25 And the charge H4931 of the sons H1121 of Gershon H1648 in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 shall be the tabernacle, H4908 and the tent, H168 the covering H4372 thereof, and the hanging H4539 for the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150
And of the Levites; H3881 Shemaiah H8098 the son H1121 of Hasshub, H2815 the son H1121 of Azrikam, H5840 the son H1121 of Hashabiah, H2811 of the sons H1121 of Merari; H4847 And Bakbakkar, H1230 Heresh, H2792 and Galal, H1559 and Mattaniah H4983 the son H1121 of Micah, H4316 the son H1121 of Zichri, H2147 the son H1121 of Asaph; H623 And Obadiah H5662 the son H1121 of Shemaiah, H8098 the son H1121 of Galal, H1559 the son H1121 of Jeduthun, H3038 and Berechiah H1296 the son H1121 of Asa, H609 the son H1121 of Elkanah, H511 that dwelt H3427 in the villages H2691 of the Netophathites. H5200 And the porters H7778 were, Shallum, H7967 and Akkub, H6126 and Talmon, H2929 and Ahiman, H289 and their brethren: H251 Shallum H7967 was the chief; H7218 Who hitherto waited in the king's H4428 gate H8179 eastward: H4217 they were porters H7778 in the companies H4264 of the children H1121 of Levi. H3878 And Shallum H7967 the son H1121 of Kore, H6981 the son H1121 of Ebiasaph, H43 the son H1121 of Korah, H7141 and his brethren, H251 of the house H1004 of his father, H1 the Korahites, H7145 were over the work H4399 of the service, H5656 keepers H8104 of the gates H5592 of the tabernacle: H168 and their fathers, H1 being over the host H4264 of the LORD, H3068 were keepers H8104 of the entry. H3996 And Phinehas H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar H499 was the ruler H5057 over them in time past, H6440 and the LORD H3068 was with him. And Zechariah H2148 the son H1121 of Meshelemiah H4920 was porter H7778 of the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 All these which were chosen H1305 to be porters H7778 in the gates H5592 were two hundred H3967 and twelve. H8147 H6240 These were reckoned by their genealogy H3187 in their villages, H2691 whom H1992 David H1732 and Samuel H8050 the seer H7200 did ordain H3245 in their set office. H530 So they and their children H1121 had the oversight of the gates H8179 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 namely, the house H1004 of the tabernacle, H168 by wards. H4931 In four H702 quarters H7307 were the porters, H7778 toward the east, H4217 west, H3220 north, H6828 and south. H5045 And their brethren, H251 which were in their villages, H2691 were to come H935 after seven H7651 days H3117 from time H6256 to time H6256 with them. For these Levites, H3881 the four H702 chief H1368 porters, H7778 were in their set office, H530 and were over the chambers H3957 and treasuries H214 of the house H1004 of God. H430 And they lodged H3885 round about H5439 the house H1004 of God, H430 because the charge H4931 was upon them, and the opening H4668 thereof every morning H1242 pertained to them. And certain of them had the charge of H5921 the ministering H5656 vessels, H3627 that they should bring them in H935 and out H3318 by tale. H4557 H4557 Some of them also were appointed H4487 to oversee the vessels, H3627 and all the instruments H3627 of the sanctuary, H6944 and the fine flour, H5560 and the wine, H3196 and the oil, H8081 and the frankincense, H3828 and the spices. H1314 And some of the sons H1121 of the priests H3548 made H7543 the ointment H4842 of the spices. H1314 And Mattithiah, H4993 one of the Levites, H3881 who was the firstborn H1060 of Shallum H7967 the Korahite, H7145 had the set office H530 over the things that were made H4639 in the pans. H2281 And other of their brethren, H251 of the sons H1121 of the Kohathites, H6956 were over the shewbread, H3899 H4635 to prepare H3559 it every sabbath. H7676 And these are the singers, H7891 chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of the Levites, H3881 who remaining in the chambers H3957 were free: H6362 H6359 for they were employed in that work H4399 day H3119 and night. H3915
