Exodus 6:16

16 Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; they were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names. Levi lived 137 years. ¹

Exodus 6:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 6:16

And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to
their generations
Whose sons, according to the order of their birth, were as follow:

Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari;
see ( Genesis 46:11 ) :

and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty seven
years;
and exactly the same number of years is assigned him by Polyhistor from Demetrius ^F3, an Heathen writer. Jarchi says, that the reason why, the years of the life of Levi are reckoned is to show how long the bondage lasted; for there was no servitude as long as any of the tribes (or of the sons of Jacob) remained, according to ( Exodus 1:6 Exodus 1:8 ) and the Jewish chronologers ^F4 affirm that Levi was the last of the patriarchs that died; and that he died in the year of the world 3332, and lived in Egypt ninety four years; and from his time, to the going out of Egypt, were only one hundred and sixteen years; and they further say the bondage could not last longer than one hundred and sixteen years, nor shorter than eighty seven. Bishop Usher ^F5 places his death in A. M. 2385, and before Christ 1619: according to the Targum of Jonathan, he lived to see Moses and Aaron the deliverers of Israel; but that is false, since Joseph and all his brethren died before Moses was born, ( Exodus 1:6 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 21. p. 425.
F4 Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 5. 1. Tzemach David, par. 1, fol. 6. 2. & 7. 1. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 3. p. 9.
F5 Annales Vet. Test. p. 17.

Exodus 6:16 In-Context

14 Reuben, Jacob's first-born, had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; they were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names.

15 Simeon had six sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; they were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names.

16 Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; they were the ancestors of the clans that bear their names. Levi lived 137 years.

17 Gershon had two sons: Libni and Shimei, and they had many descendants.

18 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

Cross References

• 1. 6.16-19Numbers 3.17-20; 26.57, 58;1 Chronicles 6.16-19.