Numbers 3 - Introduction
_THE SEPARATION AND SERVICE OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI; WHO ARE NUMBERED; AS WELL AS THE FIRST-BORN; IN WHOSE STEAD THEY ARE APPOINTED TO MINISTER AT THE TABERNACLE._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SEPARATION AND SERVICE OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI; WHO ARE NUMBERED; AS WELL AS THE FIRST-BORN; IN WHOSE STEAD THEY ARE APPOINTED TO MINISTER AT THE TABERNACLE._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ALSO ARE THE GENERATIONS OF AARON AND MOSES— As the posterity of Aaron only is mentioned, some have thought that _generations_ here signifies, not only _posterity,_ but _acts,_ passages of their history, or what happened to them; as the word is used, Genesis 2:4; Genesis 6:9. Le Clerc is of op... [ Continue Reading ]
ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR MINISTERED—IN THE SIGHT OF AARON THEIR FATHER— See Numbers 3:38. _In the sight of their father,_ means, most probably, together with their father.... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING THE TRIBE OF LEVI NEAR— God orders the tribe of Levi to be offered in a solemn manner to his service, and to the ministration of the tabernacle, under the priests; into whose peculiar office they were by no means to intrude, (Numbers 3:10.) but were to perform the more servile offices of the t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL KEEP HIS CHARGE, AND THE CHARGE OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION— This verse is better rendered in our old version, _and they shall take the charge with him, even the charge of the whole congregation,_ before the _tabernacle of the congregation,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE TAKEN THE LEVITES—INSTEAD OF ALL THE FIRST-BORN— Some have thought that the Levites were chosen to this office, rather than any other of the tribes, because of the zeal for the true religion which they shewed in the affair of the golden calf; see Exodus 32:28 and some have thought, that the w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES— Bishop Kidder remarks here, very judiciously, that though the number of the Israelites was to be taken by Aaron as well as by Moses (chap. Numbers 1:3.); the precept to number the Levites is directed to, and executed only by Moses, Numbers 3:16. In like manner we find... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FAMILIES OF THE GERSHONITES— The camp of the priests and Levites is appointed to be of a square form, like that of the other Israelites. The description in the following verses is very full and plain.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ELEAZAR, THE SON OF AARON,—SHALL BE CHIEF— There was an officer in chief set over each of these families, Numbers 32:24; Numbers 32:30; Numbers 32:35 and over all these chiefs a supreme inspector was appointed. The excellent order and regularity observable through this whole disposition of the c... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT WERE NUMBERED, &C.— See on Numbers 3:43, The words _and Aaron,_ in this verse, Houbigant remarks, are not found in the Arabic and Syriac; in which omission they agree with the 5th verse, wherein Moses, not Aaron, is commanded to take the number of the tribe of Levi; and also with the 11th,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT TAKE THE LEVITES FOR ME, &C.— The Levites were now to be exchanged for the first-born males of the whole nation, man for man; and the cattle of that whole tribe, instead of the firstling male cattle of the whole nation; that so the Levites and their cattle, instead of the Israelites f... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE FIRST-BORN MALES, &C.— All the males of the tribe of Levi are said to be twenty and two thousand, Numbers 3:39 but if we put together the particular sums mentioned Numbers 3:22; Numbers 3:28; Numbers 3:34 they amount to 300 more; which Patrick, Le Clerc, and others think to be omitted, becau... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT GIVE THE MONEY, &C.— The original rendered _money,_ is ףּכס _ceseph, silver,_ and so it certainly should have been rendered here. _Note;_ Though silver or gold could ransom these first-born, nothing less than the blood of Jesus Christ could redeem those firstborn, whose names are writt... [ Continue Reading ]