Having G2192 then G1161 gifts G5486 differing G1313 according G2596 to the grace G5485 that is given G1325 to us, G2254 whether G1535 prophecy, G4394 let us prophesy according G2596 to the proportion G356 of faith; G4102 Or G1535 ministry, G1248 let us wait on G1722 our ministering: G1248 or G1535 he that teacheth, G1321 on G1722 teaching; G1319 Or G1535 he that exhorteth, G3870 on G1722 exhortation: G3874 he that giveth, G3330 let him do it with G1722 simplicity; G572 he that ruleth, G4291 with G1722 diligence; G4710 he that sheweth mercy, G1653 with G1722 cheerfulness. G2432
And I said H559 unto them, Ye are holy H6944 unto the LORD; H3068 the vessels H3627 are holy H6944 also; and the silver H3701 and the gold H2091 are a freewill offering H5071 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers. H1 Watch H8245 ye, and keep H8104 them, until ye weigh H8254 them before H6440 the chief H8269 of the priests H3548 and the Levites, H3881 and chief H8269 of the fathers H1 of Israel, H3478 at Jerusalem, H3389 in the chambers H3957 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 So took H6901 the priests H3548 and the Levites H3881 the weight H4948 of the silver, H3701 and the gold, H2091 and the vessels, H3627 to bring H935 them to Jerusalem H3389 unto the house H1004 of our God. H430
Then Hezekiah H3169 commanded H559 to prepare H3559 chambers H3957 in the house H1004 of the LORD; H3068 and they prepared H3559 them, And brought in H935 the offerings H8641 and the tithes H4643 and the dedicated H6944 things faithfully: H530 over which Cononiah H3562 the Levite H3881 was ruler, H5057 and Shimei H8096 his brother H251 was the next. H4932 And Jehiel, H3171 and Azaziah, H5812 and Nahath, H5184 and Asahel, H6214 and Jerimoth, H3406 and Jozabad, H3107 and Eliel, H447 and Ismachiah, H3253 and Mahath, H4287 and Benaiah, H1141 were overseers H6496 under the hand H3027 of Cononiah H3562 and Shimei H8096 his brother, H251 at the commandment H4662 of Hezekiah H3169 the king, H4428 and Azariah H5838 the ruler H5057 of the house H1004 of God. H430 And Kore H6981 the son H1121 of Imnah H3232 the Levite, H3881 the porter H7778 toward the east, H4217 was over the freewill offerings H5071 of God, H430 to distribute H5414 the oblations H8641 of the LORD, H3068 and the most H6944 holy things. H6944 And next him were Eden, H5731 and Miniamin, H4509 and Jeshua, H3442 and Shemaiah, H8098 Amariah, H568 and Shecaniah, H7935 in the cities H5892 of the priests, H3548 in their set office, H530 to give H5414 to their brethren H251 by H3027 courses, H4256 as well to the great H1419 as to the small: H6996 Beside their genealogy H3187 of males, H2145 from three H7969 years H8141 old H1121 and upward, H4605 even unto every one that entereth H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 his daily H3117 H3117 portion H1697 for their service H5656 in their charges H4931 according to their courses; H4256 Both to the genealogy H3187 of the priests H3548 by the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 and the Levites H3881 from twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 and upward, H4605 in their charges H4931 by their courses; H4256 And to the genealogy H3187 of all their little ones, H2945 their wives, H802 and their sons, H1121 and their daughters, H1323 through all the congregation: H6951 for in their set office H530 they sanctified H6942 themselves in holiness: H6944
As concerning the sons H1121 of Laadan; H3936 the sons H1121 of the Gershonite H1649 Laadan, H3936 chief H7218 fathers, H1 even of Laadan H3936 the Gershonite, H1649 were Jehieli. H3172 The sons H1121 of Jehieli; H3172 Zetham, H2241 and Joel H3100 his brother, H251 which were over the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068
