Numbers 3:40
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.”
Numbers 3:40 in 7 translations
- KJVKing James Version
- And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
- DRADouay–Rheims
- And the Lord said to Moses: Number the firstborn of the male sex of the children of Israel, from one month and upward, and thou shalt take the sum of them.
- ASVAmerican Standard Version
- And Jehovah said unto Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
- DARBYDarby
- And Jehovah said to Moses, Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
- WEBThe World English Bible
- Yahweh said to Moses, Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
- YLTYoung's Literal Translation
- And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel from a son of a month and upward, and take up the number of their names;
- BPVBiblePics Version
- And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
Context: Numbers 3
38But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
39All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
40And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
41And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
42And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
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.