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Selected Verse: Numbers 3:40 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Nu 3:40 |
Strong Concordance |
And the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto Moses [04872], Number [06485] all the firstborn [01060] of the males [02145] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478] from a month [02320] old [01121] and upward [04605], and take [05375] the number [04557] of their names [08034]. |
| |
King James |
And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, &c.--The principle on which the enumeration of the Levites had been made was now to be applied to the other tribes. The number of their male children, from a month old and upward, was to be reckoned, in order that a comparison might be instituted with that of the Levites, for the formal adoption of the latter as substitutes for the first-born. The Levites, amounting to twenty-two thousand, were given in exchange for an equal number of the first-born from the other tribes, leaving an excess of two hundred seventy-three; and as there were no substitutes for these, they were redeemed at the rate of five shekels for each (Num 18:15-16). Every Israelite would naturally wish that his son might be redeemed by a Levite without the payment of this tax, and yet some would have to incur the expense, for there were not Levites enough to make an equal exchange. Jewish writers say the matter was determined by lot, in this manner: Moses put into an urn twenty-two thousand pieces of parchment, on each of which he wrote "a son of Levi," and two hundred seventy-three more, containing the words, "five shekels." These being shaken, he ordered each of the first-born to put in his hand and take out a slip. If it contained the first inscription, the boy was redeemed by a Levite; if the latter, the parent had to pay. The ransom-money, which, reckoning the shekel at half a crown, would amount to 12s. 6d. each, was appropriated to the use of the sanctuary. The excess of the general over the Levitical first-born is so small, that the only way of accounting for it is, by supposing those first-born only were counted as were males remaining in their parents' household, or that those first-born only were numbered which had been born since the departure from Egypt, when God claimed all the first-born as his special property. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| 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 Num 3:41 and Num 3:44-45 from Num 3:11-13, and to adopt the latter in their stead for the service at the sanctuary (on Num 3:41 and Num 3:45, cf. Num 3:11-13). The number of the first-born of the twelve tribes amounted to 22,273 of a month old and upwards (Num 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 Num 3:44 and Num 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 Num 18:16). On the sacred shekel, see at Exo 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. |
15 Every thing that openeth [06363] the matrix [07358] in all flesh [01320], which they bring [07126] unto the LORD [03068], whether it be of men [0120] or beasts [0929], shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn [01060] of man [0120] shalt thou surely [06299] redeem [06299], and the firstling [01060] of unclean [02931] beasts [0929] shalt thou redeem [06299].
16 And those that are to be redeemed [06299] from a month [02320] old [01121] shalt thou redeem [06299], according to thine estimation [06187], for the money [03701] of five [02568] shekels [08255], after the shekel [08255] of the sanctuary [06944], which is twenty [06242] gerahs [01626].
13 This they shall give [05414], every one that passeth [05674] among [05921] them that are numbered [06485], half [04276] a shekel [08255] after the shekel [08255] of the sanctuary [06944]: (a shekel [08255] is twenty [06242] gerahs [01626]:) an half [04276] shekel [08255] shall be the offering [08641] of the LORD [03068].
16 And those that are to be redeemed [06299] from a month [02320] old [01121] shalt thou redeem [06299], according to thine estimation [06187], for the money [03701] of five [02568] shekels [08255], after the shekel [08255] of the sanctuary [06944], which is twenty [06242] gerahs [01626].
45 Take [03947] the Levites [03881] instead of all the firstborn [01060] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478], and the cattle [0929] of the Levites [03881] instead of their cattle [0929]; and the Levites [03881] shall be mine: I am the LORD [03068].
44 And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872], saying [0559],
43 And all the firstborn [01060] males [02145] by the number [04557] of names [08034], from a month [02320] old [01121] and upward [04605], of those that were numbered [06485] of them, were twenty [06242] and two [08147] thousand [0505] two hundred [03967] and threescore and thirteen [07657] [07969].
11 And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872], saying [0559],
12 And I, behold, I have taken [03947] the Levites [03881] from among [08432] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] instead of all the firstborn [01060] that openeth [06363] the matrix [07358] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: therefore the Levites [03881] shall be mine;
13 Because all the firstborn [01060] are mine; for on the day [03117] that I smote [05221] all the firstborn [01060] in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] I hallowed [06942] unto me all the firstborn [01060] in Israel [03478], both man [0120] and beast [0929]: mine shall they be: I am the LORD [03068].
45 Take [03947] the Levites [03881] instead of all the firstborn [01060] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478], and the cattle [0929] of the Levites [03881] instead of their cattle [0929]; and the Levites [03881] shall be mine: I am the LORD [03068].
41 And thou shalt take [03947] the Levites [03881] for me (I am the LORD [03068]) instead of all the firstborn [01060] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478]; and the cattle [0929] of the Levites [03881] instead of all the firstlings [01060] among the cattle [0929] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478].
11 And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872], saying [0559],
12 And I, behold, I have taken [03947] the Levites [03881] from among [08432] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] instead of all the firstborn [01060] that openeth [06363] the matrix [07358] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: therefore the Levites [03881] shall be mine;
13 Because all the firstborn [01060] are mine; for on the day [03117] that I smote [05221] all the firstborn [01060] in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] I hallowed [06942] unto me all the firstborn [01060] in Israel [03478], both man [0120] and beast [0929]: mine shall they be: I am the LORD [03068].
44 And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872], saying [0559],
45 Take [03947] the Levites [03881] instead of all the firstborn [01060] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478], and the cattle [0929] of the Levites [03881] instead of their cattle [0929]; and the Levites [03881] shall be mine: I am the LORD [03068].
41 And thou shalt take [03947] the Levites [03881] for me (I am the LORD [03068]) instead of all the firstborn [01060] among the children [01121] of Israel [03478]; and the cattle [0929] of the Levites [03881] instead of all the firstlings [01060] among the cattle [0929] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478].