Numbers 3 commentary

There was much work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only Aaron and his two sons to do it; God appoints the Levites to attend them. Those whom God finds work for, he will find help for. The Levites were taken instead of the first-born. When He that made us, saves us, as the first-born of Israel were saved, we are laid under further obligations to serve him faithfully. God's right to us by redemption, confirms the right he has to us by creation.

The Levites were in three classes, according to the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and these were subdivided into families. The posterity of Moses were not at all honoured or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites; thus it was plain, that Moses did not seek the advancement of his own family, or to secure any honours to it. The tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. God's chosen are but a little flock in comparison with the world.

The number of the first-born, and that of the Levites, came near to each other. Known unto God are all his works beforehand; there is an exact proportion between them, and so it will appear, when they are compared together. The small number of first-born, over and above the number of the Levites, were to be redeemed, and the redemption-money given to Aaron. The church is called the church of the first-born, which is redeemed, not as they were, with silver and gold; but, being devoted by sin to the justice of God, is ransomed with the precious blood of the Son of God. All men are the Lord's by creation, and all true christians are his by redemption. Each should know his own post and duty; nor can any service required by such a Master be rightly accounted mean or hard.

1. These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses He now separately enumerates the Levites; but, before he proceeds to state their number, he first shortly refers to what he had just before more fully narrated, that of the four sons of Aaron only two survived their father, inasmuch as Nadab and Abihu had suffered the penalty of their negligence in their defilement of the sacrifice. The six verses Viz., verses 5-10. See ante, vol. 2, p. 220. which Moses inserts respecting the office of the priests have been expounded in their proper place. The dignity of the tribe of Levi is here exalted, when God compares the Levites to the first-born; the distribution of their charges is also touched upon, “Quant a ce que Moyse touche ici des charges particulieres de chacune famille, combien que cela concerne le service duquel il a este traitte sur le Seconde Precepte, toutefois je n’ay peu aucunement faire, que de la mettre ici, afin que le fil de l’histoire ne fust point rompu;” with respect to the reference here made by Moses to the peculiar charge of each family, although it relates to the service which has been treated of under the Second Commandment, nevertheless I could not do otherwise than introduce it here, in order that the thread of the history might not be interrupted. — Fr. but, since these things are connected with the census of the people, and the mode of pitching the camp, I have thought it best to annex them to what has just preceded, inasmuch as otherwise the history would be interrupted. And, in fact, in the order that I have followed, the office of each family is only incidentally treated of, so that all might know their proper station.

5. And the Lord spake unto Moses. This passage contains two heads: first, That the Levites should be set apart for the ministry of the sanctuary and altar; and, secondly, That they should obey the chief priests of the family of Aaron, and do nothing except by their authority and command. But it has been already said, and we shall hereafter see again, that the tribe of Levi in general was divinely chosen to perform the sacred offices; so that the people might know that no one was worthy of so honorable a charge; but that it depended on the gratuitous calling of God, whose attribute it is to create all things out of nothing. In this way, not only was the temerity of those repressed who might be foolishly ambitious of the honor, but the whole Church was taught that, in order to worship God aright, there was need of extraneous aid. For, if the Levites had not stood between, the Law prohibited the rest of the people from having access to God, since it brought in the whole human race guilty of pollution. But, in order that they might be more certainly directed to the One Mediator, the high priesthood was exalted, and one priest was chosen to preside over all the rest: on this account God would have the Levites subject to the successors of Aaron. At the same time, He had regard to order, for a multitude, which is not governed by chiefs, will always be disorderly. Yet, it is unquestionable that the supreme power of Christ was represented in the person of Aaron; and hence the folly of the Papists is refuted, who transfer, or rather wrest, this example to the state of the Christian Church, “Lesquels partissent tellement l’ordre de leur Hierarchyie qu’en la fin ils parvienent a la primaute du Siege Romain;” who so divide the order of their Hierarchy, that at length they arrive at the primacy of the See of Rome — Fr. so as to set the bishops over the presbyters, and thus to fabricate the primacy of the Roman See. But if the true meaning of this figure be sought, it will be more appropriate to reason that, whatever ministers and pastors of the Church are now appointed, they are placed as it were under the hand of Christ, in order that they may usurp no dominion, but behave themselves modestly, as having to render an account to Him who is the Prince of pastors. (1 Peter 5:4.) Hence we conclude that the Papacy is only founded in wicked sacrilege; for Christ is unjustly deprived of His own, if any one else is feigned to be Aaron’s successor. Meanwhile, the political distinction of ranks is not to be repudiated, for natural reason itself dictates this in order to take away confusion; but that which shall have this object in view, will be so arranged that it may neither obscure Christ’s glory nor minister to ambition or tyranny, nor prevent all ministers from cultivating mutual fraternity with each other, with equal rights and liberties. Hence, too, was taken that declaration of the Apostle, that it is not lawful for any man to take this honor upon himself, but that they are the legitimate ministers of the Church who are “called” to be so. (Hebrews 5:4)

Exodus 30

Exodus 30:22-33

22. Moreover, the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

22. Loquutus est etiam Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

23. Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

23. Tu sume tibi aromata optima: myrrhae fluidae ad quingentos siclos, cinnamomi aromatici dimidium ipsius, ducentos et quinquaginta: et calami atomatici ducentos et quinquaginta:

24. And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil-olive an hin:

24. Casiae vero quingentos siclos, pondere sanctuarii: et olei olivae hin:

25. And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

25. Et facies ex ea oleum unctionis sanctitatis, unguentum unguenti, opus unguentarii; oleum unctionis sanctitatis erit.

26. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

26. Unges eo tabernaculum conventionis, et arcam testimonii,

27. And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

27. Et mensam onmiaque vasa ipsius, et candelabrum omniaque vasa ipsius, et altare suffimenti:

28. And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

28. Altare quoque holocausti et omnia vasa ipsius, et concham et basin ejus.

29. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

29. Ita sanctificabis ea, erunt sanctitas sanctitatum: quicquid tetigerit ea, sanctificabitur.

30. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

30. Aharon praeterea et filios ejus unges, et sanctificabis eos, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi.

31. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

31. Ad filios autem Israel loqueris, dicendo, Oleum unctionis sanctitatis erit hoc mihi per generationes vestras.

32. Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured; neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

32. Super carnem hominis non ungent: neque compositioni ejus facietis similes: sanctum est, sanctum erit vobis.

33. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

33. Quisquis confecerit unguentum simile, et qui posuerit ex eo super extraneum, succidetur e populis suis.

12. And I, behold, I have taken the Levites A little further on we shall see more clearly why God claims one tribe for Himself; He now only shews that the Levites rightfully belong to Him, because by special privilege the first-born of the people were preserved in the destruction of the Egyptians. God, therefore, declares that those, whose lives were thus gratuitously spared, were purchased to Himself. Since, then, He had the free option of devoting to Himself the first-born of every tribe, He was no less at liberty to take “Moins que la douzieme partie;” less than the twelfth part. — Fr. only the twelfth part of the people from one tribe. Thus He cuts off all handle for complaint, inasmuch as it would have been intolerable ingratitude to withdraw from His control those whom He had miraculously redeemed; therefore He says that they did not perish in the general slaughter, in order that tie might subject them to ttimself.

15. Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers The enumeration of the tribe now follows, commencing with the three sons of Levi, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari, from whom many families afterwards descended. It must, however, be observed, that all were numbered down to the youngest infants, whereas of the rest of the people only those who had passed their twentieth year were taken into account; whence it appeared that this was the smallest tribe; but by causing the infants to be reckoned, God intended to maintain a just proportion, as we shall see; for, if He had only taken them above their twentieth year, it would not have been known how many first-born there were, and thus the compensation to be made for them would have been uncertain. By this indulgence the people should have been induced to pay the tribute for the surplus with more readiness; for since, after the computation was made, it appeared how much their number came short of the required amount, God justly willed that those should be redeemed for money, who would else have been transferred to that tribe which represented the first-born, and it would have been an act of malignity to refuse God what he demanded, when He had spontaneously condescended to so just a compact. There was also another reason why the Levites were included in the census from their earliest childhood, rather than the others, viz., because it was not necessary that they should be fit for war, when God enrolled from the rest of the people soldiers for Himself who might afterwards bear arms.

17. And these were the sons of Levi by their names Hence it appears that the tribe of Levi, like the others, had made an astonishing progress from a small and contemptible beginning; for whereas he himself had only begotten three sons, Gershon and Merari only two each, and Kohath four; who would have expected such an increase, that twelve men in so short a time should have grown into so many thousands? But thus powerfully does God work under the semblance of weakness, that thus His glory may be the more conspicuous. But that He promoted the family of Kohath above the others, not only in the priesthood of Aaron, but also in their common ministry, proceeded from the same source of His gratuitous good pleasure, as the calling of Moses. He then, who had dignified also by so honorable an office, was, for his sake, gracious also to the family of Kohath. Neverthless, lost he should be suspected of ambition, or lest occasion of calumny should be given to the ungodly, God chose that the sons of Moses should remain in the ordinary station of the Levites.

45. Take the Levites instead of all the first-born The compensation of which I have spoken follows; for, since the complete portion of God was not found in the tribe of Levi, it must needs be supplied from elsewhere. Since, then, the Levites, infants as well as men, were less by two hundred and seventy-three than the first-born of the twelve tribes of Israel, God required that five shekels of the sanctuary should be paid for every head. We have elsewhere seen that the shekel of the sanctuary was double, amounting to two ordinary ones.

Numbers 4

Numbers 4:1-3, 21-23, 29, 30, 34-49

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

1. Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen et Aharon, dicendo:

2. Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

2. Tolle summam filiorum Cehath e medio filiorum Levi, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum.

3. From thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

3. Ab eo qui natus est triginta annos et supra, usque ad eum qui natus est quinquaginta annos, quotquot ingrediuntur congregationem, ut faciant opus in tabernaculo conventionis.

21. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

21. Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, et Aharon dicendo:

22. Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families:

22. Tolle summam filiorum Gerson, ipsos quoque per domos patrum suormn, et per familias suas:

23. From thirty years old and upward, until fifty years old, shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

23. Ab eo qui natus est triginta annos et supra, usque ad eum qui est quinquaginta annorum, numerabis eos: quotquot ingrediuntur congregationem, ut faciant opus in tabernaculo conventionis.

