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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 3:1-13

Here, I. The family of Aaron is confirmed in the priests? office, Num. 3:10. 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. 12:7), 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:1

These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses ,.... The descendants of them, those of the former, who is named first, because the eldest, were priests, and those of the latter Levites, and who are not very plainly pointed at, but are included among the Amramites, Numbers 3:27 ; the posterity of Moses being very obscure, only Levites, and these not particularly named but swallowed up among the Kohathites: find the following account was as it stood: in the day that the Lord spoke... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:2

And these are the names of the sons of Aaron ,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, disciples of Moses, the master of the Israelites; none of the posterity of Moses being expressly, named; Jarchi observes, that the sons of Aaron are called the generations of Moses, because he taught them the law; for whoever, he says, teaches his neighbour's son, the law, the Scripture accounts of him as if he begat him, see 1 Corinthians 4:15 , Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar ; as in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:3

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed ,.... With the holy, anointing oil, with which they were anointed when, Aaron was and they only, see Exodus 30:30 , whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office ; that is, whom Moses consecrated, by anointing them, putting the priest's garments on them, offering sacrifice for them, and filling their hands with sacrifices which is the phrase here used for consecration: see Exodus 29:15 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:4

And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord ,...., By flaming fire, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, see Leviticus 10:2 ; and so were not alive at this time when the account of the priests and Levites was taken: when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai ; after the tabernacle was set up, and the service of it begun, and quickly after their unction and consecration: of this strange fire; see Gill on Numbers 10:1 , and they had no children ; which is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:5

And the Lord spake unto Moses ,.... After he had given him the order for the numbering the children of Israel, and for the manner of their encampment and journeying: saying ; as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:6

Bring the tribe of Levi near ,.... Separate them from the rest, set them apart for special service about, the sanctuary, let them have a place nearer to it than the other tribes, or offer them, that is, to the Lord, as in Numbers 8:11 ; as well as bring them near to Aaron; so it follows: and present them before Aaron the priest ; that he may receive them as a gift unto him, as servants to wait upon him; and! that he may appoint and declare unto them their work, and set them about it: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:7

And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation ,.... The charge of Aaron and of all the people of Israel, which was to secure the sanctuary from being polluted or plundered: this the Levites were to be employed about, and thereby ease the high priest and the other priests, and the people, of what otherwise would have been incumbent on them: before the tabernacle of the congregation ; not within it, neither in the holy place, nor in the most holy place, where... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:8

And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation ,.... Take care of them that none be lost or come to any damage, especially while it was moving, and carried from place to place; then the several parts of it, as well as the vessels in it, were committed to their care and charge, the particulars of which see in Numbers 3:25 , and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle ; See Gill on Numbers 3:7 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:9

And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons ,.... To be their ministers and servants: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel : even all of them entirely, none excepted; the whole tribe which were not in the priestly office; those were separated from the rest of the tribes of Israel, and appointed for the service of the priests: or they were "given, given" F17 נתונים נתונים "dati, dati", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius. ; which is... read more

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