Numbers 3:44-51

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 3:40-51

Here is the exchange made of the Levites for the first-born. 1. The first-born were numbered from a month old, Num. 3:42, 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. 13:2. If there were 22,000 first-born males, we may... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:44

And the Lord spake unto Moses ,.... After the number was taken, and gave him directions what to do upon it: saying ; as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:45

Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel ,.... The Lord had declared before that he had taken them, and now he bids Moses take them, who had numbered them, and give them to Aaron, instead of the firstborn, whose numbers were also taken for this purpose: and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle ; but not to be given to Aaron and his sons, or to the priests for their use, but to remain with the Levites for their use, who were now separated... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:46

And for those that are to be redeemed , &c.; With money, there being not Levites enough to answer to them, and exchange for them: of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites ; for the sum total of the Levites, as given, was but 22,000, Numbers 3:39 , whereas the sum total of the firstborn of Israel were 22,273, Numbers 3:43 , so that there were, two hundred seventy three more of the latter than of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:47

Thou shall even take five shekels apiece the poll ,.... Or head; every firstborn, or his parent for him, was bound to pay five shekels, which were about eleven or twelve shillings of our money, and which was afterwards settled as the price of such a redemption, Numbers 18:16 , after the shekel of the sanctuary shall thou take them ; being full weight according to the standard there kept: the shekel is twenty gerahs ; See Gill on Leviticus 27:25 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:48

And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed ,.... Or the superfluous number, the number of them that exceeded the Levites, namely, two hundred seventy three; the price of their redemption is ordered to be given unto Aaron, and to his sons ; since the Levites were taken in lieu of the firstborn, whose redemption money belonged to the priests; and seeing the Levites were given to Aaron and his sons on that consideration, and there being a deficiency of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:49

And Moses took the redemption money ,.... Of five shekels per head: of them that were over and above redeemed by the Levites ; or were more than those redeemed by them. A Levite redeemed a firstborn, or freed him from the redemption price, being taken in lieu of him: 22,000 Levites were answerable to 22,000 firstborn of Israel; but as there were no more Levites than the above number, there remained two hundred seventy three firstborn to be redeemed by money, and it was the redemption... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:50

Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money ,.... Or "for the firstborn", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, and so the Hebrew particle מאת is sometimes used F21 Vid. Nold. Partic. Ebr. Concord. p. 579. ; for children of a month old or little more could not pay the money, but their parents for them, which was paid by them, and Moses received it for the superfluous number of two hundred seventy three; but it is a matter of doubt of whom this was exacted, and by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 3:51

And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed ,.... That were redeemed this way, and not by Levites, as in Numbers 3:49 , but by money, paying five shekels a head: unto Aaron and his sons ; to whom the Levites were given; and this money, as a recompence for the deficiency of the number of them, to answer to the firstborn exchanged for them: according to the word of the Lord ; Numbers 3:48 , as the Lord commanded Moses ; so did he, being a faithful servant in all things... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 3:45

Verse 45 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... read more

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