29. As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers:

29. Filios Merari, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum nu merabis:

30. From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years old, shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

30. Ab eo qui natus est triginta annos et supra, usque ad eum qui natus est quinquaginta annos, numerabis eos: quotquot ingrediuntur congregationem, ut faciant opus in tabernaculo conventionis.

34. And Moses and Aaron, and the chief of the congregation, numbered the sons of the Kohathites, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

34. Numeravit ergo Moses et Aharon et princeps congregationis filios Cehath, per familias suas, domos patrum suorum.

35. From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:

35. Ab eo qui natus erat triginta annos, et supra, usque ad eum qui natus erat quinquaginta annos: quotquot ingrediuntur in congregationem illam ad ministerium peragendum in tabernaculo conventionis.

36. And those that were numbered of them, by their families, were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

36. Fueruntque numerati eorum per familias, duo millia septingenti quinquaginta.

37. These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number, according to the commandment of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

37. Isti sunt numerati familiarum Cehath, omnes ministrantes in tabernaculo conventionis, quos numeravit Moses et Aharon juxta imperium Jehovae per manum Mosis.

38. And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

38. Numerati filiorum Gerson per familias suas, et per domum patrum suorum.

39. From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation;

39. Ab eo qui natus erat triginta annos et supra, usque ad eum qui natus erat quinquaginta annos: quotquot ingrediuntur in congregationem illam ad ministerium peragendum in tabernaculo conventionis.

40. Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families,by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.

40. Numerati inquam eorum per familias suas, per domum patrum suorum, duo millia et sexcenti triginta.

41. These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number, according to the commandment of the Lord.

41. Isti sunt numerati familiarum filiorum Gerson, omnes ministrantes in tabernaculo conventionis: quos numeravit Moses et Aharon juxta sermonem Jehovae.

42. And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their fanlilies, by the house of their fathers,

42. Numerati autem familiarum filiorum Merari per familias suas, per domos patrunt suorum.

43. From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation;

43. Ab co qui natus erat triginta annos et supra, usque ad eum qui natus erat quinquaginta annos: quotquot ingrediebantur in congregationem illam ad ministerium peragendum in tabernaculo conventionis.

44. Even those that were numbered of them, after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.

44. Numerati inquam eorum per familias suas, tria millia et ducenti.

45. These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

45. Isti aunt numerati familiarum filiorum Merari, quos numeravit Moses et Aharon juxta sermonem Jehovae per manum Mosis.

46. All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron, and the chief of Israel, numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

46. Omnes numerati quos numeravit Moses et Aharon, et principes Israel, de Levitis per familias suas, et per domos patrunt suorum:

47. From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation;

47. Ab eo qui natus erat triginta annos et supra, usque ad eum qui natus erat quinquaginta annos: quotquot ingrediebantur ad peragendum ministerium cultus, et ad peragendum oneris in tabernaculo conventionis.

48. Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.

48.: Numerati, inquam, erarum ruerunt otto nilIlia et quingenti octoginta.

49. According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the Lord commanded Moses.

49. Juxta sermonem Jehovae numeravit cos per manum Mosis, singulos secundum ministerium suum, et secundum onus suum: numerati autem ejus fuerunt hi quos ipsi praeceperat.

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.

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.

The generations of Aaron and Moses - Though Aaron and Moses are both mentioned here, yet the family of Aaron alone appears in the list: hence some have thought that the word Moses was not originally in the text. Others think that the words ואלה תלדות veelleh toledoth, these are the generations, should be rendered these are the acts, or transactions, or the history of the lives, as the same phrase may be understood in Gen 2:4; Gen 6:9. However this may be, it is evident that in this genealogy the family of Aaron are alone mentioned, probably because these belonged to the priesthood. Moses passes by his own family, or immediate descendants; he gave no rank or privilege to them during his life, and left nothing to them at his death. They became incorporated with the Levites, from or amongst whom they are never distinguished. What a strong proof is this of the celestial origin of his religion! Had it been of man, it must have had the gratification of some impure passion for its object; lust, ambition, or avarice: but none of these ever appear during the whole of his administration amongst the Israelites, though he had it constantly in his power to have gratified each. What an essential difference between the religion of the Pentateuch and that of the Koran! The former is God's workmanship; the latter is a motley mixture of all bad crafts, with here and there a portion of heavenly fire, stolen from the Divine altar in the Old and New Testaments, to give some vitality to the otherwise inert mass.

Nadab and Abihu died - See the notes on Leviticus 10 (note).

Bring the tribe of Levi near - The original word הקרב hakreb is properly a sacrificial word, and signifies the presenting of a sacrifice or offering to the Lord. As an offering, the tribe of Levi was given up entirely to the service of the sanctuary, to be no longer their own, but the Lord's property.

The charge of the whole congregation - They shall work for the whole congregation; and instead of the first-born.

All the instruments - The tabernacle itself and all its contents: see all described, Num 3:25, Num 3:26, Num 3:31, Num 3:36, Num 3:37. The Levites were to perform the most common and laborious offices. It was their business to take down, put up, and carry the tabernacle and its utensils; for it was the object of their peculiar care. In a word, they were the servants of the priests.

Aaron and his sons - shall wait on their priest's office - It was the business of the priests to offer the different sacrifices to God; to consecrate the shew-bread, pour out the libations, burn the incense, sprinkle the blood of the victims, and bless the people. In a word, they were the servants of God alone.

I have taken the Levites - instead of all the first-born - The Levites are taken for the service of the sanctuary in place of the first-born. The first-born were dedicated to God in commemoration of his slaying the first-born of the Egyptians, and preserving those of the Israelites. Even the cattle of the Levites were taken in place of the first-born of the cattle of the rest of the tribes. See Num 3:45. Several reasons have been assigned why God should give this honor to the tribe of Levi in preference to all the others, but they do not seem to me to be conclusive. Their zeal in destroying those who had corrupted the worship of God in the business of the golden calf, Exo 32:28, has been thought a sufficient reason. A better reason is, that this was the smallest tribe, and they were quite enough for the service. To have had a more numerous tribe at this time would have been very inconvenient. Aaron, says Mr. Ainsworth, being in his priesthood a type of Christ, all these rites are fulfilled in him. For unto Christ God gave children, Heb 2:13. And they are a congregation of first-born, whose names are written in heaven, Heb 12:23, being of God's own will begotten by the word of truth, that they should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, Jam 1:18, to whom he also gives the first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom 8:23. These wait on and follow the Lamb, being first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb, Rev 14:4; and Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, that we may serve him day and night in his temple, Rev 1:6; Rev 7:15.

A month old and upward - The males of all the other tribes were numbered, from twenty years and upward; had the Levites been numbered in this way, they would not have been nearly equal in number to the firstborn of the twelve tribes. Add to this, that as there must have been first-born of all ages in the other tribes, it was necessary that the Levites, who were to be their substitutes, should be also of all ages; and it appears to have been on this ground, at least partly, that the Levites were numbered from four weeks old and upward.

Moses numbered them - Though Moses and Aaron conjointly numbered the twelve tribes, yet Moses alone numbered the Levites; "for as the money with which the first-born of Israel, who exceeded the number of Levites, were redeemed, was to be paid to Aaron and his sons, Num 3:48, it was decent that he, whose advantage it was that the number of the first-born of Israel should exceed, should not be authorized to take that number himself." - Dodd, from Bishop Kidder.

Seven thousand and five hundred - Perhaps originally ר resh, 200, instead of ך caph, 500; see the following note Num 3:39 (note).

Which Moses and Aaron numbered - The word ואהרן veaharon, "and Aaron." has a point over each of its letters, probably designed as a mark of spuriousness. The word is wanting in the Samaritan, Syriac, and Coptic; it is wanting also in eight of Dr. Kennicott's MSS., and in four of De Rossi's. Moses alone, as Houbigant observes, is commanded to take the number of the Levites; see Num 3:5, Num 3:11, Num 3:40, Num 3:44, and Num 3:51.

All the males - were twenty and two thousand - This total does not agree with the particulars; for the Gershonites were 7,500, the Kohathites 8,600, the Merarites 6,200, total 22,300. Several methods of solving this difficulty have been proposed by learned men; Dr. Kennicott's is the most simple. Formerly the numbers in the Hebrew Bible were expressed by letters, and not by words at full length; and if two nearly similar letters were mistaken for each other, many errors in the numbers must be the consequence. Now it is probable that an error has crept into the number of the Gershonites, Num 3:22, where, instead of 7,500, we should read 7,200, as ך caph, 500, might have been easily mistaken for ר resh, 200, especially if the down stroke of the caph had been a little shorter than ordinary, which is often the case in MSS. The extra 300 being taken off, the total is just 22,000, as mentioned in the 39th verse.

All the first-born males - were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen - Thus we find there were 273 first-born beyond the number of the Levites. These are ordered, Num 3:46, to be redeemed; and the redemption price is to be five shekels each, Num 3:47, about 15s. And this money, amounting to 1,365 shekels, equal to 204 15s. English, he took of the first-born of Israel, Num 3:50. But how was this collected among 22,273 persons? Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, "to prevent contention, Moses took 22,000 slips of parchment, and wrote on each a son of Levi, and 273 others, on which he wrote five shekels; then he mixed them in a basket, and each man took out one; those who drew the slips on which five shekels were written, paid the money; the others went free." This is a most stupid and silly tale, for such a mode of settlement never could have been resorted to by an intelligent people. It would have been much more simple to have paid it out of a general fund; and it is very likely that in this way the expense was defrayed. This species of redeeming of men is referred to by St. Peter, 1Pet 1:18, 1Pet 1:19 : "Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious (τιμιω αἱματι, valuable) blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot," etc. And it is not the first-born only which are thus redeemed, for he, by the grace of God, tasted death for Every man; Heb 2:9. Reader, give glory to God that such a ransom has been paid for thy soul, and see that, redeemed from thy vain conversation, thy empty, fruitless, and graceless observances, on which thou hast built thy hopes of salvation, thou walk in newness of life, giving thy whole soul with thankfulness unto the Father who hath translated thee from darkness, and placed thee in the kingdom of his beloved Son. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever! Amen.

These - Which follow in this chapter. The generations - The kindred or family. Moses his family and children are here included under the general name of the Amramites, Nu 3:27, which includes all the children and grand - children of Amram, the persons only of Aaron and Moses being excepted. And the generations of Moses are thus obscurely mentioned, because they were but common Levites, the priesthood being given solely to Aaron's posterity, whence Aaron is here put before Moses, who elsewhere is commonly named after him. In Sinai - Nadab and Abihu, were then alive, though dead at the time of taking this account.

