Numbers 3

The Sons of Aaron

1 This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ¹

2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 These were Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests.

4 Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized ^[a] fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

The Duties of the Levites

5 Then the LORD said to Moses,

6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.

7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.

8 They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him ^[b] from among the Israelites.

10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

11 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

13 for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”

The Numbering of the Levites

14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 “Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”

16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.

17 These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.

The Gershonites

21 From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans. ²

22 The number of all the males a month old or more was 7,500.

23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,

24 and the leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.

25 The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

26 the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.

The Kohathites

27 From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites. ³

28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. ^[c] They were responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

29 The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

30 and the leader of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan ^[d] son of Uzziel.

31 Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.

32 The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.

The Merarites

33 From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans. ⁴

34 The number of all the males a month old or more was 6,200.

35 The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36 The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,

37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.

Moses and Aaron

38 Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

39 The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the LORD’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

The Redemption of the Firstborn

40 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names.

41 You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

43 The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

44 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,

47 you are to collect five shekels ^[e] for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs. ^[f]

48 Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.”

49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the number redeemed by the Levites.

50 He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, ^[g] according to the sanctuary shekel.

51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.

Numbers 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The sons of Aaron, The Levites taken instead of the first-born. (1-13) The Levites numbered by their families, Their duties. (14-39) The first-born are numbered. (40-51)

Verses 1-13 There was much work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only Aaron and his two sons to do it; God appoints the Levites to attend them. Those whom God finds work for, he will find help for. The Levites were taken instead of the first-born. When He that made us, saves us, as the first-born of Israel were saved, we are laid under further obligations to serve him faithfully. God's right to us by redemption, confirms the right he has to us by creation.

Verses 14-39 The Levites were in three classes, according to the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and these were subdivided into families. The posterity of Moses were not at all honoured or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites; thus it was plain, that Moses did not seek the advancement of his own family, or to secure any honours to it. The tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. God's chosen are but a little flock in comparison with the world.

Verses 40-51 The number of the first-born, and that of the Levites, came near to each other. Known unto God are all his works beforehand; there is an exact proportion between them, and so it will appear, when they are compared together. The small number of first-born, over and above the number of the Levites, were to be redeemed, and the redemption-money given to Aaron. The church is called the church of the first-born, which is redeemed, not as they were, with silver and gold; but, being devoted by sin to the justice of God, is ransomed with the precious blood of the Son of God. All men are the Lord's by creation, and all true christians are his by redemption. Each should know his own post and duty; nor can any service required by such a Master be rightly accounted mean or hard.

Cross References

• 1. (Leviticus 10:1–7)
• 2. (Numbers 4:21–28; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)
• 3. (Numbers 4:1–20; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)
• 4. (Numbers 4:29–33; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

Footnotes

• [a]. Or strange
• [b]. Most MT manuscripts; some MT manuscripts, SP, and LXX (see also Numbers 8:16) to Me
• [c]. Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts 8,300; see the total in verse 39.
• [d]. Elizaphan is a variant of Elzaphan; see Exodus 6:22 and Leviticus 10:4.
• [e]. 5 shekels is approximately 2 ounces or 57 grams.
• [f]. 20 gerahs is equivalent to one shekel (approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams).
• [g]. 1,365 shekels is approximately 34.3 pounds or 15.6 kilograms.

Chapter Summary

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.