The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 3 -

(Leviticus 10:1–7)

Now this is the history of the descendants of Aaron and Moses when Yahweh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed and who were ordained to serve as priests.

But Nadab and Abihu fell dead before Yahweh when they offered to him unacceptable fire in the wilderness of Sinai. Nadab and Abihu had no children, so just Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with Aaron their father.

The Duties of the Levites

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest for them to help him.

They must perform the duties on behalf of Aaron and the whole community before the tent of meeting. They must serve in the tabernacle.

They must care for all the furnishings in the tent of meeting, and they must help the tribes of Israel to carry out the tabernacle service.

You must give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They are wholly given to help him serve the people of Israel.

You must appoint Aaron and his sons as priests, but any foreigner who comes near must be put to death.”

Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

“Look, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I have done this instead of taking each firstborn male who is born among the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me.

All the firstborn belong to me. On the day that I attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both people and animals. They belong to me. I am Yahweh.”

The Numbering of the Levites

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,

“Count the descendants of Levi in each family, in their ancestor’s houses. Count every male who is one month old and older.”

Moses counted them, following the word of Yahweh, just as he was commanded to do.

The names of Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The clans coming from Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei.

The clans coming from Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

The clans coming from Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, listed clan by clan.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 4:21–28; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)

The clans of the Libnites and the Shimeites come from Gershon. These are the clans of the Gershonites.

All the males from a month old and older were counted, totaling 7,500.

The clans of the Gershonites must camp on the west side of the tabernacle.

Eliasaph son of Lael must lead the clans of the descendants of the Gershonites.

The family of Gershon must care for the tent of meeting including the tabernacle. They must care for the tent, its covering, and the curtain used as the entrance to the tent of meeting.

They must care for the courtyard hangings, the curtain at the courtyard entrance-the courtyard that surrounds the sanctuary and the altar. They must care for the ropes of the tent of meeting and for everything in it.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 4:1–20; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)

These clans come from Kohath: the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites. These clans belong to the Kohathites.

8,600 males have been counted aged one month old and older to take care of the things that belong to Yahweh.

The families of the descendants of Kohath must camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

Elizaphan son of Uzziel must lead the clans of the Kohathites.

They must care for the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the holy things that are used in their service, the curtain, and all the work around it.

Eleazar son of Aaron the priest must lead the men who lead the Levites. He must supervise the men who care for the holy place.

The Merarites

(Numbers 4:29–33; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

Two clans have come from Merari: the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites. These clans have come from Merari.

6,200 males have been counted aged one month old and older.

Zuriel son of Abihail must lead the clans of Merari. They must camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

The descendants of Merari must care for the framing of the tabernacle, the crossbars, posts, bases, all the hardware, and everything related to them, including

the pillars and posts of the courtyard that surround the tabernacle, with their sockets, pegs, and ropes.

Moses and Aaron

Moses and Aaron and his sons must camp on the east side of the tabernacle, in front of the tent of meeting, toward the sunrise. They are responsible for the fulfillment of the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the people of Israel. Any foreigner who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death.

Moses and Aaron counted all the males in the clans of Levi who were aged one month old and older, just as Yahweh commanded. They counted twenty-two thousand men.

The Redemption of the Firstborn

Yahweh said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the people of Israel who are aged one month old and older. List their names.

You must take the Levites for me-I am Yahweh-instead of all the firstborn of the people of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of the firstborn of the livestock of the descendants of Israel.”

Moses counted all the firstborn people of Israel as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

He counted all the firstborn males by name, aged one month old and older. He counted 22,273 men.

Again, Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and take the Levites’ livestock instead of the people’s livestock. The Levites belong to me-I am Yahweh.

You must collect five shekels for the redemption of each of the 273 firstborn people of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites.

You must use the shekel of the sanctuary as your standard weight. The shekel equals twenty gerahs.

You must give the price of redemption that you paid to Aaron and his sons.”

So Moses collected the payment of redemption from those who exceeded the number of those redeemed by the Levites.

Moses collected the money from the firstborn of the people of Israel. He collected 1,365 shekels, weighing with the shekel of the sanctuary.

Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons. Moses did everything he was told to do by Yahweh’s word, as Yahweh had commanded him.

(Leviticus 10:1–7)

Now this is the history of the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.

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. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.

The Duties of the Levites

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

They shall keep his requirements, and the requirements of the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.

They shall keep all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, and the obligations of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

You shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the children of Israel.

You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Behold,(a) I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine,

for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal. They shall be mine. I am the LORD.”

The Numbering of the Levites

The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

“Count the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families. You shall count every male from a month old and upward.”

Moses counted them according to the LORD’s word, as he was commanded.

These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 4:21–28; 1 Chronicles 23:7–11)

Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites. These are the families of the Gershonites.

Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, even those who were counted of them were seven thousand five hundred.

The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.

Eliasaph the son of Lael shall be the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites.

The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,

the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 4:1–20; 1 Chronicles 23:12–20)

Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites.

According to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.

The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.

The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service.

Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.

The Merarites

(Numbers 4:29–33; 1 Chronicles 23:21–23)

Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.

Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.(b)

The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.

The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,

the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.

Moses and Aaron

Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, with Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.

All who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

The Redemption of the Firstborn

The LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

You shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”

Moses counted, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

All the firstborn males according to the number of names from a month old and upward, of those who were counted of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD.

For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites,

you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; according to the shekel

(c)

of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs (d));

and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.”

Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;

from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels,(e) according to the shekel of the sanctuary;

and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the LORD’s word, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Footnotes

(a)3:12 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(b)3:34 + 22,000 is the sum rounded to 2 significant digits. The sum of the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites given above is 22,300, but the traditional Hebrew text has the number rounded to 2 significant digits, not 3 significant digits.

(d)3:47 A gerah is about 0.5 grams or about 7.7 grains.

(e)3:50 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1365 shekels is about 13.65 kilograms or about 30 pounds.