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Numbers 3:41

in Numbers 3

You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am Jehovah) instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

KJV

And 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.

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This verse in Numbers 3

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The excess of the general over the Levitical first-born is so small, that the only way of accounting for it is, by supposing those first-born only were counted as were males remaining in their parents' household, or that those first-born only were numbered which had been born since the departure from Egypt, when God claimed all the first-born as his special property.

This site's exposition

Number every firstborn male of the Israelites

on Numbers 3:40-41

A second census follows at once, and it counts a class instead of a tribe, “every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more”. The livestock of the Levites stand in place of the firstborn livestock, so the exchange covers beasts as well as men, as Exodus 13:12-13 required. Two rolls are set side by side, and the point is the difference between them.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Of the Levites - Not that they were to be taken from the Levites, or to be sacrificed to God, any more than the Levites themselves were; but they together with the Levites were to be presented before the Lord by way of acknowledgment, that the Levites might be set apart for God's service, and their cattle for themselves as God's ministers, and for their support in God's work.
And thou shall take the Levites for me,....

The words behind it

20 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְלָקַחְתָּ֨and you will take

    velakachtaH3947 →966 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַלְוִיִּ֥םthe Levites

    halviyimH3881 →291 times

  • לִי֙for <the> me

    li

  • אֲנִ֣יI

    ʾaniH589 →874 times

  • יְהוָ֔ה[am] Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • תַּ֥חַתin place of

    tachatH8478 →505 times

  • כָּל־every

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • בְּכֹ֖רfirstborn

    bekhorH1060 →122 times

  • בִּבְנֵ֣יamong [the] people of

    bivneiH1121 →4930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • וְאֵת֙and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • בֶּהֱמַ֣ת[the] livestock of

    behematH929 →190 times

  • הַלְוִיִּ֔םthe Levites

    halviyimH3881 →291 times

  • תַּ֣חַתin place of

    tachatH8478 →505 times

  • כָּל־every

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • בְּכ֔וֹרfirstborn

    bekhorH1060 →122 times

  • בְּבֶהֱמַ֖תamong [the] livestock of

    bevehematH929 →190 times

  • בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of

    beneiH1121 →4930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Numbers 3:12“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,5 worksNumbers 3:45“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.4 worksExodus 24:5–6Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.2 worksExodus 32:26–29So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.2 worksMatthew 20:28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”2 worksNumbers 18:15The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Timothy 2:6who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.2 worksNumbers 8:16For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Matthew 20:28

    just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

    it leads to

    • Luke 22:27

      For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.

    • Hebrews 9:28

      so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

    • Titus 2:14

      He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

    • 1 Peter 3:18

      For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,

    • Philippians 2:4–8

      Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

  • Through

    Numbers 3:12

    “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

    it leads to

    • Numbers 18:6

      Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.

    • Numbers 8:16

      For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of…

  • Through

    Numbers 3:45

    “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 3:12

      “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,

Where this verse is studied

About Numbers

The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
Numbers: the study guide →Read Numbers 3 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.

Read on in Numbers 3 →