Numbers 8:17

17 All the firstborn in Israel -- people or animals -- are mine. When I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I set the firstborn in Israel aside for myself.

Numbers 8:17 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 8:17

For all the firstborn of the children of Israel [are] mine,
[both] men and beasts
Not only in common with other of his creatures, but in a special respect on account of his signal deliverance of them; they were his, as Jarchi expresses it, by the line of judgment, or rule of justice and equity, because he protected them among the firstborn of the Egyptians, saved them when he slew theirs, as follows:

in the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt;
both of men and beasts:

I sanctified them for myself;
claimed them as his own, and set them apart for his own use, or ordered them to be set apart: see ( Exodus 13:2 ) .

Numbers 8:17 In-Context

15 "Make the Levites pure, and present them as an offering so that they may come to work at the Meeting Tent.

16 They will be given completely to me from the Israelites; I have taken them for myself instead of the firstborn of every Israelite woman.

17 All the firstborn in Israel -- people or animals -- are mine. When I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I set the firstborn in Israel aside for myself.

18 But I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn in Israel.

19 From all the Israelites I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons so that they may serve the Israelites at the Meeting Tent. They will help remove the Israelites' sins so they will belong to the Lord and so that no disaster will strike the Israelites when they approach the Holy Place."