Moreover thou shalt make H6213 the tabernacle H4908 with ten H6235 curtains H3407 of fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 and blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet: H8144 H8438 with cherubims H3742 of cunning H2803 work H4639 shalt thou make H6213 them. The length H753 of one H259 curtain H3407 shall be eight H8083 and twenty H6242 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 of one H259 curtain H3407 four H702 cubits: H520 and every one of the curtains H3407 shall have one H259 measure. H4060 The five H2568 curtains H3407 shall be coupled together H2266 one H802 to another; H269 and other five H2568 curtains H3407 shall be coupled H2266 one H802 to another. H269 And thou shalt make H6213 loops H3924 of blue H8504 upon the edge H8193 of the one H259 curtain H3407 from the selvedge H7098 in the coupling; H2279 and likewise shalt thou make H6213 in the uttermost H7020 edge H8193 of another curtain, H3407 in the coupling H4225 of the second. H8145 Fifty H2572 loops H3924 shalt thou make H6213 in the one H259 curtain, H3407 and fifty H2572 loops H3924 shalt thou make H6213 in the edge H7097 of the curtain H3407 that is in the coupling H4225 of the second; H8145 that the loops H3924 may take hold H6901 one H802 of another. H269 And thou shalt make H6213 fifty H2572 taches H7165 of gold, H2091 and couple H2266 the curtains H3407 together with H802 H269 the taches: H7165 and it shall be one H259 tabernacle. H4908 And thou shalt make H6213 curtains H3407 of goats' H5795 hair to be a covering H168 upon the tabernacle: H4908 eleven H6249 H6240 curtains H3407 shalt thou make. H6213 The length H753 of one H259 curtain H3407 shall be thirty H7970 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 of one H259 curtain H3407 four H702 cubits: H520 and the eleven H6249 H6240 curtains H3407 shall be all of one H259 measure. H4060 And thou shalt couple H2266 five H2568 curtains H3407 by themselves, and six H8337 curtains H3407 by themselves, and shalt double H3717 the sixth H8345 curtain H3407 in the forefront H4136 H6440 of the tabernacle. H168 And thou shalt make H6213 fifty H2572 loops H3924 on the edge H8193 of the one H259 curtain H3407 that is outmost H7020 in the coupling, H2279 and fifty H2572 loops H3924 in the edge H8193 of the curtain H3407 which coupleth H2279 the second. H8145 And thou shalt make H6213 fifty H2572 taches H7165 of brass, H5178 and put H935 the taches H7165 into the loops, H3924 and couple H2266 the tent H168 together, that it may be one. H259 And the remnant H5629 that remaineth H5736 of the curtains H3407 of the tent, H168 the half H2677 curtain H3407 that remaineth, H5736 shall hang H5628 over the backside H268 of the tabernacle. H4908 And a cubit H520 on the one side, H2088 and a cubit H520 on the other side of that which remaineth H5736 in the length H753 of the curtains H3407 of the tent, H168 it shall hang H5628 over the sides H6654 of the tabernacle H4908 on this side and on that side, to cover H3680 it. And thou shalt make H6213 a covering H4372 for the tent H168 of rams' H352 skins H5785 dyed red, H119 and a covering H4372 above H4605 of badgers' H8476 skins. H5785
This is the service H5656 of the families H4940 of the Gershonites, H1649 to serve, H5647 and for burdens: H4853 And they shall bear H5375 the curtains H3407 of the tabernacle, H4908 and the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 his covering, H4372 and the covering H4372 of the badgers' H8476 skins that is above H4605 upon it, and the hanging H4539 for the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 And the hangings H7050 of the court, H2691 and the hanging H4539 for the door H6607 of the gate H8179 of the court, H2691 which is by the tabernacle H4908 and by the altar H4196 round about, H5439 and their cords, H4340 and all the instruments H3627 of their service, H5656 and all that is made H6213 for them: so shall they serve. H5647 At the appointment H6310 of Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 shall be all the service H5656 of the sons H1121 of the Gershonites, H1649 in all their burdens, H4853 and in all their service: H5656 and ye shall appoint H6485 unto them in charge H4931 all their burdens. H4853 This is the service H5656 of the families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Gershon H1649 in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150 and their charge H4931 shall be under the hand H3027 of Ithamar H385 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest. H3548
