3 These are the names H8034 of the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 the priests H3548 which were anointed, H4886 whom he consecrated H4390 H3027 to minister in the priest's office. H3547
And thou shalt put H3847 them upon Aaron H175 thy brother, H251 and his sons H1121 with him; and shalt anoint H4886 them, and consecrate H4390 H3027 them, and sanctify H6942 them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. H3547
And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Take H3947 Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 with him, and the garments, H899 and the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and a bullock H6499 for the sin offering, H2403 and two H8147 rams, H352 and a basket H5536 of unleavened bread; H4682 And gather H6950 thou all the congregation H5712 together H6950 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And Moses H4872 did H6213 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 him; and the assembly H5712 was gathered together H6950 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the congregation, H5712 This is the thing H1697 which the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 to be done. H6213 And Moses H4872 brought H7126 Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 and washed H7364 them with water. H4325 And he put H5414 upon him the coat, H3801 and girded H2296 him with the girdle, H73 and clothed H3847 him with the robe, H4598 and put H5414 the ephod H646 upon him, and he girded H2296 him with the curious girdle H2805 of the ephod, H646 and bound H640 it unto him therewith. And he put H7760 the breastplate H2833 upon him: also he put H5414 in the breastplate H2833 the Urim H224 and the Thummim. H8550 And he put H7760 the mitre H4701 upon his head; H7218 also upon the mitre, H4701 even upon his forefront, H6440 H4136 did he put H7760 the golden H2091 plate, H6731 the holy H6944 crown; H5145 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
And Moses H4872 took H3947 of the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and of the blood H1818 which was upon the altar, H4196 and sprinkled H5137 it upon Aaron, H175 and upon his garments, H899 and upon his sons, H1121 and upon his sons' H1121 garments H899 with him; and sanctified H6942 Aaron, H175 and his garments, H899 and his sons, H1121 and his sons' H1121 garments H899 with him.
And this is the thing H1697 that thou shalt do H6213 unto them to hallow H6942 them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: H3547 Take H3947 one H259 young H1121 H1241 bullock, H6499 and two H8147 rams H352 without blemish, H8549 And unleavened H4682 bread, H3899 and cakes H2471 unleavened H4682 tempered H1101 with oil, H8081 and wafers H7550 unleavened H4682 anointed H4886 with oil: H8081 of wheaten H2406 flour H5560 shalt thou make H6213 them. And thou shalt put H5414 them into one H259 basket, H5536 and bring H7126 them in the basket, H5536 with the bullock H6499 and the two H8147 rams. H352 And Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 thou shalt bring H7126 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and shalt wash H7364 them with water. H4325 And thou shalt take H3947 the garments, H899 and put H3847 upon Aaron H175 the coat, H3801 and the robe H4598 of the ephod, H646 and the ephod, H646 and the breastplate, H2833 and gird H640 him with the curious girdle H2805 of the ephod: H646 And thou shalt put H7760 the mitre H4701 upon his head, H7218 and put H5414 the holy H6944 crown H5145 upon the mitre. H4701 Then shalt thou take H3947 the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and pour H3332 it upon his head, H7218 and anoint H4886 him. And thou shalt bring H7126 his sons, H1121 and put H3847 coats H3801 upon them. And thou shalt gird H2296 them with girdles, H73 Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 and put H2280 the bonnets H4021 on them: and the priest's office H3550 shall be theirs for a perpetual H5769 statute: H2708 and thou shalt consecrate H4390 H3027 Aaron H175 and his sons. H1121 And thou shalt cause a bullock H6499 to be brought H7126 before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150 and Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 shall put H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the bullock. H6499 And thou shalt kill H7819 the bullock H6499 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 by the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And thou shalt take H3947 of the blood H1818 of the bullock, H6499 and put H5414 it upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 with thy finger, H676 and pour H8210 all the blood H1818 beside H413 the bottom H3247 of the altar. H4196 And thou shalt take H3947 all the fat H2459 that covereth H3680 the inwards, H7130 and the caul H3508 that is above the liver, H3516 and the two H8147 kidneys, H3629 and the fat H2459 that is upon them, and burn H6999 them upon the altar. H4196 But the flesh H1320 of the bullock, H6499 and his skin, H5785 and his dung, H6569 shalt thou burn H8313 with fire H784 without H2351 the camp: H4264 it is a sin offering. H2403 Thou shalt also take H3947 one H259 ram; H352 and Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 shall put H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the ram. H352 And thou shalt slay H7819 the ram, H352 and thou shalt take H3947 his blood, H1818 and sprinkle H2236 it round about H5439 upon the altar. H4196 And thou shalt cut H5408 the ram H352 in pieces, H5409 and