Numbers 3:5-15

5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6 "¹Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

7 "They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the ²service of the tabernacle.

8 "They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

9 "You shall thus ³give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel.

10 "So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that ⁴they may keep their priesthood, but ⁵the layman who comes near shall be put to death."

11 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "Now, behold, I ⁶have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every ⁷firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.

13 "For ⁸all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD."

14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses ⁹in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

15 "¹⁰Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number."

Numbers 3:5-15 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 8:6-22; Numbers 18:1-7; Deuteronomy 10:8
• 2. Numbers 1:50
• 3. Numbers 18:6
• 4. Exodus 29:9
• 5. Numbers 1:51
• 6. Numbers 3:45; Numbers 8:14
• 7. Exodus 13:2
• 8. Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 27:26; Nehemiah 10:36
• 9. Exodus 19:1
• 10. Numbers 1:47

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "him and the duties of the whole congregation"
• [b] Lit "stranger"
• [c] Lit "muster," and so throughout the ch