In the sight of Aaron - Under his inspection and direction, and as their father's servants or ministers in the priest's office.

Present them - Offer them to the Lord for his special service. This was promised to them before, and now actually conferred.

His charge - That is, Aaron's, or those things which are committed principally to Aaron's care and oversight. Of the congregation - That is, of all the sacrifices and services which are due to the Lord from all the people, because the people might not perform them, in their own persons, therefore they were to be performed by some particular persons in their stead; formerly by the first - born, Num 8:16, and now by the Levites. Before the tabernacle - Not within the tabernacle, for the care of the things within the holy place was appropriated to the priests, as the care of the most holy place was to the high - priest.

Of the children of Israel - Those things which all the children of Israel are in their several places and stations obliged to take care of, though not in their persons, yet by others in their stead.

Given to him - To attend upon him and observe his orders, and ease him of his burden.

The stranger - That is, every one who is of another family than Aaron's; yea, though he be a Levite. That cometh nigh - To execute any part of the priest's office.

The first - born - Who were God's property, Exo 13:12, and to whom the administration of holy things was formerly committed, which now was taken away from them, either because they had forfeited this privilege by joining with the rest of their brethren in the idolatrous worship of the calf, or because they were to be mainly concerned in the distribution and management of the inheritances which now they were going to possess, and therefore could not be at leisure to attend upon the service of the sanctuary: and God would not commit it to some other persons in each tribe, which might be an occasion of idolatry, confusion, division, and contempt of sacred things, but to one distinct tribe, which might be entirely devoted to that service, and particularly to the tribe of Levi; partly out of his respect to Moses and Aaron, branches of this tribe; partly as a recompence of their zeal for God against idolaters, and partly because it was the smallest of the tribes, and therefore most likely to find both employment in, and maintenance for the work.

From a month old - Because at that time the first - born, in whose stead the Levites came, were offered to God. And from that time the Levites were consecrated to God, and were, as soon as capable, instructed in their work. Elsewhere they are numbered from twenty - five years old, when they were entered as novices into part of their work, Num 8:24, and from thirty years old, when they were admitted to their whole office.

The tabernacle - Not the boards, which belonged to Merari, Nu 3:36, but the ten curtains. The tent - The curtains of goats hair. The coverings - That is, the coverings of rams - skins and badgers - skins.

The cords - By which the tabernacle was fastened to the pins, and stretched out, Exo 35:18.

Of Kohath - This family had many privileges above the others: of that were Moses and Aaron, and all the priests: they had the chief place about the tabernacle, and the care of the most holy things here, and in the land of Canaan they had twenty three cities, which were almost as many as both their brethren received. Yet the posterity of Moses were not at all dignified or distinguished from other Levites. So far was he from seeking any advantage or honour for his own family.

Keeping - That is, appointed for that work, as soon as they were capable of it. Of the sanctuary - That is, of the holy things contained in or belonging to the sanctuary.

The hanging - Which covered the most holy place, for all other hangings belonged to the Gershonites. The service - That is, all the other furniture belonging to it.

Chief - Next under the high - priest; whence he is called the second priest, 2Kings 25:18, and in case of the high - priest's absence by sickness or other necessary occasions, he was to perform his work, and he had a superiority over all the rest of the priests and Levites. The chief of the Levites - That is, over those three persons, who were each the chief of their several families, Num 3:24,31,34.

For the charge - Either in their stead, that charge which they were obliged to keep, if God had not committed it to those: or for their benefit; for their preservation, as the word may be rendered.

Two and twenty thousand - If the particular numbers mentioned Num 3:22,28,34, be put together, they make 22,300. But the odd 300 are omitted here, either according to the use of the holy scripture, where in so great numbers small sums are commonly neglected, or, because they were the first - born of the Levites, and therefore belonged to God already, and so could not be given to him again instead of the other first - born. If this number of first - born seem small to come from 22,000 Levites, it must be considered, that only such first - born are here named as were males, and such as continued in their parents families, not such as had erected new families of their own. Add to this, that God so ordered things by his wise providence for divers weighty reasons, that this tribe should be much the least of all the tribes, as is evident by comparing the numbers of the other tribes, from twenty years old, Num 1:3 - 49, with the number of this from a month old; and therefore it is not strange if the number of their first - born be less than in other tribes.

Instead of the first - born - Such as are now alive of them, but those which should be born of them hereafter are otherwise disposed. Of the Levites - Not that they were to be taken from the Levites, or to be sacrificed to God, any more than the Levites themselves were; but they together with the Levites were to be presented before the Lord by way of acknowledgment, that the Levites might be set apart for God's service, and their cattle for themselves as God's ministers, and for their support in God's work.

For those that are to be redeemed - 'Tis probable, in the exchange they began with the eldest of the first - born, and so downwards, so that those were to be redeemed, who were the two hundred, seventy three youngest of them.

Five shekels - Which was the price paid for the redemption of a first - born a month old.

1 THese also are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai .

Which follow in this chapter.

(i. e.) Either 1. The things done by them, as the word generation is sometimes used, as Gen. 6. 9. and 25. 19. and 37. 2. Or rather 2. The Kindred or Family, for that is the subject of this chapter, and not their events or actions. Obj. Aarons Family indeed is here mentioned, but not Moses his Family. Answ. Moses his Family and Children are here included under the general name of the Amramite, ver. 27. which includes all the Children and Grand-chilfiren of Amram, the persons onely of Aaron and Moses being excepted. And the generations of Moses are thus obscurely mentioned, because they were but common Levites, the Priesthood being given solely to Aarons posterity, whence Aaron is here put before Moses, who elsewhere is commonly named after him.

This seems to be added, because Nadab and Abihu mentioned ver. 2. were then alive, though dead at the time of taking this account.

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 Ithamar ministred in the priests office in the sight of Aaron their father.

In the time of Aarons life, as this phrase is taken N[illegible: 1+ letters]ab. [illegible: 1+ letters]. 4. See also Psal. 72. 5, 17. and under their fathers inspection and direction, and as their fathers servants or ministers, in the Priests-office, for servants are oft described by this phrase of being or standing or [illegible: 1 word] in the sight or [illegible: 1 word] of their master.

Marginal references: Lev. 10. 1. chap. 26. 61. 1 Chron. 24. 2.

6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them , before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

Offer them to the Lord for his special service. This was promised to them before and now actually conferred upon them.

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.

(i. e.) Aarons charge, or those things which are committed principally to Aarons care and oversight, and under him and his direction to the Levites.

(i. e.) Of all the sacrifices and services which were due to the Lord from all the people, and because all the people could not and might not perform them, or at least diverse of them, in their own persons, therefore they were to be performed by some particular persons in their name and stead, formerly by the first-born, Numb. 8. 16. and now by the Levites. See Numb. 1. 53. and 16. 9.

Emphatically, not within the Tabernacle, for the care of these things within the holy place was appropriated to the Priests, as the care of the most holy place was peculiar to the High-priest.

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.

Those things which all the children of Israel are in their several places and stations obliged to take care of, though not in their persons, yet by others in their stead.

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.

To attend upon him and observe his orders and case him of part of his burden in things hereafter mentioned.

Marginal references: chap. 8. 19.; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] give[illegible: 1+ letters].

10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priests office : and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

In their own persons, not by the Levites.

(i. e.) Every one who is of another family than Aarons, yea though he be a Levite. See Numb. 1. 53. and 16. 40.

To wit, to execute any part of the Priest office.

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine.

Who were Gods propriety by right of Redemption, Exod. 13. 12. and to whom the administration of holy things was formerly committed, which now was taken away from them, either because they had forfeited this priviledge by joyning with the rest of their brethren in the idolatrous worship of the calf, or because they were to be mainly concerned in the distribution and management of the inheritances which now they were going to possess, and therefore could not be at leisure to attend upon the service of the Sanctua[illegible: 1+ letters]y: Which made it fit that this work should be committed to other hands. And God would not commit it to some other persons in each Tribe, which might be an occasion of Idolatry, confusion, division, and contempt of sacred things, but to one distinct Tribe, which might be intirely devoted to that service, and particularly to the Tribe of Levi, partly out of his respect to Moses and Aaron, branches of this Tribe; partly as a recompence of their zeal for God and against Idolaters. See Exod. 32. 25, 29. Deut. 33. 9. and partly because it was the smallest of the Tribes, and therefore most likely to find both employment in and maintenance for the work.

Marginal references: chap. 8. 16, and 18. 6.

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 firstborn in Israel, both man and beast, mine they shall be: I am the LORD

Who may appoint whom I please for my service.

Marginal references: Exod. 13. 2. Lev. 27. 26. chap. 8. 16. Luk. 2. 23.; Exod. 13. 12, 15.

15 Number the children of Levi, after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward, shalt thou number them.

Because at that time the first-born, in whose stead the Levites came, Numb. 8. 16. were offered to God, Luk. 2. 22. and to be redeemed, Numb. 18. 16. And from that time the Levites were consecrated to God and were, as soon as they were capable, to be instructed in their work. Elsewhere they are numbred from twenty five years old, when they were entred as novices to part of their work, Numb. 8. 24. and from thirty years old, when they were compleatly admitted to their whole office.

25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon, 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:

Not the boards which belonged to Merari ver. 36. but the ten curtains mentioned Exod. 26. 1.

To wit, the curtains of goats hair.

(i. e.) The coverings, of rams-skins and badgers-skins. See Numb. 4. 25.

Marginal references: Exod. 25. 9.; Exod. 26. 1.; Exod. 26. 7. 14.; Exod. 26. 36.

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.

By which the Tabernacle was fastened to the pins, and stretched out, Exod. 35. 18.

Marginal references: Exod. 27. 9.; Exod. 27. 16.

27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite: these are the families of the Kohathite.

This Family had many priviledges above the others: Of that were Moses and Aaron, and all the Priests: They had the chief place about the Tabernacle, and the care of the most holy things, here below ver. 31. and in the Land of Canaan they had twenty three Citie[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ which were almost as many as both their brethren received. See Ios. 21.

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 .

Or, keepers, &c. i. e. appointed for that work, as soon as they were capable of it.

(i. e.) Of those holy things contained in or nearly belonging to the sanctuary, expressed, verse 31.

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 .

Which covered the most holy place, for all other hangings belonging to the Gershonites.

(i. e.) All the other furniture belonging to it, of which see Numb. 4. 7, 9, 14.

