Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Numbers Chapter 3
Overview
Num 3:1, The sons of Aaron; Num 3:5, The Levites are given to the priests instead of the first-born; Num 3:14, are numbered by their families; Num 3:21, The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites; Num 3:27, of the Kohathites; Num 3:33, of the Merarites; Num 3:38, The place and charge of Moses and Aaron; Num 3:40, The first-born are freed by the Levites; Num 3:44, The overplus are redeemed.
generations: Gen 2:4, Gen 5:1, Gen 10:1; Exo 6:16, Exo 6:20; Mat 1:1
spake: Num 1:1; Lev 25:1, Lev 27:34
Num 26:60; Exo 6:23, Exo 28:1; Ch1 6:3, Ch1 24:1
the priests: Exo 28:41, Exo 40:13, Exo 40:15; Lev 8:2, Lev 8:12, Lev 8:30
whom he consecrated: Heb. whose hand he filled, Exod. 29:1-37; Lev. 8:1-9:24; Heb 7:28
Nadab: Num 26:61; Lev 10:1, Lev 10:2
The word hakraiv, here rendered bring near, is properly a sacrificial word, and signifies the presenting of a sacrifice or offering to the Lord. As an offering, the tribe of Levi was entirely given up to the service of the sanctuary, to be no longer their own, but the Lord's.
Num 1:49-53, Num 2:17, Num 2:33, Num 8:6-15, Num 8:22-26, Num 16:9-11, Num 18:2-6; Exo 32:26-29; Deu 33:8, Deu 33:9; Mal 2:4
keep: Num 3:32, Num 8:26, Num 31:30; Ch1 23:28-32, Ch1 26:20, Ch1 26:22, Ch1 26:26
to do the: Num 1:50, Num 8:11, Num 8:15, Num 8:24-26
Num 4:15, Num 4:28, Num 4:33, Num 10:17, Num 10:21; Ch1 26:20-28; Ezr 8:24-30; Isa 52:11
Num 8:19, Num 18:6, Num 18:7; Eph 4:8, Eph 4:11
they shall: Num 18:7; Ch1 6:32; Eze 44:8; Act 6:3, Act 6:4; Rom 12:7; Ti1 4:15, Ti1 4:16
and the stranger: Num 3:38, Num 1:51, Num 16:35, Num 16:40, Num 18:3; Sa1 6:19; Sa2 6:7; Ch2 26:16-21; Eph 2:19; Heb 8:4, Heb 10:19-22
When God miraculously destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians (Exo 12:29), he spared those of the Israelites; and, in commemoration of that event, he was pleased to appoint that all the first-born males "should be set apart unto himself" (Exo 13:12-16). God is here pleased to relinquish this claim, and to appoint the whole tribe of Levi to attend his immediate service in their stead.