And he made H6213 an hanging H4539 for the tabernacle H168 door H6607 of blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet, H8144 H8438 and fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 of needlework; H7551 H4639 And the five H2568 pillars H5982 of it with their hooks: H2053 and he overlaid H6823 their chapiters H7218 and their fillets H2838 with gold: H2091 but their five H2568 sockets H134 were of brass. H5178
And every wise H2450 hearted man H3820 among them that wrought H6213 the work H4399 of the tabernacle H4908 made H6213 ten H6235 curtains H3407 of fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 and blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet: H8144 H8438 with cherubims H3742 of cunning H2803 work H4639 made H6213 he them. The length H753 of one H259 curtain H3407 was twenty H6242 and eight H8083 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 of one H259 curtain H3407 four H702 cubits: H520 the curtains H3407 were all of one H259 size. H4060 And he coupled H2266 the five H2568 curtains H3407 one H259 unto another: H259 and the other five H2568 curtains H3407 he coupled H2266 one H259 unto another. H259 And he made H6213 loops H3924 of blue H8504 on the edge H8193 of one H259 curtain H3407 from the selvedge H7098 in the coupling: H4225 likewise he made H6213 in the uttermost H7020 side H8193 of another curtain, H3407 in the coupling H4225 of the second. H8145 Fifty H2572 loops H3924 made H6213 he in one H259 curtain, H3407 and fifty H2572 loops H3924 made H6213 he in the edge H7097 of the curtain H3407 which was in the coupling H4225 of the second: H8145 the loops H3924 held H6901 one H259 curtain to another. H259 And he made H6213 fifty H2572 taches H7165 of gold, H2091 and coupled H2266 the curtains H3407 one H259 unto another H259 with the taches: H7165 so it became one H259 tabernacle. H4908 And he made H6213 curtains H3407 of goats' H5795 hair for the tent H168 over the tabernacle: H4908 eleven H6249 H6240 curtains H3407 he made H6213 them. The length H753 of one H259 curtain H3407 was thirty H7970 cubits, H520 and four H702 cubits H520 was the breadth H7341 of one H259 curtain: H3407 the eleven H6249 H6240 curtains H3407 were of one H259 size. H4060 And he coupled H2266 five H2568 curtains H3407 by themselves, and six H8337 curtains H3407 by themselves. And he made H6213 fifty H2572 loops H3924 upon the uttermost H7020 edge H8193 of the curtain H3407 in the coupling, H4225 and fifty H2572 loops H3924 made H6213 he upon the edge H8193 of the curtain H3407 which coupleth H2279 the second. H8145 And he made H6213 fifty H2572 taches H7165 of brass H5178 to couple H2266 the tent H168 together, H2266 that it might be one. H259 And he made H6213 a covering H4372 for the tent H168 of rams' H352 skins H5785 dyed red, H119 and a covering H4372 of badgers' H8476 skins H5785 above H4605 that.
And thou shalt make H6213 an hanging H4539 for the door H6607 of the tent, H168 of blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet, H8438 H8144 and fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 wrought H4639 with needlework. H7551 And thou shalt make H6213 for the hanging H4539 five H2568 pillars H5982 of shittim H7848 wood, and overlay H6823 them with gold, H2091 and their hooks H2053 shall be of gold: H2091 and thou shalt cast H3332 five H2568 sockets H134 of brass H5178 for them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 3
Commentary on Numbers 3 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Muster of the Tribe of Levi. - As Jacob had adopted the two sons of Joseph as his own sons, and thus promoted them to the rank of heads of tribes, the tribe of Levi formed, strictly speaking, the thirteenth tribe of the whole nation, and was excepted from the muster of the twelve tribes who were destined to form the army of Jehovah, because God had chosen it for the service of the sanctuary. Out of this tribe God had not only called Moses to be the deliverer, lawgiver, and leader of His people, but Moses' brother Aaron, with the sons of the latter, to be the custodians of the sanctuary. And now, lastly, the whole tribe was chosen, in the place of the first-born of all the tribes, to assist the priests in performing the duties of the sanctuary, and was numbered and mustered for this its special calling.
