Numbers 3:1

CHAPTER III

The generations of Aaron and Moses, 1-4.

The tribe of Levi to minister to the Lord under Aaron and his

sons, 5-10.

They are taken in the place of the first-born, 11-13.

Moses is commanded to number them, 14-16.

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the names of the three heads of

families of the Levites, 17.

Of Gershon and his family, 18-21.

Their number, 7,500, ver. 22.

Their place behind the tabernacle, westward, 23.

Their chief, Eliasaph, 24.

Their charge, 25, 26.

Of Kohath and his family, 27.

Their number, 8,600, ver. 28.

Their place, beside the tabernacle, southward, 29.

Their chief, Elizaphan, 30.

Their charge, 31.

The chief of the Levites, Eleazar, son of Aaron, 32.

Of Merari and his family, 33.

Their number, 6,200, ver. 34.

Their chief, Zuriel, they shall pitch beside the tabernacle,

northward, 35.

Their charge, 35-37.

MOSES and AARON to encamp before the tabernacle, eastward, 38.

The amount of all the males among the Levites from a month old

and upwards, 22,000, ver. 39.

Moses is commanded to number the first-born, 40;

and to take the Levites and their cattle, instead of the

first-born of man and beast among the Israelites, 41.

Moses numbers the first-born, who amount to 22,273, ver. 43.

As the first-born were 273 more than the Levites, Moses is

commanded to take from the people five shekels apiece for

them, 44-47,

which is to be given to Aaron and his sons, 48.

Moses does accordingly, and finds the amount of the money to be

1,365 shekels, 49, 50,

which is given to Aaron and his sons, 51.

NOTES ON CHAP. III

Verse Numbers 3:1. 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 Genesis 2:4; Genesis 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.