Num 3:41, Num 3:45, Num 8:16, Num 8:18, Num 18:6
Because: Num 8:16, Num 8:17, Num 18:15; Exo 13:2, Exo 13:12, Exo 22:29, Exo 34:19; Lev 27:26; Eze 44:30; Luk 2:23; Heb 12:23
on the day: Exo 12:29, Exo 12:30, Exo 13:15
Num 3:22, Num 3:28, Num 3:34, Num 3:39, Num 3:40, Num 3:43, Num 18:15, Num 18:16, Num 26:62; Pro 8:17; Jer 2:2, Jer 31:3; Mar 10:14; Ti2 3:15
word: Heb. mouth, Num 3:39, Num 3:51, Num 4:27, Num 4:37, Num 4:41, Num 4:45, Num 4:49; Gen 45:21; Deu 21:5
Num 26:57, Num 26:58; Gen 46:11; Exo 6:16-19; Josh. 21:1-45; Ch1 6:1, Ch1 6:2, Ch1 6:16-19
Gershon: Num. 15:5-23, 23:6-23, 24:1-26:65; Neh. 11:1-12:47
Num 3:21; Exo 6:17-19; Ch1 6:17, Ch1 6:20, Ch1 6:21, Ch1 23:7-11, Ch1 25:4, 26:1-32; Neh. 12:1-26
Num 3:27; Exo 6:18, Exo 6:20; Ch1 6:18, Ch1 6:38, Ch1 15:5, Ch1 15:8-10, Ch1 15:17-21, Ch1 23:12, Ch1 23:13, Ch1 23:18-20; Ch1 25:4, 26:1-32; Neh. 12:1-26
Num 3:33; Exo 6:19; Ch1 6:19, Ch1 6:29, Ch1 6:44-47, Ch1 15:6, Ch1 23:21-23, Ch1 24:27-30, Ch1 25:3
from a month old: The males of all the other tribes were numbered from twenty years old and upwards; but, had the Levites been numbered in this way, they would not have been nearly equal in number to the first-born of the twelve tribes. Add to this, that as there must have been first-born of all ages in the other tribes, it was necessary that the Levites, who were to be their substitutes, should also be of all ages; and it appears to have been partly on this ground, that the Levites were numbered from a month old and upwards. Num 4:38-40
Lael: i.e. unto, by, because of God, [Strong's H3815]. Num 3:24
the charge: From this and the next chapter, we see the very severe labour which the Levites were to perform, while the journeyings of the Israelites lasted. When we consider, that there was not less than 14 tons 266 lbs. of metal employed in the tabernacle (see note on Exo 38:24), besides the immense weight of the skins, hangings, cords, boards, and posts, we shall find it was no easy matter to transport this moveable temple from place to place. The Gershonites, who were 7,500 in number had to carry the tent, coverings, vail, hangings of the court, cords, etc. (Num 3:25 and Num 3:26); the Kohathites, who were 8,600, the ark, table, candlestick, altars, and instruments of the sanctuary (Num 3:31); and the Merarites, who were 6,200, the boards, bars, sockets, and all matters connected with these belonging to the tabernacle, with the pillars of the court, their sockets, pins, and cords (Num 3:36 and Num 3:37). Num 3:7, Num 4:24-28, Num 7:7, Num 10:17; 1Chr. 9:14-33, Ch1 23:32, Ch1 26:21, Ch1 26:22; Ch2 31:2, Ch2 31:11-18; Ezr 8:28-30; Mar 13:34; Rom 12:6-8; Col 4:17; Ti1 1:18
the tabernacle and: Exo 25:9, Exo 26:1-14, Exo 36:8-19, Exo 40:19
and the hanging: Exo 26:36, Exo 26:37, Exo 36:37, Exo 36:38, Exo 40:28
the hangings: Exo 27:9-16, Exo 38:9-16
the cords: Exo 35:18
Num 3:19; Ch1 23:12, Ch1 26:23
eight thousand: Num 4:35, Num 4:36
the ark: Num 4:4-16; Exod. 25:10-40, 31:1-35:29, 37:1-24, Exo 39:33-42, Exo 40:2-16, Exo 40:30
the altars: Exo 27:1-8, Exo 30:1-10, Exo 37:25-29, Exo 38:1-7
and the hanging: Exo 26:31-33, Exo 36:35, Exo 36:36
Num 4:16, Num 4:27, Num 20:25-28; Kg2 25:18; Ch1 9:14-20, Ch1 26:20-24
shall: Num 3:28, Num 3:29, Num 1:53
northward: Num 2:25
under the custody and charge: Heb. the office of the charge, the boards. Num 4:29-33, Num 7:8; Exo 26:15-29, Exo 26:32, Exo 26:37, Exo 27:9-19, Exo 35:11, Exo 35:18, Exo 36:20-34, Exo 36:36; Exo 38:17-20, Exo 39:33
toward: Num 3:23, Num 3:29, Num 3:35, Num 1:53, Num 2:3
keeping: Num 3:10, Num 18:1-5; Ch1 6:48, Ch1 6:49
for the charge: Num 3:7, Num 3:8, Num 3:10
