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Texts -- Numbers 3:31-51 (NET)

Context
3:31 Their responsibilities included the ark , the table , the lampstand , the altars , and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered , the curtain , and all their service . 3:32 Now the head of all the Levitical leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest . He was appointed over those who were responsible for the sanctuary .
The Numbering of Merari
3:33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites ; these were the families of Merari . 3:34 Those of them who were numbered , counting every male from a month old and upward , were 6,200 . 3:35 Now the leader of the clan of the families of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail . These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle . 3:36 The appointed responsibilities of the Merarites included the frames of the tabernacle , its crossbars , its posts , its sockets , its utensils , plus all the service connected with these things, 3:37 and the pillars of the courtyard all around , with their sockets , their pegs , and their ropes . 3:38 But those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east , in front of the tent of meeting , were Moses , Aaron , and his sons . They were responsible for the needs of the sanctuary and for the needs of the Israelites , but the unauthorized person who approached was to be put to death . 3:39 All who were numbered of the Levites , whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the word of the Lord , according to their families , every male from a month old and upward , were 22,000 .
The Substitution for the Firstborn
3:40 Then the Lord said to Moses , “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward , and take the number of their names . 3:41 And take the Levites for me– I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites , and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites .” 3:42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites , as the Lord had commanded him. 3:43 And all the firstborn males , by the number of the names from a month old and upward , totaled 22,273 . 3:44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses : 3:45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites , and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock . And the Levites will be mine. I am the Lord . 3:46 And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites , 3:47 collect five shekels for each one individually ; you are to collect this amount in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs ). 3:48 And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons .” 3:49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites . 3:50 From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money , 1,365 shekels , according to the sanctuary shekel. 3:51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons , according to the word of the Lord , as the Lord had commanded Moses .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Encamp

    [ebd] An encampment was the resting-place for a longer or shorter period of an army or company of travellers (Ex. 13:20; 14:19; Josh. 10:5; 11:5). The manner in which the Israelites encamped during their march through the wilderne...

  • Camp

    [nave] CAMP, of the Israelites about the tabernacle, Num. 2; 3. See: Itinerary.

  • Levites

    [smith] (descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, ...
    [nave] LEVITES The descendants of Levi. Set apart as ministers of religion, Num. 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chr. 15:2. Substituted in the place of the firstborn, Num. 3:12, 41-45; 8:14, 16-18; 18:6. Religious ...

  • Census

    [nave] CENSUS Numbering of Israel by Moses, Ex. 38:26; Num. 1; 3:14-43; 26; by David, 2 Sam. 24:1-9; 1 Chr. 21:1-8; 27:24. A poll tax to be levied at each, Ex. 30:12-16; 38:26. of citizens, Isa. 4:3. Of the Roman Empire, by Caes...

  • RANSOM

    [isbe] RANSOM - ran'-sum (the noun occurs in the English Bible 12 times (Ex 21:30 the King James Version pidhyon; Ex 30:12; Job 33:24; 36:18; Prov 6:35; 13:8; 21:18; Isa 43:3, kopher; Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45, lutron; 1 Tim 2:6, antilutr...

  • Firstborn

    [nave] FIRSTBORN, of human and beast, reserved to himself by God, Ex. 13:2, 12-16; 22:29, 30; 34:19, 20; Lev. 27:26; Num. 3:13; 8:17, 18; Deut. 15:19-23; Neh. 10:36. Redemption of, Ex. 13:13; 34:20; Lev. 27:27; Num. 3:40-51; 18:15-...

  • Merari

    [isbe] MERARI - me-ra'-ri (merari, "bitter"; Mararei): (1) The 3rd son of Levi, his brothers, Gershon and Kohath, being always mentioned together with him (Gen 46:11; Ex 6:16 ff). He was among those 70 who went down to Egypt with J...
    [nave] MERARI Son of Levi, Gen. 46:11. Head of the Merarite Levites, Num. 3:17, 33-35. See: Levites.

  • Priest

    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • Redemption

    [ebd] the purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom. The Greek word so rendered is apolutrosis, a word occurring nine times in Scripture, and always with the idea of a ransom or price paid, i.e., re...
    [nave] REDEMPTION Of persons or property, Lev. 25:25-34; 27:2-13, 14-33; Ruth 4:3-10. Redemption money paid to priests, Num. 3:46-51. Of firstborn, See: Firstborn; of land, See: Jubilee. Of our Souls Psa. 111:9; Psa. 130:7; Mat...

