Numbers 3:1-6

1 These be the generations of Aaron and of Moses, in the day in which the Lord spake to Moses, in the hill of Sinai. (These be the generations of Aaron and of Moses, on the day in which the Lord spoke to Moses, on Mount Sinai.)

2 And these be the names of the sons of Aaron; his first engendered, Nadab (Nadab, his first-born); afterward, Abihu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar;

3 these be the names of Aaron's sons, (the) priests, that were anointed, and whose hands were [ful]filled and hallowed, that they should be set in priesthood. (these be the names of Aaron's sons, the priests, who were anointed, and consecrated, so that they could be installed, or ordained, in the priesthood.)

4 Nadab and Abihu [died], when they offered alien fire in the sight of the Lord, in the desert of Sinai, (and they) were dead without free children; and Eleazar and Ithamar were set in priesthood before Aaron their father. (But then Nadab and Abihu were killed, when they offered unholy fire before the Lord, in the Sinai Desert, and they died before having any children; and so Eleazar and Ithamar were ordained in the priesthood in the sight of their father Aaron.)

5 And the Lord spake to Moses, saying,

6 Present thou the lineage of Levi, and make it to stand in the sight of Aaron, the priest, that they minister to him; (Present thou the tribe of Levi, and make them to stand before Aaron, the priest, to serve him;)

Numbers 3:1-6 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.