and Aaron: The word וֹאֹהֹרֹןֹ, weaharon, "and Aaron," has a point over each of its letters, probably designed as a mark of spuriousness. The word is wanting in the Samaritan, Syriac, and Coptic, and also in eight of Dr. Kennicott's and in four of De Rossi's manuscripts. Moses alone, as Houbigant observes, was commanded to number the Levites (Num 3:5, Num 3:11, Num 3:40, Num 3:44, Num 3:51) for as the money with which the first-born were redeemed was to be paid to Aaron and his sons (Num 3:48), it was decent that he, whose advantage it was that the number of the first-born should exceed, should not be authorized to take that number himself. twenty and two thousand. This total does not agree with the particulars; for the Gershonites were 7,500, the Kohathites 8,600, and the Merarites 6,200, which make a total of 22,300. Several methods of solving this difficulty have been proposed by learned men. Houbigant supposes there is an error in the enumeration of the Kohathites in Num 3:28; the numeral shesh, "six," being written instead of shalosh, "three," before "hundred." Dr. Kennicott's mode of reconciling the discrepancy, however, is the most simple. He supposes that an error has crept into the number of the Gershonites in Num 3:22, where instead of 7,500 we should read 7,200, as ך, caph final, which stands for 500, might have been easily mistaken for ר, resh, 200 (Dr. Kennicott on the Hebrew Text, vol. II. p. 212). Either of these modes will equally reconcile the difference. Num 4:47, Num 4:48, Num 26:62; Mat 7:14
Num 3:12, Num 3:15, Num 3:45; Exo 32:26-29; Psa 87:6; Isa 4:3; Luk 10:20; Phi 4:3; Ti2 2:19; Heb 12:23; Rev 3:5, Rev 14:4
Num 3:12, Num 3:45, Num 8:16, Num 18:15; Exo 24:5, Exo 24:6, Exo 32:26-29; Mat 20:28; Ti1 2:6
redeemed: Num 18:15; Exo 13:13
the two hundred: As the number of the Levites was 22,000, and the first-born males of the Israelites were 22,273, there were therefore 372 more of the latter than of the former, which are here ordered to be redeemed. The price of redemption is fixed at five shekels, or about 15s. each, in Num 3:47. This money, amounting to 1,365 shekels, equal to 204, 15s English, was taken of the first-born. There is some difficulty, however, in determining which of the first-born should be redeemed by paying this sum, and which should be exchanged for the Levites; for every Israelite, no doubt, would rather have his first-born redeemed by a Levite, than pay five shekels; and yet some of them must have incurred this expense. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, to prevent contention, Moses took 22,000 slips of parchment, and wrote on each a son of Levi, and 273 more, on which he wrote five shekels; then putting them in an urn, and shaking them together, he ordered every one of the first-born to draw out a slip. If he drew out one with the first inscription, he said to him, a Levite hath redeemed thee, but if he drew out one of the latter, he said, pay the price. This is pronounced by Dr. A. Clarke to be a stupid, silly tale; but when we know that the determination by lot was used among the Israelites, it does not seem improbable that it was now resorted to, though we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the detail. This species of redeeming men is referred to by St. Peter in his 1st Epistle Pe1 1:18, Pe1 1:19.
which are: Num 3:39-43
five shekels: Num 18:16; Lev 27:6
the shekel: Num 3:50; Exo 30:13; Lev 27:25; Eze 45:12
Num 3:46, Num 3:47; Mat 20:28; Ti1 2:5, Ti1 2:6; Tit 2:14; Heb 9:12; Pe1 1:18, Pe1 3:18
Moses: Num 3:48, Num 16:15; Sa1 12:3, Sa1 12:4; Act 20:33; Co1 9:12; Pe1 5:2
as the Lord: Mal 4:4