Numbers 3:23-33

23 The families of Gershon shall pitch behind the tabernacle to the west;

24 and the prince of the house of the father of the Gershonites, Eliasaph, son of Lael.

25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the testimony shall be the tabernacle and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the testimony,

26 and the hangings of the court and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

27 And of Kohath was the family of Amram and the family of Izehar and the family of Hebron and the family of Uzziel; these are the families of the Kohathites.

28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle towards the Negev;

30 and the prince of the house of the father of the families of Kohath, Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.

31 And their charge shall be the ark and the table and the lampstand and the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the veil, with all its service.

32 And Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be principal over the princes of the Levites and have the oversight of those that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

33 Of Merari was the family of Mahli and the family of Mushi; these are the families of Merari.

Numbers 3:23-33 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.