wash H7364 the inwards H7130 of him, and his legs, H3767 and put H5414 them unto his pieces, H5409 and unto his head. H7218 And thou shalt burn H6999 the whole ram H352 upon the altar: H4196 it is a burnt offering H5930 unto the LORD: H3068 it is a sweet H5207 savour, H7381 an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD. H3068 And thou shalt take H3947 the other H8145 ram; H352 and Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 shall put H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the ram. H352 Then shalt thou kill H7819 the ram, H352 and take H3947 of his blood, H1818 and put H5414 it upon the tip H8571 of the right ear H241 of Aaron, H175 and upon the tip H8571 of the right H3233 ear H241 of his sons, H1121 and upon the thumb H931 of their right H3233 hand, H3027 and upon the great toe H931 of their right H3233 foot, H7272 and sprinkle H2236 the blood H1818 upon the altar H4196 round about. H5439 And thou shalt take H3947 of the blood H1818 that is upon the altar, H4196 and of the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and sprinkle H5137 it upon Aaron, H175 and upon his garments, H899 and upon his sons, H1121 and upon the garments H899 of his sons H1121 with him: and he shall be hallowed, H6942 and his garments, H899 and his sons, H1121 and his sons' H1121 garments H899 with him. Also thou shalt take H3947 of the ram H352 the fat H2459 and the rump, H451 and the fat H2459 that covereth H3680 the inwards, H7130 and the caul H3508 above the liver, H3516 and the two H8147 kidneys, H3629 and the fat H2459 that is upon them, and the right H3225 shoulder; H7785 for it is a ram H352 of consecration: H4394 And one H259 loaf H3603 of bread, H3899 and one H259 cake H2471 of oiled H8081 bread, and one H259 wafer H7550 out of the basket H5536 of the unleavened bread H4682 that is before H6440 the LORD: H3068 And thou shalt put H7760 all in the hands H3709 of Aaron, H175 and in the hands H3709 of his sons; H1121 and shalt wave H5130 them for a wave offering H8573 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 And thou shalt receive H3947 them of their hands, H3027 and burn H6999 them upon the altar H4196 for a burnt offering, H5930 for a sweet H5207 savour H7381 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 it is an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD. H3068 And thou shalt take H3947 the breast H2373 of the ram H352 of Aaron's H175 consecration, H4394 and wave H5130 it for a wave offering H8573 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 and it shall be thy part. H4490 And thou shalt sanctify H6942 the breast H2373 of the wave offering, H8573 and the shoulder H7785 of the heave offering, H8641 which is waved, H5130 and which is heaved up, H7311 of the ram H352 of the consecration, H4394 even of that which H834 is for Aaron, H175 and of that which is for his sons: H1121 And it shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons' H1121 by a statute H2706 for ever H5769 from the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 for it is an heave offering: H8641 and it shall be an heave offering H8641 from the children H1121 of Israel H3478 of the sacrifice H2077 of their peace offerings, H8002 even their heave offering H8641 unto the LORD. H3068 And the holy H6944 garments H899 of Aaron H175 shall be his sons' H1121 after H310 him, to be anointed H4888 therein, and to be consecrated H4390 H3027 in them. And that son H1121 that is priest H3548 in his stead shall put H3847 them on seven H7651 days, H3117 when he cometh H935 into the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 to minister H8334 in the holy H6944 place. And thou shalt take H3947 the ram H352 of the consecration, H4394 and seethe H1310 his flesh H1320 in the holy H6918 place. H4725 And Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 shall eat H398 the flesh H1320 of the ram, H352 and the bread H3899 that is in the basket, H5536 by the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And they shall eat H398 those things wherewith the atonement was made, H3722 to consecrate H4390 H3027 and to sanctify H6942 them: but a stranger H2114 shall not eat H398 thereof, because they are holy. H6944 And if ought of the flesh H1320 of the consecrations, H4394 or of the bread, H3899 remain H3498 unto the morning, H1242 then thou shalt burn H8313 the remainder H3498 with fire: H784 it shall not be eaten, H398 because it is holy. H6944 And thus shalt thou do H6213 unto Aaron, H175 and to his sons, H1121 according to all things which I have commanded H6680 thee: seven H7651 days H3117 shalt thou consecrate H4390 H3027 them. And thou shalt offer H6213 every day H3117 a bullock H6499 for a sin offering H2403 for atonement: H3725 and thou shalt cleanse H2398 the altar, H4196 when thou hast made an atonement H3722 for it, and thou shalt anoint H4886 it, to sanctify H6942 it. Seven H7651 days H3117 thou shalt make an atonement H3722 for the altar, H4196 and sanctify H6942 it; and it shall be an altar H4196 most holy: H6944 H6944 whatsoever toucheth H5060 the altar H4196 shall be holy. H6942
And thou shalt anoint H4886 them, as thou didst anoint H4886 their father, H1 that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: H3547 for their anointing H4888 shall surely be an everlasting H5769 priesthood H3550 throughout their generations. H1755
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 3
Commentary on Numbers 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Nu 3:1-51. The Levites' Service.