  • Eleazar

    [ebd] God has helped. (1.) The third son of Aaron (Ex. 6:23). His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas (Ex. 6:25). After the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:12; Num. 3:4) he was appointed to the charge of the sanctuary ...
    [isbe] ELEAZAR - el-e-a'-zar, e-le-a'-zar ('el-`azar; Eleazar, "God is helper"): (1) The 3rd son of Aaron by Elisheba (Ex 6:23; Nu 3:2). He married one of the daughters of Putiel, who bore him Phinehas (Ex 6:25). With his father an...
    [smith] (help of God). Third son of Aaron. After the death of Nadab and Abihu without children, (Leviticus 10:6; Numbers 3:4) Eleazar was appointed chief over the principal Levites. (Numbers 3:32) With his brother Ithamar he ministe...
    [nave] ELEAZAR 1. Son of Aaron, Ex. 6:23; 28:1. Married a daughter of Putiel, who bore him Phinehas, Ex. 6:25. After the death of Nadab and Abihu is made chief of the tribe of Levi, Num. 3:32. Duties of, Num. 4:16. Succeeds Aar...

  • Merarites

    [ebd] the descendants of Merari (Num. 26:57). They with the Gershonites and the Kohathites had charge of the tabernacle, which they had to carry from place to place (Num. 3:20, 33-37; 4:29-33). In the distribution of the oxen and ...

  • Zuriel

    [ebd] rock of God, chief of the family of the Merarites (Num. 3:35) at the time of the Exodus.
    [isbe] ZURIEL - zu'-ri-el (tsuri'-el, "my rock is El (God)"): Prince of the house of Merari (Nu 3:35). The word tsur, "rock," occurs also in the compound names Elizur (Nu 1:5), Zurishaddai (Nu 1:6, etc.) and Pedahzur (Nu 1:10). Gra...
    [smith] (my rock is God) son of Abihail, and chief of the Merarite Levites at the time of the exodus. (Numbers 3:35)
    [nave] ZURIEL, a Merarite, Num. 3:35.

  • Abihail

    [ebd] father of might. (1.) Num. 3:35. (2.) 1 Chr. 2:29. (3.) 1 Chr. 5:14. (4.) The second wife of King Rehoboam (2 Chr. 11:18), a descendant of Eliab, David's eldest brother. (5.) The father of Esther and uncle of Mordecai (Esthe...
    [isbe] ABIHAIL - ab'-i-hal ('abhichayil; in some manuscripts 'abhihayil, when feminine, but best reading is the former: "father, or cause, of strength"): Five persons in the Old Testament are called by this name: (1) A Levite and t...
    [smith] (father of , i.e. possessing, strength). Father of Zuriel, chief of the Levitical father of Merari, a contemporary of Moses. (Numbers 3:35) (B.C. 1490.) Wife of Abishur. (1 Chronicles 2:29) Son of Huri, of the tribe of Ga...
    [nave] ABIHAIL 1. Father of Esther, Esth. 2:15. 2. The second wife of Rehoboam, 2 Chr. 11:18, 19. 3. Father of Zuriel, Num. 3:35. 4. Wife of Abishur, 1 Chr. 2:29.

  • Money

    [nave] MONEY Silver used as, Gen. 17:12, 13, 23, 27; 20:16; 23:9, 13; 31:15; 37:28; 42:25-35; 43:12-23; 44:1-8; 47:14-18; Ex. 12:44; 21:11, 21, 34, 35; 22:7, 17, 25; 30:16; Lev. 22:11; 25:37, 51; 27:15, 18; Num. 3:48-51; 18:16; Deu...

  • Gerah

    [ebd] a bean, probably of the carob tree, the smallest weight, and also the smallest piece of money, among the Hebrews, equal to the twentieth part of a shekel (Ex. 30:13; Lev. 27:25; Num. 3:47). This word came into use in the sam...
    [isbe] GERAH - ge'-ra (gerah, "grain" or "kernel"): A weight, the 20th part of a shekel (Ex 30:13; Lev 27:25; Nu 3:47; 18:16; Ezek 45:12). See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
    [nave] GERAH About 1/2o of a Shekel Ex. 30:13; Lev. 27:25; Num. 3:47.

  • Camon

    [ebd] full of stalks, a place (Judg. 10:5) where Jair was buried. It has usually been supposed to have been a city of Gilead, on the east of Jordan. It is probably, however, the modern Tell-el-Kaimun, on the southern slopes of Car...