Numbers 3:1
In order to indicate at the very outset the position which the Levites were to occupy in relation to the priests (viz., Aaron and his descendants), the account of their muster commences not only with the enumeration of the sons of Aaron who were chosen as priests (Numbers 3:2-4), but with the heading: “ These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day (i.e., at the time) when Jehovah spake with Moses in Mount Sinai (Numbers 3:1). The toledoth (see at Genesis 2:4) of Moses and Aaron are not only the families which sprang from Aaron and Moses, but the Levitical families generally, which were named after Aaron and Moses, because they were both of them raised into the position of heads or spiritual fathers of the whole tribe, namely, at the time when God spoke to Moses upon Sinai. Understood in this way, the notice as to the time is neither a superfluous repetition, nor introduced with reference to the subsequent numbering of the people in the steppes of Moab (Numbers 26:57.). Aaron is placed before Moses here (see at Exodus 6:26.), not merely as being the elder of the two, but because his sons received the priesthood, whilst the sons of Moses, on the contrary, were classed among the rest of the Levitical families (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:14).
Numbers 3:2-4
Names of the sons of Aaron, the “ anointed priests (see Leviticus 8:12), whose hand they filled to be priests, ” i.e., who were appointed to the priesthood (see at Leviticus 7:37). On Nadab and Abihu, see Leviticus 10:1-2. As they had neither of them any children when they were put to death, Eleazar and Ithamar were the only priests “ in the sight of Aaron their father, ” i.e., during his lifetime. “ In the sight of: ” as in Genesis 11:28.
The Levites are placed before Aaron the priest, to be his servants.
Numbers 3:6
“ Bring near: ” as in Exodus 28:1. The expression לפני עמד is frequently met with in connection with the position of a servant, as standing before his master to receive his commands.
Numbers 3:7-8
They were to keep the charge of Aaron and the whole congregation before the tabernacle, to attend to the service of the dwelling, i.e., to observe what Aaron (the priest) and the whole congregation were bound to perform in relation to the service at the dwelling-place of Jehovah. “ To keep the charge: ” see Numbers 1:53 and Genesis 26:5. In Numbers 3:8 this is more fully explained: they were to keep the vessels of the tabernacle, and to attend to all that was binding upon the children of Israel in relation to them, i.e., to take the oversight of the furniture, to keep it safe and clean.
Numbers 3:9
Moses was also to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. “ They are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel: ” the repetition of נתוּנם here and in Numbers 8:16 is emphatic, and expressive of complete surrender ( Ewald , §313). The Levites, however, as nethunim, must be distinguished from the nethinim of non-Israelitish descent, who were given to the Levites at a later period as temple slaves, to perform the lowest duties connected with the sanctuary (see at Joshua 9:27).
Numbers 3:10
Aaron and his sons were to be appointed by Moses to take charge of the priesthood; as no stranger, no one who was not a son of Aaron, could approach the sanctuary without being put to death (cf. Numbers 1:53 and Leviticus 22:10).
