Numbers 3:16

3:16 So Moses numbered them according to the word ¹  of the Lord, just as he had been commanded. ² 

Numbers 3:39

3:39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the word ³  of the Lord, according to their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000. ⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “at the mouth of the Lord.”

² tn The Pual perfect may be given the past perfect translation in this sentence because the act of commanding preceded the act of numbering.

³ tn Here again the Hebrew has “at the mouth of,” meaning in accordance with what the Lord said. So also in v. 51.

⁴ tn 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. 28, suggesting that “six” should be read as “three” (שֵׁשׁ [shesh] as שָׁלֹשׁ [shalosh]).