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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 in... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ha... [ Continue Reading ]
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 sev... [ Continue Reading ]