God appointed the Levites for this service, because He had decided to adopt them as His own in the place of all the first-born of Egypt. When He slew the first-born of Egypt, He sanctified to Himself all the first-born of Israel, of man and beast, for His own possession (see Exodus 13:1-2). By virtue of this sanctification, which was founded upon the adoption of the whole nation as His first-born son, the nation was required to dedicate to Him its first-born sons for service at the sanctuary, and sacrifice all the first-born of its cattle to Him. But now the Levites and their cattle were to be adopted in their place, and the first-born sons of Israel to be released in return (Numbers 3:40.). By this arrangement, through which the care of the service at the sanctuary was transferred to one tribe, which would and should henceforth devote itself with undivided interest to this vocation, not only was a more orderly performance of this service secured, than could have been effected through the first-born of all the tribes; but so far as the whole nation was concerned, the fulfilment of its obligations in relation to this service was undoubtedly facilitated. Moreover, the Levites had proved themselves to be the most suitable of all the tribes for his post, through their firm and faithful defence of the honour of the Lord at the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:26.). It is in this spirit, which distinguished the tribe of Levi, that we may undoubtedly discover the reason why they were chosen by God for the service of the sanctuary, and not in the fact that Moses and Aaron belonged to the tribe, and desired to form a hierarchical caste of the members of their own tribe, such as was to be found among other nations: the magi, for example, among the Medes, the Chaldeans among the Persians, and the Brahmins among the Indians. יהוה אני לי , “ to Me, to Me, Jehovah ” (Numbers 3:13, Numbers 3:41, and Numbers 3:45; cf. Ges. §121, 3).
The muster of the Levites included all the males from a month old and upwards, because they were to be sanctified to Jehovah in the place of the first-born; and it was at the age of a month that the latter were either to be given up or redeemed (comp. Numbers 3:40 and Numbers 3:43 with Numbers 18:16). In Numbers 3:17-20 the sons of Levi and their sons are enumerated, who were the founders of the mishpachoth among the Levites, as in Exodus 6:16-19.
The Gershonites were divided into two families, containing 7500 males. They were to encamp under their chief Eliasaph, behind the tabernacle, i.e., on the western side (Numbers 3:23, Numbers 3:24), and were to take charge of the dwelling-place and the tent, the covering, the curtain at the entrance, the hangings round the court with the curtains at the door, and the cords of the tent, “ in relation to all the service thereof ” (Numbers 3:25.); that is to say, according to the more precise injunctions in Numbers 4:25-27, they were to carry the tapestry of the dwelling (the inner covering, Exodus 26:1.), and of the tent (i.e., the covering made of goats' hair, Exodus 26:7.), the covering thereof (i.e., the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of sea-cow skin upon the top of it, Exodus 27:16), the hangings of the court and the curtain at the entrance (Exodus 27:9, Exodus 27:16), which surrounded the altar (of burnt-offering) and the dwelling round about, and their cords, i.e., the cords of the tapestry, coverings, and curtains (Exodus 27:14), and all the instruments of their service, i.e., the things used in connection with their service ( Exodus 27:19), and were to attend to everything that had to be done to them; in other words, to perform whatever was usually done with those portions of the sanctuary that are mentioned here, especially in setting up the tabernacle or taking it down. The suffix in מיתריו (Numbers 3:26) does not refer to the court mentioned immediately before; for, according to Numbers 3:37, the Merarites were to carry the cords of the hangings of the court, but to the “dwelling and tent,” which stand farther off. In the same way the words, “ for all the service thereof, ” refer to all those portions of the sanctuary that are mentioned, and mean “everything that had to be done or attended to in connection with these things.”
The Kohathites , who were divided into four families, and numbered 8600, were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle, and more especially to keep the charge of the sanctuary (Numbers 3:28), viz., to take care of the ark of the covenant, the table (of shew-bread), the candlestick, the altars (of incense and burnt-offering), with the holy things required for the service performed in connection therewith, and the curtain (the veil before the most holy place), and to perform whatever had to be done (“all the service thereof,” see at Numbers 3:26), i.e., to carry the said holy things after they had been rolled up in covers by the priests (see Numbers 4:5.).
As the priests also formed part of the Kohathites, their chief is mentioned as well, viz., Eleazar the eldest son of Aaron the high priest, who was placed over the chiefs of the three Levitical families, and called פּקדּה , oversight of the keepers of the charge of the sanctuary, ” i.e., authority, superior, of the servants of the sanctuary.
The Merarites , who formed two families, comprising 6200 males, were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle, under their prince Zuriel , and to observe the boards, bolts, pillars, and sockets of the dwelling-place ( Exodus 26:15, Exodus 26:26, Exodus 26:32, Exodus 26:37), together with all the vessels thereof (the plugs and tools), and all that had to be done in connection therewith, also the pillars of the court with their sockets, the plugs and the cords (Exodus 27:10, Exodus 27:19; Exodus 35:18); that is to say, they were to take charge of these when the tabernacle was taken down, to carry them on the march, and to fix them when the tabernacle was set up again (Numbers 4:31-32).
