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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Numbers 3:11-13

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 should have served God in the sanctuary (Exodus 11:4). But after the golden calf incident, the Levites served in place of the firstborn boys (Exodus 32:25) from other tribes.

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See also Numbers 3:11-13 in other biblical comments:

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. THE LEVITES AND THEIR MINISTRATIONS CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The generations of the priests (Numbers 3:1)_ 2. The tribe of Levi and their ministry (Numbers 3:5) 3. The Levites substituted for all the fir...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE RELATION OF THE LEVITES TO THE PEOPLE. The Levites are here considered as dedicated to Yahweh in lieu of the first-born of Israel to whom He had a claim, and for whom no redemption money had been...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Levites substituted for the first-born....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. THE LEVITES COUNTED AND ASSIGNED DUTIES vv. 5-39 TEXT Numbers 3:5. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 6. Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may mi...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,_ I have taken the Levites ... The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who c...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE LEVITES, THEIR DUTIES AND NUMBER Although Aaron and his family belong to the tribe of Levi (Exodus 2:1) the term 'Levites' is usually employed, as here, to denote the non-Aaronite Levites. The fam...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 3 AARON’S SONS – NUMBERS 3:1-4 V1 The *LORD spoke to Moses on Sinai mountain. This is the family of Aaron and Mos

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל ־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּ אמֹֽר

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    2. THE FIRST-BORN Numbers 3:11; Numbers 3:40 These two passages supplement each other and may be taken together. Jehovah claims the first-born in Israel. He hallowed them unto Himself on the day when...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    44-51, THE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE FIRST-BORN Numbers 3:1 The Levites were taken, instead of the firstborn sons of Israel, to perform the service of the Tabernacle. There were nearly as many Levites as fi...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The account of the arrangements for the service of the Levites is fully and carefully given in this and the following chapter. In the rites are certain matters of principle which are of permanent valu...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Let the Reader remark with me, on the perusal of those verses, that the highest honour of birthright is to be the LORD'S. The world's policy hath in many instances reversed this. The younger branches...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    It is impossible to look at this book ever so cursorily without feeling the difference of the atmosphere from that of Leviticus. And this is so much the more striking because it cannot be fairly doubt...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In chapter 3 we have the Levites set apart, according to the thoughts of God, for service. They are a figure of the church, or rather of the members of the church in their service, even as the priests...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... Continued to speak unto him, and give him the reason of his appointing the Levites to minister to the priests and serve the tabernacle: SAYING: as follows....

  • KJV Original Language Details

    [THE LEUITES ARE NUMBRED.] 1 The sonnes of Aaron. 5 The Leuites are giuen to the Priests for the seruice of the Tabernacle, 11 in stead of the first borne. 14 The Leuites are numbred by their fami...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE FORMAL CHARGE...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SONS OF AARON (vs.1-4) Aaron was the high priest, and in Israel a natural succession was practiced, as is not true in the Church of God today In fact, a special priesthood is not scriptural now,...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-13 There was much work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only Aaron and his two sons to do it; God appoints the Levites to attend them. Those whom God finds work for, he will find...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    Numbers 4:1-49. What a marvellous spectacle was the camp of Israel, in that waste howling wilderness! What a spectacle to angels, to men, and to devils! God's eye ever rested upon it. His presence was...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 3:11 LORD H3068 spoke H1696 (H8762) Moses H4872 saying H559 (H8800)...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DEDICATION OF THE LEVITES TO THE PRIESTS AND TO YAHWEH (NUMBERS 3:5). In the light of the shortage of priests the promotion of someone to act as assistants to them was inevitable. But it should be...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Order of the host; placing of the Levites. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron. CONCLUSION: Having gifts differing according to the Grace given us if ministry, let us wait on our ministering (Ro...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 3:9. _Thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron._ God has a sovereign right to choose and call his own ministers. The service of the tabernacle would be better done by a separate tribe professional...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The priests which were anointed._ AARON AND HIS SONS: PARENTS AND CHILDREN In Numbers 3:1 we have-- I. An incidental illustration of the exalted personal character and the divine mission of Moses....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    Critical Notes.—“Muster of the Tribe of Levi. As Jacob had adopted the two sons of Joseph as his own sons, and thus promoted them to the rank of heads of tribes, the tribe of Levi founded, strictly sp...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE NUMBERS AND DUTIES OF THE LEVITES; THEIR SUBSTITUTION FOR THE FIRSTBORN (Numbers 3:1)....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter three, God had Moses set out the tribe of Levi into three major families: the family of Gershon, the family of Kohath and Merari. And so the Levites were divided into the three major fa...

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