NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 3:1__ The two censuses of Levites count different groups. The first (Numbers 3:1) counts every male Levite over one month old. The male Levites took the place of the firstborn males of the other tribes to serve the Lord, so the first census ensures that the number of the Levi... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 3:5 The two main tasks of the Levites were (1) guarding the tabernacle from intruders and (2) ministering AT THE TABERNACLE (which included carrying it from place to place). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 3:11 In the final plague, every FIRSTBORN male Egyptian and every firstborn of their cattle died, but the Israelite boys and cattle were spared. After this, all Israelite firstborn boys and cattle were dedicated to God. That meant the cattle were sacrificed and the boys shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 3:14 The census results are listed by clan. Each clan is responsible for carrying a specific part of the tabernacle and for guarding a specific side of the tabernacle. The total number of Levites (v. Numbers 3:39) is 22,000, which is 300 less than the sum of the individual Le... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 3:43 ALL THE FIRSTBORN MALES... WERE 22,273. If the total population was over 2 million, then this number would represent only firstborn males born since the exodus. Other interpreters understand this figure as the total of all the firstborn in Israel, which would indicate a... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 3:46 The census showed that there were 273 fewer LEVITES than FIRSTBORN males in the other tribes. To redeem these 273 Israelites who had no Levite to take their place, FIVE SHEKELS per person had to be paid (see Leviticus 27:6). This would have been about a year’s pay for a... [ Continue Reading ]