Marginal references: Exod. 25. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].; Exod. 25. 2[illegible: 1+ letters].; Exod. 25. 3[illegible: 1+ letters].; Exod. 27. 1. and 30. 1.; Exod. 26. 3[illegible: 1+ letters].

32 And Eleazar 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.

Next under the High-priest, whence he is called the second Priest, 2 King. 25. 18. and in case of the High-Priests absence by sickness or other necessary occasions, he was to perform his work, 1 King. 4. 4. and he had a superiority over all the rest of the Priests and Levites.

(i. e.) Over those three persons, who were each the chief of their several families, of whom see here, ver. 24, 31, 35.

37 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords .

Therefore these were for another use than those mentioned, verse 26.

38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even 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 nigh shall be put to death.

Either in their stead, that charge which they were obliged to keep either by themselves or by others appointed by them, if God had not committed it to those: or for their good and service and benefit, for their preservation, as the word may be rendred.

39 All that were numbred of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbred at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males, from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand .

Obj. But if the partial numbers, mentioned ver. 22, 28, 34. be put together, they make exactly 22300. Answ. The odd 300 are omitted here, either according to the use of the Holy Scripture, where in so great numbers small summes are commonly neglected, or, because they were the first-born of the Levites and therefore belonged to God already, and so could not be given to him again instead of the other first-born. See Levit. 27. 29. If this number of first-born seem very small to come from 22000 Levites, it must be considered, That onely such first-born are here named as were males, and such as continued in their parents Families, not such as had erected new families of their own. Adde to this, that God so ordered things by his wi[illegible: 1+ letters]e providence for divers weighty reasons, that this Tribe should be much the least of all the Tribes, as is evident by comparing the numbers of the other Tribes, from twenty years old, Numb. 1. with the number of this from a moneth old; and therefore it is not strange if the number of their first-born be less than in other Tribes. Although if the other Tribes had been computed from a moneth old, as this was, their number of 600000, had probably been double or treble to that, and consequently the number of their first-born being 22273 verse 43. would have been as unproportionable to their whole summe, as this of 300 first-born Levites seems to their whole number. And some adde, that onely those firstborn are numbred both in this and in the other Tribes, which were born since they came out of Egypt, when God challenged all the first-born to be his.

Marginal references: See chap▪ 62.

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.

That they may be compared with the number of the Levites for the reason here following.

41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) in stead of all the first-born among the children of Israel , and the cattle of the Levites in stead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

To wit, such as are now alive of them, but those which should be born of them hereafter are otherwise disposed.

Not that they were to be taken from the Levites or to be sacrificed to God, any more than the Levites themselves were, but that they together with the Levites were to be presented before the Lord by way of acknowledgment, that the Levites might be set apart for Gods service, and their cattle for themselves as Gods ministers and for their support in Gods work.

45 Take the Levites in stead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in stead of their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine, I am the LORD.

To wit, the 22000 reckoned up, ver. 39. of which see the notes there.

47 Thou shalt even take five shekels a piece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: the shekel is twenty gerahs.

Which was the price to be paid for the redemption of a first-born a month old, Numb. 18. 15, 16. but this mony though paid for these 273 persons was probably paid out of the common stock of all, except lots were cast who should pay, which is not probable in so small a concern accompanied with so much trouble.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters]xod. 30. 13. [illegible: 1 word]. 27. 25. [illegible: 1 word]. 18. 16. [illegible: 1 word]. 45. 12.

48 And thou shalt give the number wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons .

To whom all the Levites were given, and therefore the mony which came in their stead.

Muster of the Tribe of Levi. - As Jacob had adopted the two sons of Joseph as his own sons, and thus promoted them to the rank of heads of tribes, the tribe of Levi formed, strictly speaking, the thirteenth tribe of the whole nation, and was excepted from the muster of the twelve tribes who were destined to form the army of Jehovah, because God had chosen it for the service of the sanctuary. Out of this tribe God had not only called Moses to be the deliverer, lawgiver, and leader of His people, but Moses’ brother Aaron, with the sons of the latter, to be the custodians of the sanctuary. And now, lastly, the whole tribe was chosen, in the place of the first-born of all the tribes, to assist the priests in performing the duties of the sanctuary, and was numbered and mustered for this its special calling.

Num 3:2-4 In order to indicate at the very outset the position which the Levites were to occupy in relation to the priests (viz., Aaron and his descendants), the account of their muster commences not only with the enumeration of the sons of Aaron who were chosen as priests (Num 3:2-4), but with the heading: “These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day (i.e., at the time) when Jehovah spake with Moses in Mount Sinai (Num 3:1). The toledoth (see at Gen 2:4) of Moses and Aaron are not only the families which sprang from Aaron and Moses, but the Levitical families generally, which were named after Aaron and Moses, because they were both of them raised into the position of heads or spiritual fathers of the whole tribe, namely, at the time when God spoke to Moses upon Sinai. Understood in this way, the notice as to the time is neither a superfluous repetition, nor introduced with reference to the subsequent numbering of the people in the steppes of Moab (Num 26:57.). Aaron is placed before Moses here (see at Exo 6:26.), not merely as being the elder of the two, but because his sons received the priesthood, whilst the sons of Moses, on the contrary, were classed among the rest of the Levitical families (cf. 1Ch 23:14).

Names of the sons of Aaron, the “anointed priests (see Lev 8:12), whose hand they filled to be priests,” i.e., who were appointed to the priesthood (see at Lev 7:37). On Nadab and Abihu, see Lev 10:1-2. As they had neither of them any children when they were put to death, Eleazar and Ithamar were the only priests “in the sight of Aaron their father,” i.e., during his lifetime. “In the sight of:” as in Gen 11:28.

The Levites are placed before Aaron the priest, to be his servants.

Num 3:6

“Bring near:” as in Exo 28:1. The expression לפני עמד is frequently met with in connection with the position of a servant, as standing before his master to receive his commands.

Num 3:7-8

They were to keep the charge of Aaron and the whole congregation before the tabernacle, to attend to the service of the dwelling, i.e., to observe what Aaron (the priest) and the whole congregation were bound to perform in relation to the service at the dwelling-place of Jehovah. “To keep the charge:” see Num 1:53 and Gen 26:5. In Num 3:8 this is more fully explained: they were to keep the vessels of the tabernacle, and to attend to all that was binding upon the children of Israel in relation to them, i.e., to take the oversight of the furniture, to keep it safe and clean.

Num 3:9

Moses was also to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons. “They are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel:” the repetition of נתוּנם here and in Num 8:16 is emphatic, and expressive of complete surrender (Ewald, §313). The Levites, however, as nethunim, must be distinguished from the nethinim of non-Israelitish descent, who were given to the Levites at a later period as temple slaves, to perform the lowest duties connected with the sanctuary (see at Jos 9:27).

Num 3:10

Aaron and his sons were to be appointed by Moses to take charge of the priesthood; as no stranger, no one who was not a son of Aaron, could approach the sanctuary without being put to death (cf. Num 1:53 and Lev 22:10).

Num 3:11-13

God appointed the Levites for this service, because He had decided to adopt them as His own in the place of all the first-born of Egypt. When He slew the first-born of Egypt, He sanctified to Himself all the first-born of Israel, of man and beast, for His own possession (see Exo 13:1-2). By virtue of this sanctification, which was founded upon the adoption of the whole nation as His first-born son, the nation was required to dedicate to Him its first-born sons for service at the sanctuary, and sacrifice all the first-born of its cattle to Him. But now the Levites and their cattle were to be adopted in their place, and the first-born sons of Israel to be released in return (Num 3:40.). By this arrangement, through which the care of the service at the sanctuary was transferred to one tribe, which would and should henceforth devote itself with undivided interest to this vocation, not only was a more orderly performance of this service secured, than could have been effected through the first-born of all the tribes; but so far as the whole nation was concerned, the fulfilment of its obligations in relation to this service was undoubtedly facilitated. Moreover, the Levites had proved themselves to be the most suitable of all the tribes for his post, through their firm and faithful defence of the honour of the Lord at the worship of the golden calf (Exo 32:26.). It is in this spirit, which distinguished the tribe of Levi, that we may undoubtedly discover the reason why they were chosen by God for the service of the sanctuary, and not in the fact that Moses and Aaron belonged to the tribe, and desired to form a hierarchical caste of the members of their own tribe, such as was to be found among other nations: the magi, for example, among the Medes, the Chaldeans among the Persians, and the Brahmins among the Indians. יהוה אני לי, “to Me, to Me, Jehovah” (Num 3:13, Num 3:41, and Num 3:45; cf. Ges. §121, 3).

Num 3:14-20

The muster of the Levites included all the males from a month old and upwards, because they were to be sanctified to Jehovah in the place of the first-born; and it was at the age of a month that the latter were either to be given up or redeemed (comp. Num 3:40 and Num 3:43 with Num 18:16). In Num 3:17-20 the sons of Levi and their sons are enumerated, who were the founders of the mishpachoth among the Levites, as in Exo 6:16-19.

Num 3:21-26

The Gershonites were divided into two families, containing 7500 males. They were to encamp under their chief Eliasaph, behind the tabernacle, i.e., on the western side (Num 3:23, Num 3:24), and were to take charge of the dwelling-place and the tent, the covering, the curtain at the entrance, the hangings round the court with the curtains at the door, and the cords of the tent, “in relation to all the service thereof” (Num 3:25.); that is to say, according to the more precise injunctions in Num 4:25-27, they were to carry the tapestry of the dwelling (the inner covering, Exo 26:1.), and of the tent (i.e., the covering made of goats’ hair, Exo 26:7.), the covering thereof (i.e., the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of sea-cow skin upon the top of it, Exo 27:16), the hangings of the court and the curtain at the entrance (Exo 27:9, Exo 27:16), which surrounded the altar (of burnt-offering) and the dwelling round about, and their cords, i.e., the cords of the tapestry, coverings, and curtains (Exo 27:14), and all the instruments of their service, i.e., the things used in connection with their service (Exo 27:19), and were to attend to everything that had to be done to them; in other words, to perform whatever was usually done with those portions of the sanctuary that are mentioned here, especially in setting up the tabernacle or taking it down. The suffix in מיתריו (Num 3:26) does not refer to the court mentioned immediately before; for, according to Num 3:37, the Merarites were to carry the cords of the hangings of the court, but to the “dwelling and tent,” which stand farther off. In the same way the words, “for all the service thereof,” refer to all those portions of the sanctuary that are mentioned, and mean “everything that had to be done or attended to in connection with these things.”

