Numbers 3:9-19

9 Assign the L'vi'im to Aharon and his sons; their one responsibility in regard to the people of Isra'el is to serve him.

10 You are to appoint Aharon and his sons to carry out the duties of cohanim; anyone else who involves himself is to be put to death."

11 ADONAI said to Moshe,

12 "I have taken the L'vi'im from among the people of Isra'el in lieu of every firstborn male that is first from the womb among the people of Isra'el; the L'vi'im are to be mine.

13 All the firstborn males belong to me, because on the day that I killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, I separated for myself all the firstborn males in Isra'el, both human and animal. They are mine; I am ADONAI."

14 ADONAI said to Moshe in the Sinai Desert,

15 "Take a census of the tribe of Levi by clans and families. Count every male a month old or over."

16 Moshe counted them in the manner ADONAI had said, as he had been ordered.

17 The names of the sons of Levi were Gershon, K'hat and M'rari.

18 The names of the sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim'i; they fathered their respective clans;

19 likewise the sons of K'hat -'Amram,Yitz'har, Hevron and 'Uzi'el -

Numbers 3:9-19 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.