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Scripture: The text alone. Study: The verses explained. Original: The Hebrew and Greek, and the tradition.

Numberschapter 3

51 verses · Moses, by tradition · 15th to 13th century BC · The Law

Original Language

Numbers 3— Hebrew word study · with the Hebrew tradition

In Jewish life

Jewish practice and Jewish teaching both have something to say about Numbers 3. Three things follow: where it is read, what is done because of it, and how the rabbis have taught it. The purpose is to inform a Christian reader what Jews believe and how Judaism was and is practised.

The reading

Weekly portion 34 of 54

בְּמִדְבַּר Bamidbar, Numbers 1:1 to 4:20

Read with it: Hosea 2:1 to 2:22.

The verse numbers here are the ones a Hebrew Bible carries, which differ from an English Bible by a verse or two in several places. The Sephardi reading is named only where this site records a difference; communities vary beyond what is listed. What these books are, and how a Christian reader meets them →

Where the rabbis cite this chapter

3 rows sit beside their verses in the text, on 2 verses of this chapter. No row that speaks to the chapter as a whole is recorded. Every quote links to its full source.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria (sefaria.org); excerpts follow each version’s license, and every passage opens at its source.

How to read a word below: the Hebrewword, then how it sounds, then what it means, then its number in Strong’s concordance, a widely used lookup this site follows (H for Hebrew and Aramaic, G for Greek). Square brackets hold a word the English supplies that the Hebrew does not, angle brackets mark the Hebrew’s own grammatical elements that English renders as separate words, and the mark ס or פ is where the Hebrew manuscripts end a paragraph.

Aaron's sons, and the two who died1

Numbers 3:1· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible

וְאֵ֛לֶּהveelehand theseH428תּוֹלְדֹ֥תtoldot[are] [the] descendants ofH8435אַהֲרֹ֖ןʾaharonAaronH175וּמֹשֶׁ֑הumoshehand MosesH4872בְּי֗וֹםbeyomon [the] dayH3117דִּבֶּ֧רdiber[when] he spokeH1696יְהוָ֛הyahwehYahwehH3068אֶת־ʾet-withH854מֹשֶׁ֖הmoshehMosesH4872בְּהַ֥רbeharon [the] mountain ofH2022סִינָֽי׃sinaiSinaiH5514

Ramban on Numbers 3:1

RambanSpain, 1194–1270· Commentary
NOW THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF AARON AND MOSES IN THE DAY THAT THE ETERNAL SPOKE WITH MOSES IN MOUNT SINAI. “And yet [in the following verse] Scripture only enumerates the sons of Aaron, [as it is said, And these are the names of the sons of Aaron !

Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

Onkelos Numbers 3:1

Targum
These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe on the day that Adonoy spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai.

Read it in full at Sefaria · Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 [with Onkelos translation]

Gershon, Kohath, Merari and their charges14

Numbers 3:14· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible

וַיְדַבֵּ֤רvaydaberand he spokeH1696יְהוָה֙yahwehYahwehH3068אֶל־ʾel-toH413מֹשֶׁ֔הmoshehMosesH4872בְּמִדְבַּ֥רbemidbarin [the] wilderness ofH4057סִינַ֖יsinaiSinaiH5514לֵאמֹֽר׃lemor<to> sayingH559

Ramban on Numbers 3:14

RambanSpain, 1194–1270· Commentary
The reason for this statement is that since Scripture said above in the day that the Eternal spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai, 154 Above, Verse.

Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

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