Num 3:27-31

The Kohathites, who were divided into four families, and numbered 8600, were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle, and more especially to keep the charge of the sanctuary (Num 3:28), viz., to take care of the ark of the covenant, the table (of shew-bread), the candlestick, the altars (of incense and burnt-offering), with the holy things required for the service performed in connection therewith, and the curtain (the veil before the most holy place), and to perform whatever had to be done (“all the service thereof,” see at Num 3:26), i.e., to carry the said holy things after they had been rolled up in covers by the priests (see Num 4:5.).

Num 3:32

As the priests also formed part of the Kohathites, their chief is mentioned as well, viz., Eleazar the eldest son of Aaron the high priest, who was placed over the chiefs of the three Levitical families, and called פּקדּה, oversight of the keepers of the charge of the sanctuary,” i.e., authority, superior, of the servants of the sanctuary.

Num 3:33-37

The Merarites, who formed two families, comprising 6200 males, were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle, under their prince Zuriel, and to observe the boards, bolts, pillars, and sockets of the dwelling-place (Exo 26:15, Exo 26:26, Exo 26:32, Exo 26:37), together with all the vessels thereof (the plugs and tools), and all that had to be done in connection therewith, also the pillars of the court with their sockets, the plugs and the cords (Exo 27:10, Exo 27:19; Exo 35:18); that is to say, they were to take charge of these when the tabernacle was taken down, to carry them on the march, and to fix them when the tabernacle was set up again (Num 4:31-32).

Num 3:38

Moses and Aaron, with the sons of the latter (the priests), were to encamp in front, before the tabernacle, viz., on the eastern side, “as keepers of the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel,” i.e., to attend to everything that was binding upon the children of Israel in relation to the care of the sanctuary, as no stranger was allowed to approach it on pain of death (see Num 1:51).

Num 3:39

The number of the Levites mustered, 22,000, does not agree with the numbers assigned to the three families, as 7500 + 8600 + 6200 = 22,300. But the total is correct; for, according to Num 3:46, the number of the first-born, 22,273, exceeded the total number of the Levites by 273. The attempt made by the Rabbins and others to reconcile the two, by supposing the 300 Levites in excess to be themselves first-born, who were omitted in the general muster, because they were not qualified to represent the first-born of the other tribes, is evidently forced and unsatisfactory. The whole account is so circumstantial, that such a fact as this would never have been omitted. We must rather assume that there is a copyist’s error in the number of one of the Levitical families; possibly in Num 3:28 we should read שׁלשׁ for שׁשׁ   (8300 for 8600). The puncta extraordinaria above ואהרן are intended to indicate that this word is either suspicious or spurious (see at Gen 33:5); and it is actually omitted in Sam., Syr., and 12 MSS, but without sufficient reason: for although the divine command to muster the Levites (Num 3:5 and Num 3:14) was addressed to Moses alone, yet if we compare Num 4:1, Num 4:34, Num 4:37, Num 4:41, Num 4:45, where the Levites qualified for service are said to have been mustered by Moses and Aaron, and still more Num 4:46, where the elders of Israel are said to have taken part in the numbering of the Levites as well as in that of the twelve tribes (Num 1:3-4), there can be no reason to doubt that Aaron also took part in the mustering of the whole of the Levites, for the purpose of adoption in the place of the first-born of Israel; and no suspicion attaches to this introduction of his name in Num 3:39, although it is not mentioned in Num 3:5, Num 3:11, Num 3:14, Num 3:40, and Num 3:44.

Num 3:40-48

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.

Num 3:49-51

“The redeemed of the Levites” are the 22,000 who were redeemed by means of the Levites. In Num 3:50, the Chethibh הפּדים is the correct reading, and the Keri הפּדים an unnecessary emendation. The number of the first-born and that of the Levites has already been noticed in the introduction to Numbers 1.

The Separation of the Levites. (b. c. 1490.)

1 These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 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 Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father. 5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6 Bring 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. 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 firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; 13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord .

Here, I. The family of Aaron is confirmed in the priests' office, v. 10. They had been called to it before, and consecrated; here they are appointed to wait on their priests' office: the apostle uses this phrase (Rom. xii. 7), Let us wait on our ministry. The office of the ministry requires a constant attendance and great diligence; so frequent are the returns of its work, and yet so transient its favourable opportunities, that it must be waited on. Here is repeated what was said before (ch. i. 51): The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death, which forbids the invading of the priest's office by any other person whatsoever; none must come nigh to minister but Aaron and his sons only, all others are strangers. It also lays a charge on the priests, as door-keepers in God's house, to take care that none should come near who were forbidden by the law; they must keep off all intruders, whose approach would be to the profanation of the holy things, telling them that if they came near it was at their peril, they would die by the hand of God, as Uzza did. The Jews say that afterwards there was hung over the door of the temple a golden sword (perhaps alluding to that flaming sword at the entrance of the garden of Eden), on which was engraven, The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

II. A particular account is given of this family of Aaron; what we have met with before concerning them is here repeated. 1. The consecration of the sons of Aaron, v. 3. They were all anointed to minister before the Lord, though it appeared afterwards, and God knew it, that two of them were wise and two were foolish. 2. The fall of the two elder (v. 4): they offered strange fire, and died for so doing, before the Lord. This is mentioned here in the preamble to the law concerning the priesthood, for a warning to all succeeding priests; let them know, by this example, that God is a jealous God, and will not be mocked; the holy anointing oil was an honour to the obedient, but not a shelter to the disobedient. It is here said, They had no children, Providence so ordering it, for their greater punishment, that none of their descendants should remain to be priests, and so bear up their name who had profaned God's name. 3. The continuance of the two younger: Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the sight of Aaron. It intimates, (1.) The care they took about their ministration not to make any blunders; they kept under their father's eye, and took instruction from him in all they did, because, probably, Nadab and Abihu got out of their father's sight when they offered strange fire. Note, It is good for young people to act under the direction and inspection of those that are aged and experienced. (2.) The comfort Aaron took in it; it pleased him to see his younger sons behave themselves prudently and gravely, when his two elder had miscarried. Note, It is a great satisfaction to parents to see their children walk in the truth, 3 John 4.

III. A grant is made of the Levites to be assistants to the priests in their work: Give the Levites to Aaron, v. 9. Aaron was to have a greater propriety in, and power over, the tribe of Levi than any other of the prices had in and over their respective tribes. There was a great deal of work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only three pairs of hands to do it all, Aaron's and his two sons'; for it does not appear that they had either of them any children at this time, at least not any that were of age to minister, therefore God appoints the Levites to attend upon them. Note, Those whom God finds work for his will find help for. Here is, 1. The service for which the Levites were designed: they were to minister to the priests in their ministration to the Lord (v. 6), and to keep Aaron's charge (v. 7), as the deacons to the bishops in the evangelical constitution, serving at tables, while the bishops waited on their ministry. The Levites killed the sacrifices, and then the priests needed only to sprinkle the blood and burn the fat: the Levites prepared the incense, the priests burnt it. They were to keep, not only Aaron's charge, but the charge of the whole congregation. Note, It is a great trust that is reposed in ministers, not only for the glory of Christ, but for the good of his church; so that they must not only keep the charge of the great high priest, but must also be faithful to the souls of men, in trust for whom a dispensation is committed to them. 2. The consideration upon which the Levites were demanded; they were taken instead of the first-born. The preservation of the first-born of Israel, when all the first-born of the Egyptians (with whom they were many of them mingled) were destroyed, was looked upon by him who never makes any unreasonable demands as cause sufficient of the appropriating of all the first-born thenceforward to himself (v. 13): All the first-born are mine. That was sufficient to make them his, though he had given no reason for it, for he is the sole fountain and Lord of all beings and powers; but because all obedience must flow from love, and acts of duty must be acts of gratitude, before they were challenged into peculiar services they were crowned with peculiar favours. Note, When he that made us saves us we are thereby laid under further obligations to serve him and live to him. God's right to us by redemption corroborates the right he has to us by creation. Now because the first-born of a family are generally the favourites, and some would think it a disparagement to have their eldest sons servants to the priests, and attending before the door of the tabernacle, God took the tribe of Levi entire for his own, in lieu of the first-born, v. 12. Note, God's institutions put no hardships upon men in any of their just interests or reasonable affections. It was presumed that the Israelites would rather part with the Levites than with the first-born, and therefore God graciously ordered the exchange; yet for us he spared not his own Son.

14 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 shalt 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; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon 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 Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. 21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred. 23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon 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 Elizaphan 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 Eleazar 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 Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34 And those that were numbered 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 thereto, 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, even 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 nigh 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.

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,

I. By what rule they were numbered: Every male from a month old and upward, v. 15. The rest of the tribes were numbered only from twenty years old and upwards, and of them those only that were able to go forth to war; but into the number of the Levites they must take in both infants, and infirm; being exempted from the war, it was not insisted upon that they should be of age and strength for the wars. Though it appears afterwards that little more than a third part of the Levites were fit to be employed in the service of the tabernacle (about 8000 out of 22,000, ch. iv. 47, 48), yet God would have them all numbered as retainers to his family; that none may think themselves disowned and rejected of God because they are not in a capacity of doing him that service which they see others do him. The Levites of a month old could not honour God and serve the tabernacle, as those that had grown up; yet out of the mouths of babes and sucklings the Levites' praise was perfected. Let not little children be hindered from being enrolled among the disciples of Christ, for such was the tribe of Levi, of such is the kingdom of heaven, that kingdom of priests. The redemption of the first-born was reckoned from a month old (ch. xviii. 15, 16), therefore from that age the Levites were numbered. They were numbered after the house of their fathers, not their mothers, for, if the daughter of a Levite married one of another tribe, her son was not a Levite; but we read of a spiritual priest to out God who inherited the unfeigned faith which dwelt in his mother and grandmother, 2 Tim. i. 5.

II. How they were distributed into three classes, according to the number of the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and these subdivided into several families, v. 17-20.

