the boy was redeemed by a Levite; if the latter, the parent had to pay. The ransom-money, which, reckoning the shekel at half a crown, would amount to 12s. 6d. each, was appropriated to the use of the sanctuary. The excess of the general over the Levitical first-born is so small, that the only way of accounting for it is, by supposing those first-born only were counted as were males remaining in their parents' household, or that those first-born only were numbered which had been born since the departure from Egypt, when God claimed all the first-born as his special property.
41 the cattle of the Levites--These, which they kept to graze on the glebes and meadows in the suburbs of their cities, to supply their families with dairy produce and animal food, were also taken as an equivalent for all the firstlings of the cattle which the Israelites at that time possessed. In consequence of this exchange the firstlings were not brought then, as afterwards, to the altar and the priests.