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Text -- Numbers 3:1-39 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Sons of Aaron
3:1 Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai .
3:2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron : Nadab , the firstborn , and Abihu , Eleazar , and Ithamar .
3:3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron , the anointed priests , whom he consecrated to minister as priests .
3:4 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 . So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father .
The Assignment of the Levites
3:5 The Lord spoke to Moses :
3:6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near , and present them before Aaron the priest , that they may serve him.
3:7 They are responsible for his needs and the needs of the whole community before the tent of meeting , by attending to the service of the tabernacle .
3:8 And they are responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting , and for the needs of the Israelites , as they serve in the tabernacle .
3:9 You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons ; they will be assigned exclusively to him out of all the Israelites .
3:10 So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons , and they will be responsible for their priesthood ; but the unauthorized person who comes near must be put to death .”
3:11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses :
3:12 “Look , I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites . So the Levites belong to me,
3:13 because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt , I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel , both man and beast . They belong to me. I am the Lord .”
The Numbering of the Levites
3:14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai :
3:15 “Number the Levites by their clans and their families ; every male from a month old and upward you are to number .”
3:16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord , just as he had been commanded .
The Summary of Families
3:17 These were the sons of Levi by their names : Gershon , Kohath , and Merari .
3:18 These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families : Libni and Shimei .
3:19 The sons of Kohath by their families were: Amram , Izhar , Hebron , and Uzziel .
3:20 The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi . These are the families of the Levites by their clans .
The Numbering of the Gershonites
3:21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites ; these were the families of the Gershonites .
3:22 Those of them who were numbered , counting every male from a month old and upward , were 7,500 .
3:23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle toward the west .
3:24 Now the leader of the clan of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael .
3:25 And the responsibilities of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting included the tabernacle , the tent with its covering , the curtain at the entrance of the tent of meeting ,
3:26 the hangings of the courtyard , the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar , and their ropes , plus all the service connected with these things.
The Numbering of the Kohathites
3:27 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 .
3:28 Counting every male from a month old and upward , there were 8,600 . They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary .
3:29 The families of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle .
3:30 Now the leader of the clan of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel .
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 .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Num 3:1; Num 3:1; Num 3:1; Num 3:3; Num 3:3; Num 3:3; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:4; Num 3:6; Num 3:6; Num 3:6; Num 3:7; Num 3:7; Num 3:8; Num 3:8; Num 3:9; Num 3:9; Num 3:9; Num 3:10; Num 3:10; Num 3:12; Num 3:12; Num 3:13; Num 3:13; Num 3:15; Num 3:15; Num 3:16; Num 3:16; Num 3:17; Num 3:24; Num 3:24; Num 3:25; Num 3:26; Num 3:26; Num 3:27; Num 3:28; Num 3:31; Num 3:31; Num 3:32; Num 3:32; Num 3:33; Num 3:36; Num 3:38; Num 3:38; Num 3:39; Num 3:39
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NET Notes: Num 3:3 The form is an infinitival construction for the word for the priest, showing the purpose for the filling of the hands.
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NET Notes: Num 3:4 The expression “in the presence of” can also mean “during the lifetime of” (see Gen 11:28; see also BDB 818 s.v. פּ...
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NET Notes: Num 3:7 The form is the Qal infinitive construct from עָבַד (’avad, “to serve, to work”); it is taken here as ...
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NET Notes: Num 3:8 The Levites had the duty of taking care of all the tabernacle and its furnishings, especially in times when it was to be moved. But they were also app...
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NET Notes: Num 3:10 The word is זָר (zar), usually rendered “stranger, foreigner, pagan.” But in this context it simply refers to anyone who...
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NET Notes: Num 3:13 In the Exodus event of the Passover night the principle of substitution was presented. The firstborn child was redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and s...
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NET Notes: Num 3:16 The Pual perfect may be given the past perfect translation in this sentence because the act of commanding preceded the act of numbering.
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NET Notes: Num 3:17 The word “sons of” does at the outset refer to the sons of Levi. But as the listing continues the expression refers more to the family gro...
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NET Notes: Num 3:25 The disjunctive vav (ו) here introduces a new section, listing the various duties of the clan in the sanctuary. The Gershonites had a long tradi...
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NET Notes: Num 3:27 Both Moses and Aaron came from this line (6:16-20). During the Hebrew monarchy this branch of the line of Levi was exemplary in music (1 Chr 6:33-48)....
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NET Notes: Num 3:28 The construction here is a little different. The Hebrew text uses the participle in construct plural: שֹׁמְרֵ...
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NET Notes: Num 3:31 The word is literally “its [their] service.” It describes all the implements that were there for the maintenance of these things.
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NET Notes: Num 3:33 The Hebrew text has “these they the families of Merari.” The independent personal pronoun has an anaphoric use, somewhat equivalent to the...
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NET Notes: Num 3:36 Heb “and all their service.” This could possibly be a hendiadys: “and all their working tools.” However, the parallel with v. ...
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NET Notes: Num 3:38 Here again the verb and its cognate noun are used: keeping the keep, or keeping charge over, or taking responsibility for the care of, or the like.
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