Numbers 3:12
“And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;”
Numbers 3:12 in 7 translations
- KJVKing James Version
- And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
- DRADouay–Rheims
- I have taken the Levites from the children of Israel, for every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
- ASVAmerican Standard Version
- And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:
- DARBYDarby
- And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine;
- WEBThe World English Bible
- Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:
- YLTYoung's Literal Translation
- 'And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine;
- BPVBiblePics Version
- And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
Context: Numbers 3
10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
13Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
14And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
About Numbers 3: The Levites
A second census is taken of the Levites, and their duties in serving the Tabernacle are outlined.
Commentary
In Numbers 3, we see the Lord instructing Moses to take a census of the Levites, who were to serve as the priests of Israel. The Lord commands that all males from the age of one month and older were to be counted. The Lord then instructs Moses to assign the Levites to the service of the tabernacle, and to assign them to the various tasks of the tabernacle. The Lord also commands that the Levites were to be redeemed from the other tribes of Israel, and that they were to be given to Aaron and his sons as a special gift from the Lord.