1. Concerning each of these three classes we have an account, (1.) Of their number. The Gershonites were 7500. The Kohathites were 8600. The Merarites were 6200. The rest of the tribes had not their subordinate families numbered by themselves as those of Levi; this honour God put upon his own tribe. (2.) Of their post about the tabernacle on which they were to attend. The Gershonites pitched behind the tabernacle, westward, v. 23. The Kohathites on the right hand, southward, v. 29. The Merarites on the left hand, northward, v. 35. And, to complete the square, Moses and Aaron, with the priests, encamped in the front, eastward, v. 38. Thus was the tabernacle surrounded with its guards; and thus does the angel of the Lord encamp round about those that fear him, those living temples, Ps. xxxiv. 7. Every one knew his place, and must therein abide with God. (3.) Of their chief or head. As each class had its own place, so each had its own prince. The commander of the Gershonites was Eliasaph (v. 24); of the Kohathites Elizaphan (v. 30), of whom we read (Lev. x. 4) that he was one of the bearers at the funeral of Nadab and Abihu; of the Merarites Zuriel, v. 35. (4.) Of their charge, when the camp moved. Each class knew their own business; it was requisite they should, for that which is everybody's work often proves nobody's work. The Gershonites were charged with the custody and carriage of all the curtains and hangings and coverings of the tabernacle and court (v. 25, 26), the Kohathites of all the furniture of the tabernacle—the ark, altar, table, &c. (v. 31, 32), the Merarites of the heavy carriage, boards, bars, pillars, &c., v. 36, 37.

2. Here we may observe, (1.) That the Kohathites, though they were the second house, yet were preferred before the elder family of the Gershonites. Besides that Aaron and the priests were of that family, they were more numerous, and their post and charge more honourable, which probably was ordered to put an honour upon Moses, who was of that family. Yet, (2.) The posterity of Moses were not at all dignified or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites, that it might appear he did not seek the advancement of his own family, nor to entail any honours upon it either in church or state; he that had honour enough himself coveted not to have his name shine by that borrowed light, but rather to have the Levites borrow honour from his name. Let none think contemptibly of the Levites, though inferior to the priests, for Moses himself though it preferment enough for his sons to be Levites. Probably it was because the family of Moses were Levites only that in the title of this chapter, which is concerning that tribe (v. 1), Aaron is put before Moses.

III. The sum total of the numbers of this tribe. They are computed in all 22,000, v. 39. The sum of the particular families amounts to 300 more; if this had been added to the sum total, the Levites, instead of being 273 fewer than the first-born, as they were (v. 43), would have been twenty-seven more, and so the balance would have fallen the other way; but it is supposed that the 300 which were struck off from the account when the exchange was to be made were the first-born of the Levites themselves, born since their coming out of Egypt, which could not be put into the exchange, because they were already sanctified to God. But that which is especially observable here is that the tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. Note, God's part in the world is too often the smallest part. His chosen are comparatively a little flock.

40 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. 41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord ) instead of all the firstborn 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 firstborn among the children of Israel. 43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen. 44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn 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 threescore and thirteen of the firstborn 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 gerahs:) 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 firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore 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.

Here is the exchange made of the Levites for the first-born. 1. The first-born were numbered from a month old, v. 42, 43. Those certainly were not reckoned who, though first-born, had become heads of families themselves, but those only that were under age; and the learned bishop Patrick is decidedly of opinion that none were numbered but those only that were born since their coming out of Egypt, when the first-born were sanctified, Exod. xiii. 2. If there were 22,000 first-born males, we may suppose as many females, and all these brought forth in the first year after they came out of Egypt, we must hence infer that in the last year of their servitude, even when it was in the greatest extremity, there were abundance of marriages made among the Israelites; they were not discouraged by the present distress, but married in faith, expecting that God would shortly visit them with mercy, and that their children, though born in bondage, should live in liberty and honour. And it was a token of good to them, an evidence that they were blessed of the Lord, that they were not only kept alive, but greatly increased, in a barren wilderness. 2. The number of the first-born, and that of the Levites, by a special providence, came pretty near to each other; thus, when he divided the nations, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel, Deut. xxxii. 8. Known unto God are all his works beforehand, and there is an exact proportion between them, and so it will appear when they come to be compared. The Levites' cattle are said to be taken instead of the firstlings of the cattle of the children of Israel, that is, the Levites, with all their possessions, were devoted to God instead of the first-born and all theirs; for, when we give ourselves to God, all we have passes as appurtenances with the premises. 3. The small number of first-born which exceeded the number of the Levites (273 in all) were to be redeemed, at five shekels apiece, and the redemption-money given to Aaron; for it would not do well to have them added to the Levites. It is probable that in the exchange they began with the eldest of the first-born, and so downward, so that those were to be redeemed with money who were the 273 youngest of the first-born; more likely so than either that it was determined by lot or that the money was paid out of the public stock. The church is called the church of the first-born, which is redeemed, not as these were, with silver and gold, but, being devoted by sin to the justice of God, is ransomed with the precious blood of the Son of God.

CHAP. III.

ANd these are the generations of Aaron, and Moses, in the day that Iehovah spake with Moses, in mount Sinai. And these are the names of the sonnes of Aaron; Nadab the first-borne, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sonnes of Aaron; the Priests, which were anointed: whose hand he filled, to minister in the Priests office. And Nadab and Abihu died before Iehovah, when they offered strange fire before Iehovah, in the wildernesse of Sinai: and they had no sonnes: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministred in the Priests office; in the sight of Aaron their father.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Bring neere the tribe of Levi, and present it before Aaron the Priest: and they shall minister unto him. And they shall keepe his charge, and the charge of all the congregation, before the Tent of the congregation, to serve the service of the Tabernacle. And they shall keepe all the instruments of the Tent of the congregation, and the charge of the sonnes of Israel, to serve the service of the Tabernacle. And thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron, and to his sonnes: they are given are given, unto him, out of the sonnes of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sonnes; and they shall keepe their Priests office: and the stranger that commeth nigh shall bee put to death.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; And I, behold I have taken the Levites from among the sonnes of Israel, in stead of every first-borne, that openeth the wombe, of the sonnes of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. Because every first-borne is mine: in the day that I smote every first-borne in the land of Egypt, I sanctified unto mee every first-borne in Israel, from man unto beast: mine they shall be, I am Iehovah.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, in the wildernesse of Sinai, saying; Muster the sons of Levi, according to the house of their fathers, according to their families; every male, from a moneth old and upward, shalt thou muster them. And Moses mustered them, according to the mouth of Iehovah, as hee was commanded. And these were the sons of Levi, by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And these were the names of the sonnes of Gershon, according to their families: Libni, and Shimei. And the sonnes of Kohath, according to their families: Amtam, and Izhar; Hebron, and Vzziel. And the sonnes of Merari, according to their families, Mahli, and Mushi: these are the families of the Levites, according to the house of their fathers. Of Gershon, was the familie of Libni, and the family of Shimei: these are the families of the Gershonites. Those that were mustered of thē, by the number of every male, from a moneth old and upward, the mustered of them were seven thousand, and five hundred. The families of the Gershonites shall encampe behinde the Tabernacle, Seaward. And the Prince of the house of the father of the Gershonites, shall be Eliasaph, the son of Lael. And the charge of the sons of Gershon, in the Tent of the congregation shall be the Tabernacle, and the Tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging veile for the doore of the Tent of the congregation. And the tapestrie-hangings of the Court, and the hanging veile for the doore of the Court, which is by the Tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords thereof, for all the service thereof.

And of Kohath was the familie of the Amramites, and the familie of the Izharites, and the familie of the Hebronites, and the familie of the Vzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. By the number of every male, from a moneth old and upward, eight thousand, and six hundred, keeping the charge of the Sanctuarie. The families of the sonnes of Kohath shall encampe on the side of the Tabernacle, Southward. And the Prince of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan, the sonne of Vzziel. And their charge shall be the Arke, and the Table, and the Candlesticke, and the Altars, and the vessels of the Sanctuary, with which they shall minister, and the hanging veile, and all the service thereof. And the Prince of the Princes of the Levites shall be Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, having the oversight of them that keepe the charge of the Sanctuarie.

Of Merari was the familie of the Mahlites, and the familie of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. And those that were mustered of them by the number of every male, from a moneth old and upward, were six thousand, and two hundred. And the Prince of the house of the father of the families of Merari shall be Zuriel the sonne of Abihail: they shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle, Northward. And the oversight of the charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the Tabernacle, and the barres thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, & all the service thereof; And the pillars of the Court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. And they that emcampe before the Tabernacle, foremost before the Tent of the congregation, Eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sonnes, keeping the charge of the Sanctuarie, for the charge of the sons of Israel: and the stranger that commeth nigh shall be put to death. All that were mustered of the Levites, which Moses mustered and Aaron, at the mouth of Iehovah, according to their families, every male, from a moneth old and upward, were two and twentie thousand.

And Iehovah said unto Moses, Muster every first-borne male of the sonnes of Israel, from a moneth old and upward, and take the number of their names. And thou shalt take the Levites for me, I am Iehovah; in stead of every first-borne of the sonnes of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites, in stead of every firstling among the cattle of the sonnes of Israel. And Moses mustered, as Iehovah commanded him, every first-borne among the sonnes of Israel. And all the first-borne males by the number of names, from a moneth old and upward, of those that were mustered of them, were two and twentie thousand, two hundred, and seventie and three.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Take the Levites in stead of every first-borne among the sonnes of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites, in stead of their cattle: and the Levites shall be mine, I am Iehovah. And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred, and seventie and three, which are mo[illegible: 1 letter] than the Levites, of the first-borne of the sonnes of Israel, Thou shalt even take five shekels a peace by the poll: after the shekel of the sanctuarie, shalt thou take; the shekel is twentie gerahs. And thou shalt give the money to Aaron and to his sons, of the redeemed that are moe, among them. And Moses tooke the redemption money, of those that were moe than the redeemed of the Levites. Of the first-borne of the sonnes of Israel, tooke he the money: a thousand, three hundred, and sixty and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuarie. And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed, to Aaron and to his sonnes, according to the mouth of Iehovah, as Iehovah had commanded Moses.

