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Text -- Numbers 3:13-51 (NET)
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Context
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 .
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 .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Num 3:13; 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; Num 3:40; Num 3:41; Num 3:47; Num 3:47; Num 3:47; Num 3:47; Num 3:47; Num 3:49
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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NET Notes: Num 3:39 The total is a rounded off number; it does not duplicate the precise total of 22,300. Some modern scholars try to explain it by positing an error in v...
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NET Notes: Num 3:40 The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “take”) has here the sense of collect, take a census, or register the na...
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NET Notes: Num 3:41 The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it carries forward the instructions from the preceding verse. The verb “take”...
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NET Notes: Num 3:47 The sanctuary shekel was first mentioned in Exod 30:13. The half-shekel of Exod 38:26 would then be 10 gerahs. Consequently, the calculations would in...
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