Numbers 3

Numbers 3:1-13

We have in this chapter. 1. A genealogy of the priests, ver. 1—4. 2. The Levites given them for affiants, instead of the first-born, ver. 5—7. 3. The several families of Israel numbered, and their post affigned, ver. 14—39. 4. The first-born numbered of the people, ver. 40—45. 5. What were more than the Levites redeemed, ver. 46—51.

1. THESE also are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai. 2. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; * Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ifikumar. 3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron; the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4. * And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ifikumar ministered in the priest’s office, in the light of Aaron their father. 5. ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 6. Being the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation, before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8. And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9. And * thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron, and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. 10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office; and * the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

death. Deuel. Chap. I. 14. & no. 48. 47. & 8. 10. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

deach. 11. ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12. And I, behold ‘I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-born that opened the mantis among the children of Israel, therefore the Levites shall be mine. 13. Because ‘all the first-born are mine: ‘For on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beall, mine they shall be: I am the LORD.

The family of Aaron being appointed to the priest’s office, we have,

1. A particular account of them, Nadal and Ahihu perfited children, for their disobedience, Eleanor and Eleanor remained. Made cautious by the warning given them, they ministered under Aaron’s eye. ‘I’m good to be under direction of the elder and more experienced. They alone were permitted to enter the holy place, and it was death for any other to come there. Nite, Introders into the priest’s office, who have no divine call, will by and by be met with a terrible enquiry, Friend, how camels thou in hither.’

2. As there was much work in the tabernacle, and so few to minister, the tribe of Levi is given to Aaron, as his assistants. The charge of the tabernacle, and all its appurtenances in their marches, was committed to them; they helped the priests about the sacrifices, kept clean the court, and were the constant guard. They were taken of God instead of the first-born, who were consecrated to him in return for their deliverance in Egypt, when God spared them and flew the Egyptians. The lives which God preserves by his providence, he hath a double right to expect should be employed in his service: and how much more the souls redeemed by the death of his own son!

3. ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15. Number the children of Levi, after the house of their fathers, by their families: ’every male, from a month old and upward, shall thou number them. 16. And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded, 17. And ’these were the sons of Levi, by their names: Gerthon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18. And these are the names of the sons of Gerthon, by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19. And the sons of Kohath by their families: ‘Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20. And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli, and Mufhi: these are the families of the Levites, according to the house of their fathers. 21. Of Gerthon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimizes: these are the families of the Gerthonites. 22. Those that were numbered of them according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were those that were numbered of them, were seven thousand and five hundred. 23. The families of the Gerthonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24. And the chief of the house of the father of the Gerthonites shall be Elizabeth the son of Lael. 25. And ’the charge of the sons of Gerthon, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall be ’the tabernacle, and ’the tent, ’the covering thereof, and ’the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 26. And ’the hangings of the court, and ’the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and ’the cords of it, for all the service thereof. 27. ¶ And ‘of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 28. In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29. The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30. And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites, shall be Elizabeth the son of Uzziel. 31. And their ‘charge shall be ’the ark, and ’the table, and ’the candlestick, and ’the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary, wherewith they minister, and the ‘hanging, and all the service thereof. 32. And Eleanor the son of Aaron the priest, shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. 33. ¶ Of Merari was the family of the Mufhites, and the family of the Mufhites: these are the families of Merari. 34. And those that were num-

bred of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. 35. And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari, was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle, northward. 36. And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth therein. 37. And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. 38. ¶ But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, were before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, for the charge of the children of Israel: and ’the stranger that cometh night, shall be put to death. 39. ‘All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males, from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.

Numbers 3:14-39

The Levites are ordered to be numbered, that they may have their work appointed them. They are to be reckoned from a month old, as being taken in line of the first-born, to be trained up for the service of the sanctuary, and according to their houses and family, each family being assigned a separate employ. If a woman were married to one of another tribe, her children were reckoned to their father’s tribe. They were divided into three branches, as descended from Gerthon, Kohath and Merari; and these subdivided, according to the names of their families: when encamped each branch had their station and captain, Gerthon westward, Kohath southward, Merari northward, Moses, Aaron and the priest’s eastward, at the door of the tabernacle. In a march the curtains and coverings of the tabernacle belonged to the family of Gerthon, the sacred furniture of the tabernacle were Kohath’s charge, the boards, pillars, &c. were assigned to Merari. Moses’s posterity have not the least distinguished honour, but class with the house of Amram. Nothing has a worse appearance than when rulers seek to raise their needy relations, without respect to their merit. The numbers of each family united make 22,300, though they are called only 22,000, three hundred being first-born, and therefore not to be reckoned in the exchange to be made, God having a prior right to them. Levi was the least of the tribes, signifying the few chosen, of which the spiritual church of Christ will ever be composed. Happy they who are of that few.

40. ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41. And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel: and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. 42. And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel. 43. And all the first-born males, by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand and threefores and thirteen. 44. ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45. Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46. And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threefores and thirteen, of the first-born of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 47. Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: ’the shekel is twenty gerals. 48. And thou shalt give the money wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 49. And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites. 50. Of the first-born of the children of Israel took he the money, a thousand three hundred and threefores and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 51. And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 3:40-51

Moses is ordered to number the first-born of the people, Bohus Chrift 1490.

people, and the Levites and their cattle are taken in exchange for God. The number was found 22,273. The surplus 273 are ordered to be redeemed at five shekels a-piece, and these to be given to Aaron, in lieu of the persons. Whether this were done by Lot, or whether the last who were numbered, paid, or whether the public redeemed them, is uncertain. Now, Though silver and gold might ransom these, nothing less than the blood of Jesus Christ could redeem those first-born, whose names are written in heaven.