  • TABERNACLE, A

    [isbe] TABERNACLE, A - tab'-er-na-k'l ('ohel mo`edh "tent of meeting," mishkan, "dwelling"; skene): A. STRUCTURE AND HISTORY I. INTRODUCTORY 1. Earlier "Tent of Meeting" 2. A Stage in Revelation 3. The Tabernacle Proper II. STRUCTU...

  • MUSHI

    [ebd] receding, the second of the two sons of Merari (Ex. 6:19; Num. 3:20). His sons were called Mushites (Num. 3:33; 26:58).
    [isbe] MUSHI - mu'-shi (mushi): Son of Merari (Ex 6:19; Nu 3:20; 1 Ch 6:19 (Hebrew 4); 23:21; 24:26). There is found also the patronymic "Mushites" (Nu 3:33; 26:58).

  • Substitution

    [nave] SUBSTITUTION, Ex. 28:38. The offering for the offerer, Lev. 1:4; 16:21, 22. The Levites for the firstborn of the Israelites, Num. 3:12, 41, 45; 8:18. The life of Ahab for that of Ben-hadad, 1 Kin. 20:42. See: Suffering,...

  • Shekel

    [ebd] weight, the common standard both of weight and value among the Hebrews. It is estimated at 220 English grains, or a little more than half an ounce avoirdupois. The "shekel of the sanctuary" (Ex. 30:13; Num. 3:47) was equal t...
    [nave] SHEKEL A weight, equal to twenty gerahs, Ex. 30:13; Num. 3:47; Ezek. 45:12. Used to weigh silver, Josh. 7:21; Judg. 8:26; 17:2, 3. Fractions of, used in currency, Ex. 30:13; 1 Sam. 9:8; Neh. 10:32. Used to weigh gold, Gen...
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  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Breaking God's covenant resulted in the Israelites' separation from fellowship with Him. It did not terminate their relationship with Him, but it did hinder their fellowship with Him. Similarly when Christians sin we do not c...
  • The title the Jews used in their Hebrew Old Testament for this book comes from the fifth word in the book in the Hebrew text, bemidbar: "in the wilderness."This is, of course, appropriate since the Israelites spent most of th...
  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • The first 10 chapters in Numbers describe Israel's preparation for entering the land.". . . just as the way from Goshen to Sinai was a preparation of the chosen people for their reception into the covenant with God, so the wa...
  • Note the recurrance of a key word in the Pentateuch in verse l: toledot."For the first time after the formative events of the Exodus deliverance and the revelation on Mount Sinai, the people of Israel are organized into a hol...
  • Moses did not arrange the three Levitical families in the text here in the order of the ages of their founders. He arranged them in the order of the holiness of the articles that they managed.The Kohathites--who included Mose...
  • Before going into battle against the Midianites as God commanded (25:18), the Lord directed Moses to take another census of the Israelites. Evidently the 24,000 who died in the recent plague (25:9) were the last of the genera...
  • "Just as the censuses of chs. 1, 3, and 4 led to a flurry of preparations for departure from Sinai, so the second censuses in ch. 26 lead to preparations for departure from the plains of Moab and entry into the land of Canaan...
  • The previous chapter dealt with the general borders of the land and its tribal boundaries. This one gives regulations concerning special towns in the land.285According to the plan of revelation established previously in Numbe...
  • This list clearly defines the priests and Levites' line of descent. Only the descendants of Aaron, the priests, could serve in the temple by offering sacrifices on the incense altar (v. 49; cf. Num. 3:5-38). Nehemiah correctl...
  • Chapter 21 records the fulfillment of God's second personal promise to David, namely, that He would appoint a place where Israel could dwell securely (17:9). This was a promise of peace for Israel, but as the verses following...
  • Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 23 provide an outline for what follows in chapters 23-27 but in reverse order. After David appointed Solomon as his coregent in 973 B.C., he began the preparations the writer described here.David ada...
  • The Chronicler gave us much more information about Uzziah than we have in Kings (2 Kings 15:1-7). Uzziah ("Yahweh is strong") was evidently the king's throne name and Azariah ("Yahweh helps") his personal name.Uzziah, as his ...
  • Peter proceeded to clarify the nature of the church and in doing so explained the duty of Christians in the world.2:9 All the figures of the church that Peter chose here originally referred to Israel. However with Israel's re...
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