Annotations. THe generations] that is, the children of Aaron, and genealogie of the Levites, and the things that befell unto them; for so the word generations is used for accidents that fall out unto any, as is noted on Gen. 5. 1. In this and the next chapter, he sheweth the numbring of the Levites, and their order in administration: who were numbred apart, and not with the other tribes, because they were to attend the service of the Tabernacle, and encampe about it, not with the other twelve tribes, Num. 1. 49. 50. and 3. 8, 9, 10. 23. 38. And they were to be numbred after an other manner, not from twentie yeeres old, as the tribes were, Num. 1. 3. but from a moneth old, as touching their tale, Num. 3. 15. and from thirtie yeeres old to fifty, as touching their service, Num. 4. 3. And also, because there [illegible: 2 words] inheritance given them, among the sonnes of Israel, Num. 26. 62. but the Lord was their inheritance, Deut. 10. 8, 9. Now to be numbred apart, and not with others, signified some speciall favour towards such, and care over them; as Num. 23. 9. Aaron Aaron] the elder brother of Moses; and [illegible: 1 word] Levites: therefore their names are mentioned here. V. 3. he filled] that is, consecrated (or perfected) [illegible: 1 word] the Greeke translateth. See the annotations on Ex[illegible: 2 letters]. 29. 9. and Levit. 8. V. 4. dyed] by a fire from the Lord, Levit. 10. 1, 2. This is mentioned againe, in Num. 26. 61. 1 Chron. 24. 1, 2. had no sonnes] the Hebrewes (as Chazkuni upon this place,) say, if they had had sonnes, those sonnes had beene before Eleazar and Ithamar: for whosoever is fore-most in inheritance, is foremost for honour (or dignitie.) in the sight of Aaron] or, before the face, that is, whiles Aaron lived; as before the face of Tharah, Gen. 11. 38. is, while Tharah lived, before the Moone and Sunne, Psal. 72. 5. 17. is, whiles they continue to give light. The Greeke translateth With Aaron. Elsewhere it is said, by the hand of Aaron, 1 Chron. 24. 19. Of these two, there were so many Priests in Davids dayes, that he distributed them into 24. courses, sixteene of Eleazar, and eight of Ithamar, 1 Chron. 24. 3. 4. The Hebrew Doctors say, Moses divided the Priests into eight wards (or courses,) foure of Eleazar, and foure of Ithamar: and so they were untill the Prophet Samuels dayes. Then Samuel and David the King parted them into 24. courses. And over every course (or ward) there was one chiefe Provost. And they went up to Ierusalem to serve by course every weeke. And every sabbath day they changed, one course went out; and the next after them, came in, &c. Maimony tom. 3. treat. of the Instruments of the Sanctuarie, chapt. 4. sect. 3. Compare 1 Chron. 9. 22. 25. 2 King. 11. 5. 7. V. 6. present it] or, cause it to stand; speaking of the tribe. In Greeke, present them. V. 7. his charge] Hebr. his custody (or obseruation;) that is, that which he commandeth them to obserue. See this phrase in Lev. 18. 30. [illegible: 1 span] of all the congregation] the Greeke explaineth it, of the sonnes of Israel, as in v. 8. So [illegible: 1 word] 2 Chron. 35. 3. serve the Lord your God, and his people Israel. It meaneth also such things, as they were charged to keepe: but the Levites now were taken in their stead. [illegible: 1 span] to serve the service] in Greeke, to worke (or doe) the workes of the Tabernacle: which in Num. 8. 11. is said, to serve the service of the Lord. After, in the 8. verse, the Greeke translateth, according to all the workes of the Tabernacle. The Hebrewes write thus; The s[illegible: 1 letter]ed of Levi are all of them separated for the service of the Sanctuarie. And it is commanded that the Levites be prepared and readie for the service of the Sanctuarie, whether they be willing or not willing; (as in Num. 18. 23.) And the Levite, he shall serve the service of the Tent of the congregation. And the sonne of Levi which will take upon him all the Levites commandements saving one thing, they receive him not in, till he take all upon him. Maimony treat, of the Instruments of the Sanct. chap. 3. sect. 1. V. 9. are given are given] that is, as the Greeke here, and Moses himselfe in Num. 18. 6. explaineth it, are a gift given: o[illegible: 1 letter], they are wholly given. So the Ministers of the Gospell are called gifts, Ephes. 4. 8. 11. [illegible: 1 span] unto him] for his helpe, in the charge and worke of the Sanctuarie: they ministring unto him, and he and his sonnes ministring before the Tabernacle, Num. 18. 2. 6. V. 11. shalt appoint] or, constitute, set in office as Bishops, or Overseers. The Greeke explaineth it, thou shalt constitute over the Tabernacle of Testimonie. their Priests office] for every thing of the Altar, and within the veile, Num. 18. 7. the stranger] that is, whosoeuer is not of Aarons seed, as is explained in Num. 16. 40. for no man taketh the honour unto himselfe, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, Hebr. 5. 4. So Chazkuni here expoundeth stranger to be Israelite or Levite that commeth neere to minister. And Maimony in Biath hamikdash, chap. 9. sect. 1. saith, Who is the stranger? Whosoever is not of the seed of Aaron, the males. And after, God himselfe forbiddeth the Levites to come night he vessels of the Sanctuarie and the Altar, on paine of death, Numb. 18. 3. put to death] by the magistrate, or by the hand of God, as was Korah, for presuming to doe the Priests office, Numb. 16. V. 12. every first-borne] which (before the Levites were taken in their stead) did minister to the Lord, as is noted on Exod. 24. 5. And upon what occasion God tooke the Levites instead of the first-borne, is to be seene in Exod. 32. 26. 29. Deut. 33. 9. shall be mine] to minister before me, as the Chaldee expoundeth it. V. 13. I smote] in Chaldee, I killed: see Exod. 12. 29, 30. The Lord having slaine all the first-borne of Egypt, and spared the Israelites, did therefore challenge for his owne, and sanctifie to him-selfe all Israels first-borne, Exod. 13. 2. but tooke the Levites and their cattle, in stead of Israels first-borne men and cattle, Num. 3. 45. and gave them as a gift to Aaron, to minister unto him. Who being in his Priesthood a type of Christ, all these rites are in him fulfilled: For unto Christ, God gave children, Hebr. 2. 13. and they are a congregation of first-borne written in heaven, Hebr. 12. 23. being of Gods owne will begotten by the word of truth, that they should be a kinde of first-fruits of his creatures, Iam. 1. 18. to whom he also giveth the first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom. 8. 23. These wait on, and follow the Lambe (Christ) being bought from among men, and first-fruits unto God and to the Lambe, Rev. 14. 4. These were brought for an offering unto the Lord, out of all nations; and of them the Lord hath taken for Priests and for Levites, Esai. 66. 20, 21. and Christ hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father, that we may serve him day and night; in his Temple, Rev. 1. 6. and 7. 15. V. 15. Muster] or Number, Hebr. Visit. This was done by Moses and Aaron, v. 39. and by the Princes of the congregation, Num. 4. 34. though here the commandement is directed unto Moses onely house] in Greeke, houses. old] Heb. sonne of a moneth. Tho cause why the Levites were numbred from this age, was for that they came in place of the first-borne of Israel, whose redemption is appointed from a moneth old, Num. 18. 15, 16. And they were counted after the houses of their fathers, not of their mothers; for if a woman of Levi were maried to a man of Iudah, or any other tribe, her sonne was not a Levite. The Hebrew canons say; Priests and Levites and Israelites [illegible: 1 span]fully goe in (that is, [illegible: 1 word]) one to ano [illegible: 1 span]; [illegible: 2 words] which is [illegible: 1 word] goeth [illegible: 3 words], &[illegible: 1 letter]. as it is written, ACCORDING TO THE HOVSE OF THEIR FATHERS: the house of his father, that is, his familie, and not the house of his mother. Maimony in Issure biah, c. 19. sect. 15. V. 16. the mouth] that is, as the Chaldee expoundeth it, the word: and the Greeke saith, the voice of the Lord. V. 17. Gershon] in Greeke Gersom (but in vers. 25. Gerson.) So Ezron, in Gen. 46. 12. is Esrom, Mat. 1. 3. Kohath] or as in Greeke, Kaath, See Gen. 46. 11. Exod. 6. 16. V. 18. Libni] in Greeke, Lobnei and Semeei. See Exod. 6. 17. V. 19. Hebron] or, as the Greeke also writeth it, Chebron, and Oziel. See Exod. 6. 18. Here Kohath hath foure families: so many as both his brethren had together. V. 20. Mahli] in Greeke Moolei and M[illegible: 1 letter]usi. See Exod. 6. 19. Vers. 21. Gershon] in Greeke Gedsom; mistaking D. for R. by reason of the likenesse of the letters in Hebrew. See the notes on Gen. 4. 18. V. 23. Seaward] that is, as the Chaldee explaineth it, westward: See Num. 2. 18. V. 24. house of the father] that is, principall house: so in v. 30. and 35. Eliasaph] in Greeke, Elisaph; by interpretation, God hath added. Lael] that is, For God. V. 25. the charge] or the custodie; the Holy things which they were to carrie, keepe and looke unto: whereof see more in Num. 4. Tabernacle] the curtaines of the Tabernacle, Num. 4. 25. for the boords were under Meraries charge, Num. 3. 36. Tent] made of ten curtaines: see Exod. 26. 1. &c. covering] made of goats haire, Exod. 26. 7. And here is to bee understood the other coverings also made of rammes skinnes, and Tachash skinnes, Exod. 26. 14. for they belonged to the Gershonites charge, Num. 4. 25. hanging veile] whereof see Exod. 26. 36. V. 26. tapestrie hangings] whereof see Exod. 27. 9. &c. hanging veile] mentioned in Exod. 27. 16. V. 28. of the Sanctuarie] Hebr. of the sanctifie, or holinesse: meaning the holy things; as the Greeke saith, of the Holies: what they were, is expressed in v. 31. See Num. 4. 4. 15. and 10. 21. Here the families of the Levites may be viewed by their numbers; 1. Of the Gersonites 7500. 2. Of the Kohathites 8600. 3. Of the Merarites 6200. By their situation when they camped about the Tabernacle; 1. Gersonites, behinde westward, v. 23. 2. Kohathites; Southward, v. 29. 3. Merarites, Northward, v. 35. And to make up the square, Moses and Aaron with the Priests encamped formost Eastward, v. [illegible: 1 letter]8. By their charges, for there was committed unto the care and cariage of the 1. Gersonites, the Tent, coverings, veile, hanging of the court, &c. [illegible: 1 word]. Koha[illegible: 1 span], the Arke, Table, Altars, and Instruments of the Sanctuary. 3. Merarites, the boords, barres, pillars, sockers, &c. Among these families of Levi, wee may observe the speciall prerogatives of Kohath the second sonne: 1. Hee excelleth in multitude of families, or chiefe fathers, having foure, when as each of his brethren had but two. 2. He excelleth in multitude of children, having 8600. that is, 1100 moe than his elder brother Gerson, and 2400. moe than Merari. 3. Of him came Moses the king, Aaron the priest, and Marie the prophetesse; and so all the Priests were of this familie; Exod. 6. 18. 