Numbers 3:25-39

Duties of the Priests

25 Now ¹the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and ²the tent, its covering, and ³the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting,

26 and ⁴the hangings of the court, and ⁵the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them.

27 Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.

28 In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600 * *, performing the duties of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle,

30 and the leader of the fathers' households of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31 Now ⁶their duties involved ⁷the ark, ⁸the table, ⁹the lampstand, ¹⁰the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service concerning them;

32 and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.

34 Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200 * *.

35 The leader of the fathers' households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to ¹¹camp on the northward side of the tabernacle.

36 Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them,

37 and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.

38 Now those who were to ¹²camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but ¹³the layman coming near was to be put to death.

39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the LORD by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000 * *.

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Numbers 3:25-39 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 3

In this chapter an account is given of the genealogy of the priests and Levites, and of the gift of the Levites to the priests, of the numbering of them, and the service they were to perform; and first of the priests, the sons of Aaron, Nu 3:1-4; and then of the Levites, as given unto them, to wait upon them, and assist them, Nu 3:5-10; and these were taken instead of the firstborn, Nu 3:11-13; and ordered to be numbered, which was done accordingly by their families, Nu 3:14-20; and the sum of each is given, and the particular work assigned to them; of the Gershonites, Nu 3:21-26; of the Kohathites, Nu 3:27-32; of the Merarites, Nu 3:33-38; the sum total of them is given, Nu 3:39; then the firstborn of the children of Israel, from a month old are ordered to be numbered, and were, Nu 3:40-43; and these appearing to be more in number than the Levites, by two hundred seventy three a direction is given that the two hundred seventy three should be redeemed at the rate of five, shekels apiece, and the money paid to Aaron and his sons, Nu 3:44-48; which was accordingly done, Nu 3:49-51.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 14

1. Numbers 4:24-26
2. Ex 26:1, 7, 14
3. Exodus 26:36
4. Ex 27:9, 12, 14, 15
5. Exodus 27:16
6. Numbers 4:15
7. Exodus 25:10-22
8. Exodus 25:23-28
9. Exodus 25:31-40
10. Exodus 27:1, 2; Exodus 30:1-5
11. Numbers 1:53; Numbers 2:25
12. Numbers 1:53; Numbers 2:3
13. Numbers 1:51
14. Numbers 3:43; Numbers 4:48; Numbers 26:62

Footnotes 5

[a]. Lit "of it"
[b]. In Ex 6:22, "Elzaphan"
[c]. Lit "of it"
[d]. Lit "stranger"
[e]. Lit "word"