Numeri 3:11 Commento

This chapter and the next are concerning the tribe of Levi, which was to be mustered and marshalled by itself, and not in common with the other tribes, intimating the particular honour put upon them and the particular duty and service required from them. The Levites are in this chapter considered, I. As attendants on, and assistants to, the priests in the temple-service. And so we have an account, 1. Of the priests themselves (Num 3:1-4) and their work (Num 3:10). 2. Of the gift of the Levites to them (Num 3:5-9), in order to which they are mustered (Num 3:14-16), and the sum of them taken (Num 3:39). Each particular family of them is mustered, has its place assigned and its charge, the Gershonites (Num 3:17-26), the Kohathites (Num 3:27-32), the Merarites (Num 3:33-39). II. As equivalents for the first-born (Num 3:11-13). 1. The first-born are numbered, and the Levites taken instead of them, as far as the number of the Levites went (Num 3:40-45). 2. What first-born there were more than the Levites were redeemed (Num 3:46, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 3 In this chapter an account is given of the genealogy of the priests and Levites, and of the gift of the Levites to the priests, of the numbering of them, and the service they were to perform; and first of the priests, the sons of Aaron, Num 3:1; and then of the Levites, as given unto them, to wait upon them, and assist them, Num 3:5; and these were taken instead of the firstborn, Num 3:11; and ordered to be numbered, which was done accordingly by their families, Num 3:14; and the sum of each is given, and the particular work assigned to them; of the Gershonites, Num 3:21; of the Kohathites, Num 3:27; of the Merarites, Num 3:33; the sum total of them is given, Num 3:39; then the firstborn of the children of Israel, from a month old are ordered to be numbered, and were, Num 3:40; and these appearing to be more in number than the Levites, by two hundred seventy three a direction is given that the two hundred seventy three should be redeemed at the rate of five, shekels apiece, and the money paid to Aaron and his sons, Num 3:44; which was accordingly done, Num 3:49.

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.

The war with Og, king of Bashan, Deu 3:1, Deu 3:2. He is defeated, Deu 3:3. Sixty fortified cities with many unwalled towns taken, Deu 3:4, Deu 3:5. The utter destruction of the people, Deu 3:6. The spoils, Deu 3:7; and extent of the land taken, Deu 3:8-10. Account of Og's iron bedstead, Deu 3:11. The land given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, Deu 3:12, Deu 3:13. Jair takes the country of Argob, Deu 3:14. Gilead is given unto Machir, Deu 3:15. And the rest of the land possessed by the Reubenites and Gadites, Deu 3:16, Deu 3:17. The directions given to those tribes, Deu 3:18-20. The counsel given to Joshua, Deu 3:21, Deu 3:22. Moses's prayer to God for permission to go into the promised land, Deu 3:23-25; and God's refusal, Deu 3:26. He is commanded to go up to Mount Pisgah to see it, Deu 3:27; and to encourage Joshua, Deu 3:28. They continue in the valley opposite to Beth-peor, Deu 3:29.

THE LEVITES' SERVICE. (Num. 3:1-51) These . . . are the generations of Aaron and Moses, &c.--This chapter contains an account of their families; and although that of Moses is not detailed like his brother's, his children are included under the general designation of the Amramites (Num 3:27), a term which comprehends all the descendants of their common father Amram. The reason why the family of Moses was so undistinguished in this record is that they were in the private ranks of the Levites, the dignity of the priesthood being conferred exclusively on the posterity of Aaron; and hence, as the sacerdotal order is the subject of this chapter, Aaron, contrary to the usual style of the sacred history, is mentioned before Moses. in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai--This is added, because at the date of the following record the family of Aaron was unbroken.

I have taken the Levites, &c.--The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (Exo 13:12; Exo 22:29), who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to adopt the patriarchal usage of appointing the oldest to act as the priest of the family. But the privilege of redemption that was allowed the first-born opened the way for a change; and accordingly, on the full organization of the Mosaic economy, the administration of sacred things formerly committed to the first-born was transferred from them to the Levites, who received that honor partly as a tribute to Moses and Aaron, partly because this tribe had distinguished themselves by their zeal in the affair of the golden calf (Exo 32:29), and also because, being the smallest of the tribes, they could ill find suitable employment and support in the work. (See on Deu 33:8). The designation of a special class for the sacred offices of religion was a wise arrangement; for, on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might not be at leisure to wait on the service of the sanctuary, and sacred things might, from various causes, fall into neglect. But the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service ensured the regular performance of the rites of religion. The subsequent portion of the chapter relates to the formal substitution of this tribe. I am the Lord--that is, I decree it to be so; and being possessed of sovereign authority, I expect full obedience.

God appointed the Levites for this service, because He had decided to adopt them as His own in the place of all the first-born of Egypt. When He slew the first-born of Egypt, He sanctified to Himself all the first-born of Israel, of man and beast, for His own possession (see Exo 13:1-2). By virtue of this sanctification, which was founded upon the adoption of the whole nation as His first-born son, the nation was required to dedicate to Him its first-born sons for service at the sanctuary, and sacrifice all the first-born of its cattle to Him. But now the Levites and their cattle were to be adopted in their place, and the first-born sons of Israel to be released in return (Num 3:40.). By this arrangement, through which the care of the service at the sanctuary was transferred to one tribe, which would and should henceforth devote itself with undivided interest to this vocation, not only was a more orderly performance of this service secured, than could have been effected through the first-born of all the tribes; but so far as the whole nation was concerned, the fulfilment of its obligations in relation to this service was undoubtedly facilitated. Moreover, the Levites had proved themselves to be the most suitable of all the tribes for his post, through their firm and faithful defence of the honour of the Lord at the worship of the golden calf (Exo 32:26.). It is in this spirit, which distinguished the tribe of Levi, that we may undoubtedly discover the reason why they were chosen by God for the service of the sanctuary, and not in the fact that Moses and Aaron belonged to the tribe, and desired to form a hierarchical caste of the members of their own tribe, such as was to be found among other nations: the magi, for example, among the Medes, the Chaldeans among the Persians, and the Brahmins among the Indians. יהוה אני לי, "to Me, to Me, Jehovah" (Num 3:13, Num 3:41, and Num 3:45; cf. Ges. 121, 3).