Exodus 6:16

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their kindreds, Gedson, Caath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven.

Exodus 6:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 6:16

And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to
their generations
Whose sons, according to the order of their birth, were as follow:

Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari;
see ( Genesis 46:11 ) :

and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty seven
years;
and exactly the same number of years is assigned him by Polyhistor from Demetrius ^F3, an Heathen writer. Jarchi says, that the reason why, the years of the life of Levi are reckoned is to show how long the bondage lasted; for there was no servitude as long as any of the tribes (or of the sons of Jacob) remained, according to ( Exodus 1:6 Exodus 1:8 ) and the Jewish chronologers ^F4 affirm that Levi was the last of the patriarchs that died; and that he died in the year of the world 3332, and lived in Egypt ninety four years; and from his time, to the going out of Egypt, were only one hundred and sixteen years; and they further say the bondage could not last longer than one hundred and sixteen years, nor shorter than eighty seven. Bishop Usher ^F5 places his death in A. M. 2385, and before Christ 1619: according to the Targum of Jonathan, he lived to see Moses and Aaron the deliverers of Israel; but that is false, since Joseph and all his brethren died before Moses was born, ( Exodus 1:6 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 21. p. 425.
F4 Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 5. 1. Tzemach David, par. 1, fol. 6. 2. & 7. 1. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 3. p. 9.
F5 Annales Vet. Test. p. 17.

Exodus 6:16 In-Context

14 And these are the heads of the houses of their families: the sons of Ruben the first-born of Israel; Enoch and Phallus, Asron, and Charmi, this is the kindred of Ruben.

15 And the sons of Symeon, Jemuel and Jamin, and Aod, and Jachin and Saar, and Saul the son of a Phoenician woman, these are the families of the sons of Symeon.

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their kindreds, Gedson, Caath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven.

17 And these are the sons of Gedson, Lobeni and Semei, the houses of their family. And the sons of Caath,

18 Ambram and Issaar, Chebron, and Oziel; and the years of the life of Caath were a hundred and thirty-three years.