15 Let all the children of Levi be numbered by their families and their fathers' houses; let every male of a month old and over be numbered.
Of these, twenty-three thousand males, from one month old and over, were numbered: they were not numbered with the rest of the children of Israel, for they had no heritage among the children of Israel.
But the Levites, of the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.
Those who were numbered of them, the males from one month old and over, were eight thousand, six hundred, who were responsible for the care of the holy place.
Those who were numbered of them, the males of a month old and over, were six thousand, two hundred.
All the Levites numbered by Moses and Aaron at the order of the Lord, all the males of one month old and over numbered in the order of their families, were twenty-two thousand. And the Lord said to Moses, Let all the first male children be numbered, and take the number of their names.
Every first son from a month old and over was numbered by name, and the number came to twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-three.
The first birth of every living thing which is offered to the Lord, of man or beast, is to be yours; but for the first sons of man payment is to be made, and for the first young of unclean beasts. Payment is to be made for these when they are a month old, at the value fixed by you, a price of five shekels by the scale of the holy place, that is, twenty gerahs to the shekel.
Go and say in the ears of Jerusalem, The Lord says, I still keep the memory of your kind heart when you were young, and your love when you became my bride; how you went after me in the waste of sand, in an unplanted land.
From far away he saw the Lord: my love for you is an eternal love: so with mercy I have made you come with me.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 3
Commentary on Numbers 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
This chapter and the next are concerning the tribe of Levi, which was to be mustered and marshalled by itself, and not in common with the other tribes, intimating the particular honour put upon them and the particular duty and service required from them. The Levites are in this chapter considered,
Num 3:1-13
Here,
Num 3:14-39
The Levites being granted to Aaron to minister to him, they are here delivered to him by tale, that he might know what he had, and employ them accordingly. Observe,
Num 3:40-51
Here is the exchange made of the Levites for the first-born.