Numbers 3:40-51

Firstborn Redeemed

40 Then the LORD said to Moses, "¹Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names.

41 "You ²shall take the Levites for Me, I am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel."

42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him;

43 and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were ³ 22,273 * * * * *.

44 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45 "⁴Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD.

46 "⁵For the ransom of the 273 * * of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites,

47 you shall take ⁶five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in ⁷terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (⁸the shekel is twenty gerahs ),

48 and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons."

49 So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites;

50 from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365 * * * *.

51 Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 3:40-51 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 3:15
• 2. Numbers 3:12, 45
• 3. Numbers 3:39
• 4. Numbers 3:12
• 5. Exodus 13:13, 15; Numbers 18:15, 16
• 6. Leviticus 27:6; Numbers 18:16
• 7. Exodus 30:13
• 8. Leviticus 27:25; Ezekiel 45:12

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "take the number"
• [b]. I.e. A gerah equals approx one-fortieth oz
• [c]. Lit "mouth"