1. These … are the generations of Aaron and Moses, &c.—This chapter contains an account of their families; and although that of Moses is not detailed like his brother's, his children are included under the general designation of the Amramites (Nu 3:27), a term which comprehends all the descendants of their common father Amram. The reason why the family of Moses was so undistinguished in this record is that they were in the private ranks of the Levites, the dignity of the priesthood being conferred exclusively on the posterity of Aaron; and hence, as the sacerdotal order is the subject of this chapter, Aaron, contrary to the usual style of the sacred history, is mentioned before Moses.
in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai—This is added, because at the date of the following record the family of Aaron was unbroken.
2-4. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron—All the sons of Aaron, four in number, were consecrated to minister in the priest's office. The two oldest enjoyed but a brief term of office (Le 10:1, 2; Nu 3:4; 26:61); but Eleazar and Ithamar, the other two, were dutiful, and performed the sacred service during the lifetime of their father, as his assistants, and under his superintendence.
5-10. Bring the tribe of Levi near—The Hebrew word "bring near" is a sacrificial term, denoting the presentation of an offering to God; and the use of the word, therefore, in connection with the Levites, signifies that they were devoted as an offering to the sanctuary, no longer to be employed in any common offices. They were subordinate to the priests, who alone enjoyed the privilege of entering the holy place; but they were employed in discharging many of the humbler duties which belonged to the sanctuary, as well as in various offices of great utility and importance to the religion and morals of the people.
9. they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel, &c.—The priests hold the place of God, and the Levites are the servants of God in the obedience they render to the priests.
11-13. I have taken the Levites, &c.—The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (Ex 13:12; 22:29), who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to adopt the patriarchal usage of appointing the oldest to act as the priest of the family. But the privilege of redemption that was allowed the first-born opened the way for a change; and accordingly, on the full organization of the Mosaic economy, the administration of sacred things formerly committed to the first-born was transferred from them to the Levites, who received that honor partly as a tribute to Moses and Aaron, partly because this tribe had distinguished themselves by their zeal in the affair of the golden calf (Ex 32:29), and also because, being the smallest of the tribes, they could ill find suitable employment and support in the work. (See on De 33:8). The designation of a special class for the sacred offices of religion was a wise arrangement; for, on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might not be at leisure to wait on the service of the sanctuary, and sacred things might, from various causes, fall into neglect. But the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service ensured the regular performance of the rites of religion. The subsequent portion of the chapter relates to the formal substitution of this tribe.
I am the Lord—that is, I decree it to be so; and being possessed of sovereign authority, I expect full obedience.
14-31. Number the children of Levi—They were numbered as well as the other tribes; but the enumeration was made on a different principle—for while in the other tribes the number of males was calculated from twenty years and upward [Nu 1:3], in that of Levi they were counted "from a month old and upward." The reason for the distinction is obvious. In the other tribes the survey was made for purposes of war [Nu 1:3], from which the Levites were totally exempt. But the Levites were appointed to a work on which they entered as soon as they were capable of instruction. They are mentioned under the names of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, sons of Levi, and chiefs or ancestral heads of three subdivisions into which this tribe was distributed. Their duties were to assist in the conveyance of the tabernacle when the people were removing the various encampments, and to form its guard while stationary—the Gershonites being stationed on the west, the Kohathites on the south, and the families of Merari on the north. The Kohathites had the principal place about the tabernacle, and charge of the most precious and sacred things—a distinction with which they were honored, probably, because the Aaronic family belonged to this division of the Levitical tribe. The Gershonites, being the oldest, had the next honorable post assigned them, while the burden of the drudgery was thrown on the division of Merari.
32. chief—rather, "chiefs" of the Levites. Three persons are mentioned as chiefs of these respective divisions [Nu 3:24, 30, 35]. And Eleazar presided over them; whence he is called "the second priest" (2Ki 25:18); and in the case of the high priest's absence from illness or other necessary occasions, he performed the duties (1Ki 4:4).
38. those that encamp, &c.—That being the entrance side, it was the post of honor, and consequently reserved to Moses and the priestly family. But the sons of Moses had no station here.
39. twenty and two thousand—The result of this census, though made on conditions most advantageous to Levi, proved it to be by far the smallest in Israel. The separate numbers stated in Nu 3:22, 28, 34, when added together, amount to twenty-two thousand three hundred. The omission of the three hundred is variously accounted for—by some, because they might be first-born who were already devoted to God and could not be counted as substitutes; and by others, because in Scripture style, the sum is reckoned in round numbers. The most probable conjecture is, that as Hebrew letters are employed for figures, one letter was, in the course of transcription, taken for another of like form but smaller value.
40-51. 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 (Nu 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.
41. the cattle of the Levites—These, which they kept to graze on the glebes and meadows in the suburbs of their cities, to supply their families with dairy produce and animal food, were also taken as an equivalent for all the firstlings of the cattle which the Israelites at that time possessed. In consequence of this exchange the firstlings were not brought then, as afterwards, to the altar and the priests.