Numbers 3:6-16

6 "Bring forward the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron so they can help him.

7 They shall work for him and the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of The Dwelling.

8 Their job is to be responsible for all the furnishings of The Dwelling, ministering to the affairs of The Dwelling as the People of Israel come to perform their duties.

9 Turn the Levites over to Aaron and his sons; they are the ones assigned to work full time for him.

10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to minister as priests; anyone else who tries to elbow his way in will be put to death."

11 God spoke to Moses:

12 "I have taken the Levites from among the People of Israel as a stand-in for every Israelite mother's firstborn son. The Levites belong to me.

13 All the firstborn are mine - when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I consecrated for my own use every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They belong to me. I am God."

14 God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai:

15 "Count the Levites by their ancestral families and clans. Count every male a month old and older."

16 Moses counted them just as he was instructed by the mouth of God.

Numbers 3:6-16 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.