20. Num. 26. 58, 59. 4. His families have the chiefest place about the Sanctuary, the South quarter, next unto Moses, Aaron and the priests, Num. 3. 29. 5. They have the charge of the most holy things within the Sanctuarie, as the Arke, Table, Candlesticke, Altars, &c. Num. 3. 31. 6. Whereas the tribe of Levi had 48. cities allowed them in Canaan, Kohaths posterity had 23. of them; for the Priests had 13. cities, and the other Kohathites ten; and so he had in a manner a double portion, as much as both his brethren, Ios. 21. 7. Of the Prince of these Kohathites Elizaphan (Num. 3. 30.) there were 200. Levites to helpe home with the Arke in Davids daies, (no such mention being made of the other two princes,) besides 312. Kohathites of other families: when of Gershon and Merari, there were not so many: 1 Chron. 15. 5.—8, 9, 10. V. 29. Southward] the south is in Psal. 89. 13. called the right side; and in this place it hath a name in Hebrew derived also of the right hand; because so it is when men stand with their faces to the East: see the notes on Num. 2. 3. V. 30. Elizapham. sonne of Vzziel] hee was of the fourth and youngest familie of the Kohathites, yet preferred to be the prince over them. This (as the Hebrewes thinke) was offensiue to Korah who was of the second familie of Izhar; and occasioned him to rebell. See the notes on Num. 16. 1. Elizaphan is by interpretation, My God hath stored [illegible: 1 letter]p; and Uzziel, God is my strength. V. 31. all the service thereof] in Greeke, all the [illegible: 1 span]ks of them. V. 32. of the princes] the Greeke saith, over the princes; and the Chaldee addeth, appointed over the princes. of the Levites] Hebr. of Levi, whose name is put for all his posteritie, as the Greeke and Chaldee translate Levites. So Aaron, is used for the Aaronites; 1 Chron. 12. 27. Eleazar] by interpretation The helpe of God. having the oversight] or, the Bishop, having the Bis[illegible: 1 span] office; which hath the name in Hebrew, of Uisitation; in Greeke, of Overseeing: and so this word is translated by the holy Ghost, Episcopee, that is, a Bishops office or charge, in Act. 1. 20. from Psal. 109. 7. And in Num. 4. 16. the Greeke translateth it Episcopos, Bishop. So in Ezek. 44. 11. having charges (that is, Bishops) at the gat: of the house; where the Greeke translateth it Porters. In Thargum Ionathan it is explained thus: Hee inquired by Urim and Thummim, under his hand were they appointed that keepe the custodie of the Sanctuarie. As Aaron the high Priest figured Christ, Heb. 5. 1. 4. 5. so Eleazar in this office being Prince of Princes, shadowed the office of our Lord Iesus, who is the Prince of the Kings of the earth, Rev. 1. 5. the Archpastor, 1 Pet. 5. 4. the great Pastor of the sheepe, Hebr. 13. 20. and Bishop of our soules, 1 Pet. 2. 25. And hence arose the distinction of the high Priest, and the second priest, as in 2 King. 25. 18. And when Aaron was dead, and Eleazar high priest in his place, Num. 20. 26. 28. then Phinehas Eleazars sonne, was Governour over the Levites, 1 Chron. 9. 20. V. 35. Zuriel] in Greeke Souriel, which signifieth God is my Rocke. Abihail] or Abichail, as the Greeke pronounceth it: by interpretation, The fathers strength. V. 36. the oversight of the charge] that is, as the Chaldee expoundeth it, that which shall be committed to the charge (or custodie) of the sonnes of Merari. the service thereof] in Greeke, the workes of them. And because these things were heavy to beare, the Lord allowed them foure wagons, according unto their service, for to ease the cariage, Num. 7. 5.—8. Vers. 38. foremost] or, as the Greeke translateth it, Eastward: see Num. 2. 3. Moses, and Aaron] The Hebrewes (as Baal hatturim vpon this place) doe observe, that here is a pause (or, distinction) betweene Moses and Aaron; to teach that Moses (pitched) in one place, by himselfe; and Aaron and his sonnes in another place by themselves. Thus Moses a Levite of Kohath, was King in Ieshurun, Deut. 33. 5. and Aaron his brother, Priest: as for Moses two sonnes, Gershon and Eliezer (Exod. 18. 3, 4.) here is no mention of them, neither in Num. 26. neither had they any prerogative, but were among the other Kohathites, and named of the tribe of Levi, that is, common Levites, 1 Chron. 24. 14. the charge] or, the custodie, the watch of the Sanctuarie: the Levites being assistants under them, Num. 18. 2, 3. Of the watch which was wont to be kept in the Sanctuary, see the annotations on Num. 15. 8. the stranger] that is, any saving Aaron and his sonnes; see verse 10. Vers. 39. and Aaron] in the Hebrew, there are many extraordinary pricks over the name of Aaron, for speciall cause: R. Sol. Iarchi saith they were to signifie that Aaron himselfe was not among the number of the Levites, none of the 22000. here mentioned. Observe Aarons dignitie; Hee was the elder brother unto Moses the King. Exod. 7. 7. Hee was by mariage brother to Naasson Prince of Iudah, for hee had to wife Elisabeth his sister, Exod. 6. 23. Hee was joyned with Moses, in the government of Israel, Psal. 77. 20. He had the prerogative to sacrifice for the whole Church, 1 Chron. 23. 13. But Christ our King and Priest after the order of Melchisedek, farre excelleth him, H[illegible: 1 letter]b. 7. and 8. chap. two and twentie thousand] This summe accordeth not with the former particulars; for there were of Gershon, 7500. of Kohath, 8600. of Merari, 6200. which make in all 22. thousand and three hundred. But Aaron and the Priests, as also the first-borne of the Levites, were the Lords after a peculiar manner, Exod. 13. 2. and therefore deducted from the rest, which were all taken in stead of the first-borne of Israel. So there were so many thousand Levites, as there are Hebrew letters: because they were aboue others, to apply the studie of Gods Law, Deut. 33. 10. which because they did not according to their dutie, God so disposed that Iehozadak the Priest, in the 22. generation after Aaron, was caried captive with the people into Babylon, 1 Chron. 6. 3.—15. And here againe Gods providence appeareth, that the Levites increase should be by just thousands, and the Priests and first-borne of Levi, by hundreds: without any broken number, such as was among the first-borne of Israel, vers. 43. See the notes on Num. 1. 25. Againe, whereas the least of all the other tribes of Israel, from twenty yeeres old and upward, had 32000. and 200. (Num. 1. v. 34, 35.) and the greatest, 54000. and 600. (v. 27.) here the Levites which were counted from a moneth old and upward, were but 22000. so the Lords portion was the least. Yea of these 22. thousand, there were found but eight thousand five hundred and fourescore, that were fit for to doe service in the Sanctuary, Num. 4. 47, 48. so small was the number of those that served God in his ministerie, in comparison with the campes of Israel. Vers. 40. Muster] or Number. moneth old] Hebr. sonne of a moneth. Vers. 41. for me] or, unto me, as the Chaldee expounds it, thou shalt bring neere the Levites before me. every first-borne] or, all the first-borne, which being appointed unto the Lords service, the Lord taketh the Levites to serve him in their stead. This was for the first-borne males of man and beast which the Israelites now had: all the first-borne that came after this, were to be redeemed, or given to the Priest, Num. 18. 15. See the notes on verse 12. and 13. Vers. 43. and seventie and three] Gods speciall providence appeareth againe in this number of the first-borne, that it should be so neere unto the number of the Levites taken in their stead: whom God destinated from the womb unto his service, and made the summes of them so neere. A like worke of God is observed by Moses in Deut. 32. 8. how he had appointed the borders of the peoples, according to the number of the sonnes of Israel. And whereas six hundred thousand men and moe (Num. 1. 46.) had but 22. thousand and 273. first-borne males in all their families, it appeareth that the farre greater number of Israels first-borne were females, who by reason of their sex were not fit to serve God in his sanctuary. Which figured the small number of Gods elect, among the many that are called, Mat. 22. 14. Rom. 9. 6, 7, 8. For the elect are such as doe serve God day and night in his Temple, Revel. 7. 15. and are Priests unto God, Rev. 5. 10. Vers. 45. shall be mine] which the Chaldee explaineth, shall minister before me. Vers. 46. those that are to be redeemed] Hebr. And the redeemed; or, as the Greeke translateth it, And the redemptions (or ransomes.) So after in vers. 48, 49, 51. Here the overplus of the first-borne of man, is reckoned, and the summe of their ransome vers. 50. but the overplus of cattle is not reckoned. Vers. 47. five shekels a peece] Heb. five five shekels: which the Greeke translateth five shekels by the head. These five shekels (the price set here, and in Num. 18. 16.) was the value set in Lev. 27. 6. from a moneth old to five yeeres old; and it was the least of all the valuations: so that God burdened the Israelites with the ransomes as little as might be. twentie gera[illegible: 1 letter]s] or, twentie pence; the gerah was a peece of silver that weighed sixteene barley graines: so the shekel weighed 320. graines; see the notes on Exod. 30. 13. Vers. 48. the money] Hebr. the silver: so in vers. 49, 50, 51. of the redeemed] understand, the money of those that are redeemed: or, as the Greeke translateth, the redemptions of those that are moe. Vers. 50. Of the first-borne] in Hebrew, B[illegible: 1 letter] chor the First-borne is singular, as spoken of one; but translated in Greeke plurally, as implying all. And this seemeth to be taken, not of particular persons (as, of them that were last numbred, or any other) for so the burden should have lien vnequally upon a few: but of the church in generall. Or, to cut off contention, it was done by lot, as R. Solomon Iarchi saith, he brought 22000. scrolles or papers (according to the number of the Levites, vers. 39.) and on every of them was written, A son of Levi: and 273. papers, (according to the number of the First-borne Israelites moe than the Levites, vers. 46.) and on every of them was written, Five shekels; they mingled them and put them in a basket; then said he unto them, come draw your papers according to your lot. Vers. 51. of them that were redeemed] the Greeke translateth, the silver, the ransomes of them that were overplus: this was given to Aaron, because the Levites were given to him, vers. 9. and when Levites failed, this money was in their stead, not the first-borne themselves, but their ransomes, for which the other Levites supplied their place and service. This redeeming of men by silver, fore-shadowed a better redemption by Christ; as it is written, Yee know that yee were not redeemed [illegible: 1 word] corruptible things, as silver and gold, &c. but with the pretious bloud of Christ, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. according to the mo[illegible: 1 letter]th] that is, the word, as the Chaldee translateth; and the Greeke, by the voice of the Lord.