Numbers 3:2
in Numbers 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
KJV
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
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This verse in Numbers 3
Commentary
3 notes on this verseAnd these are the names of the sons of Aaron,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, disciples of Moses, the master of the Israelites; none of the posterity of Moses being expressly, named; Jarchi observes, that the sons of Aaron are called the generations of Moses, because he taught them the law; for whoever, he says, teaches his neighbour's son, the law, the Scripture accounts of him as if he begat him, see 1Co 4:15, Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar; as in Exo 6:23.
This site's exposition
These also are the generations
on Numbers 3:1-2
The heading promises the generations of Aaron and Moses and the list that follows gives four sons of Aaron and no son of Moses. Barnes reads the omission as the point, since the standing of Moses was personal and left no successor in his office, while Aaron was the head of a line that ran on by birth. Aaron stands before Moses here, which reverses the order the two brothers usually keep, and Wesley ties that to the priesthood being given to Aaron's house alone.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron--All the sons of Aaron, four in number, were consecrated to minister in the priest's office. The two oldest enjoyed but a brief term of office (Le 10:1, 2;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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 !
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe on the day that Adonoy spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֛לֶּה | veeleh | and these | H428 → | 746 times |
| שְׁמ֥וֹת | shemot | [are] [the] names of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| בְּֽנֵי־ | benei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֖ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| הַבְּכ֣וֹר׀ | habekhor | the firstborn | H1060 → | 122 times |
| נָדָ֑ב | nadav | Nadab | H5070 → | 20 times |
| וַאֲבִיה֕וּא | vaavihu' | and Abihu | H30 → | 12 times |
| אֶלְעָזָ֖ר | ʾelazar | Eleazar | H499 → | 72 times |
| וְאִיתָמָֽר׃ | veitamar | and Ithamar | H385 → | 21 times |
וְאֵ֛לֶּהand these
veelehH428 →746 times
שְׁמ֥וֹת[are] [the] names of
shemotH8034 →864 times
בְּֽנֵי־[the] sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
אַהֲרֹ֖ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
הַבְּכ֣וֹר׀the firstborn
habekhorH1060 →122 times
נָדָ֑בNadab
nadavH5070 →20 times
וַאֲבִיה֕וּאand Abihu
vaavihu'H30 →12 times
אֶלְעָזָ֖רEleazar
ʾelazarH499 →72 times
וְאִיתָמָֽר׃and Ithamar
veitamarH385 →21 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 6:23And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 6:3
The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ruth 4:19–20
Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab,
- Numbers 2:3
On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard:
- 1 Chronicles 2:10
Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah.
- 1 Chronicles 6:3
Through
Exodus 28:1“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
it leads to
- Numbers 18:7
But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the…
- Hebrews 5:1–5
Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
- Numbers 18:7
Through
1 Chronicles 24:1These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 23:6
Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
- Exodus 6:23
And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
- 1 Chronicles 23:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
Who and where
5 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonExodus eraAaronBrother of Moses and Israel's first high priest; his rod budded, his garments were for glory and beauty, and his line carried the…
- PersonWildernessNadabAaron's eldest son, ordained in Leviticus 8 and killed with his brother Abihu for offering strange fire before Jehovah on the prie…
- PersonWildernessAbihuAaron's second son, killed alongside Nadab for the strange fire Jehovah had not commanded — "I will be sanctified in them that com…
- PersonWildernessEleazarAaron's third son who succeeded him as high priest on Mount Hor, founding the line that runs to Phinehas and Zadok.
- PersonWildernessIthamarAaron's fourth son, ordained priest in Leviticus 8; overseer of the tabernacle's accounts and the Gershonite and Merarite service.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.