Numbers 3:26-36

26 and the hangynges of the courte and the curtayne of the dore of the courte: which courte went rounde aboute the dwellynge and the alter and the cordes yt perteyned vnto all the seruyce therof

27 And of Cahath came the kynred of ye Amramites and the kynred of the Iezeharites and of the Hebronites and of the Vsielites: And these are the kynredes of ye Cahathites.

28 And the numbre of all the males from a moneth olde and aboue was .viij. thousande and sixe hundred: which wayted on ye holy place.

29 And the kynred of the childern of Cahath pitched on ye southsyde of ye dwellynge

30 And ye captayne in ye most auncyent housse of the kynredes of the Cahathites was Elizaphan the sonne of Vsiel

31 and their office was: the arcke the table the candelsticke and the alter and the holy vessels to minystre with and the vayle with all that serued thereto.

32 And Eleazar ye sonne of Aaron the preast was captayne ouer all the captaynes of the Leuites and had the ouer syghte of them that wayted vppon the holythynges.

33 And of Merari came the kynredes of the Mahelites and of the Musites: and these are the kynredes of the Merarites.

34 And the nubre of them (when all the males fro a moneth olde ad aboue was tolde) drewe vnto .vi thousande and .ij. hundred.

35 And ye captayne of the most auncient housse amonge the kynredes of the Merarites was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail which pitched on the north syde of the dwellynge.

36 And the office of the sonnes of Merari was: the bordes of ye dwellynge and the barres pilers with the sokettes thereof and all the instrumetes there of and all that serued thereto:

Numbers 3:26-36 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.