Numbers 8:17
in Numbers 8For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For all the first-born among the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
KJV
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
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This verse in Numbers 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me
on Numbers 8:16-18
The text names the ground of the exchange, the night of the tenth plague: “I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt”. Exodus 13:2 claimed every firstborn, and Numbers 3:12-13 and 3:40-51 set the Levites in their place and counted the two lists. Luke 2:23 quotes the same law when Christ is presented at the temple.
This site's exposition
both man and beast
The claim takes in animals as well as sons. Numbers 3:45 met that side of it by taking the Levites' livestock in place of Israel's firstborn livestock. Adam Clarke points to Numbers 18 for the way later firstborn were redeemed.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), of which before, ch. iii. Note, What is in sincerity offered to God shall be graciously owned and accepted by him. And his ministers who have obtained mercy of him to be faithful have particular marks of favour and honour put upon them: they shall be mine, and then (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both men and beasts,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
For all the first-born - are mine - See the manner of redeeming the first-born, Num 18:6.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לִ֤י | li | [belongs] to <the> me | ||
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּכוֹר֙ | bekhor | firstborn | H1060 → | 122 times |
| בִּבְנֵ֣י | bivnei | among [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בָּאָדָ֖ם | baadam | among <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה | uvabehemah | and among the livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
| בְּי֗וֹם | beyom | on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַכֹּתִ֤י | hakoti | struck I | H5221 → | 499 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּכוֹר֙ | bekhor | firstborn | H1060 → | 122 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| הִקְדַּ֥שְׁתִּי | hikdashti | I set apart | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִֽי׃ | li | for <the> myself |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לִ֤י[belongs] to <the> me
li
כָל־every
khol-H3605 →5413 times
בְּכוֹר֙firstborn
bekhorH1060 →122 times
בִּבְנֵ֣יamong [the] people of
bivneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בָּאָדָ֖םamong <the> humankind
baadamH120 →551 times
וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑הand among the livestock
uvabehemahH929 →190 times
בְּי֗וֹםon [the] day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
הַכֹּתִ֤יstruck I
hakotiH5221 →499 times
כָל־every
khol-H3605 →5413 times
בְּכוֹר֙firstborn
bekhorH1060 →122 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
הִקְדַּ֥שְׁתִּיI set apart
hikdashtiH6942 →171 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לִֽי׃for <the> myself
li
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 13:2“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”
it leads to
- Numbers 3:13
for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 2:23
(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),
- Deuteronomy 15:19
You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to…
- Exodus 22:29–30
You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
- Numbers 8:16–17
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…
- Numbers 3:13
Through
Luke 2:23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),
it leads to
- Exodus 13:2
“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”
- Exodus 22:29
You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
- Exodus 34:19
The first offspring of every womb belongs to Me, including all the firstborn males among your livestock, whether cattle or sheep.
- Exodus 13:2
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.