Moses and Aaron, with the sons of the latter (the priests), were to encamp in front, before the tabernacle, viz., on the eastern side, “ as keepers of the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel, ” i.e., to attend to everything that was binding upon the children of Israel in relation to the care of the sanctuary, as no stranger was allowed to approach it on pain of death (see Numbers 1:51).
Numbers 3:39
The number of the Levites mustered, 22,000, does not agree with the numbers assigned to the three families, as 7500 + 8600 + 6200 = 22,300. But the total is correct; for, according to Numbers 3:46, the number of the first-born, 22,273, exceeded the total number of the Levites by 273. The attempt made by the Rabbins and others to reconcile the two, by supposing the 300 Levites in excess to be themselves first-born, who were omitted in the general muster, because they were not qualified to represent the first-born of the other tribes, is evidently forced and unsatisfactory. The whole account is so circumstantial, that such a fact as this would never have been omitted. We must rather assume that there is a copyist's error in the number of one of the Levitical families; possibly in Numbers 3:28 we should read שׁלשׁ for שׁשׁ (8300 for 8600). The puncta extraordinaria above ואהרן are intended to indicate that this word is either suspicious or spurious (see at Genesis 33:5); and it is actually omitted in Sam ., Syr ., and 12 MSS, but without sufficient reason: for although the divine command to muster the Levites (Numbers 3:5 and Numbers 3:14) was addressed to Moses alone, yet if we compare Numbers 4:1, Numbers 4:34, Numbers 4:37, Numbers 4:41, Numbers 4:45, where the Levites qualified for service are said to have been mustered by Moses and Aaron, and still more Numbers 4:46, where the elders of Israel are said to have taken part in the numbering of the Levites as well as in that of the twelve tribes (Numbers 1:3-4), there can be no reason to doubt that Aaron also took part in the mustering of the whole of the Levites, for the purpose of adoption in the place of the first-born of Israel; and no suspicion attaches to this introduction of his name in Numbers 3:39, although it is not mentioned in Numbers 3:5, Numbers 3:11, Numbers 3:14, Numbers 3:40, and Numbers 3:44.
After this, Moses numbered the first-born of the children of Israel, to exchange them for the Levites according to the command of God, which is repeated in Numbers 3:41 and Numbers 3:44-45 from Numbers 3:11-13, and to adopt the latter in their stead for the service at the sanctuary (on Numbers 3:41 and Numbers 3:45, cf. Numbers 3:11-13). The number of the first-born of the twelve tribes amounted to 22,273 of a month old and upwards (Numbers 3:43). Of this number 22,000 were exchanged for the 22,000 Levites, and the cattle of the Levites were also set against the first-born of the cattle of the tribes of Israel, though without their being numbered and exchanged head for head. In Numbers 3:44 and Numbers 3:45 the command of God concerning the adoption of the Levites is repeated, for the purpose of adding the further instructions with regard to the 273, the number by which the first-born of the tribes exceeded those of the Levites. “ And as for the redemption of the 273 (lit., the 273 to be redeemed) of the first-born of the children of Israel which were more than the Levites, thou shalt take five shekels a head, ” etc. This was the general price established by the law for the redemption of the first-born of men (see Numbers 18:16). On the sacred shekel, see at Exodus 30:13. The redemption money for 273 first-born, in all 1365 shekels, was to be paid to Aaron and his sons as compensation for the persons who properly belonged to Jehovah, and had been appointed as first-born for the service of the priests.
“ The redeemed of the Levites ” are the 22,000 who were redeemed by means of the Levites. In Numbers 3:50, the Chethibh הפּדים is the correct reading, and the Keri הפּדים an unnecessary emendation. The number of the first-born and that of the Levites has already been noticed in the introduction to Numbers 1.