Numbers 3:48

48 and give the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons."

Numbers 3:48 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 3:48

And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of
them is to be redeemed
Or the superfluous number, the number of them that exceeded the Levites, namely, two hundred seventy three; the price of their redemption is ordered to be given

unto Aaron, and to his sons;
since the Levites were taken in lieu of the firstborn, whose redemption money belonged to the priests; and seeing the Levites were given to Aaron and his sons on that consideration, and there being a deficiency of them to answer to the firstborn, it was but right and just that the redemption price of the superfluous number should be paid to them.

Numbers 3:48 In-Context

46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the first-born of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites,
47 you shall take five shekels apiece; reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs, you shall take them,
48 and give the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons."
49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites;
50 from the first-born of the people of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary;
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.