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THE MESSAGE

Numbers 3:15

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Census;   Levites;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Levites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Levite;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Worship;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Job;   Moses;   Priests and Levites;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - First-Begotten, First-Born,;   Levites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Camp and encamp;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - First-Born;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Last Days at Sinai;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Firstborn;   Moses;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Deuteronomy;   Hafṭarah;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number."
King James Version
Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Lexham English Bible
"Muster the descendants of Levi according to their families, according to their clans. You will count every male from one month and above."
New Century Version
"Count the Levites by families and family groups. Count every male one month old or older."
New English Translation
"Number the Levites by their clans and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number."
Amplified Bible
"Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' households, by their families (clans). You shall number every male from a month old and upward."
New American Standard Bible
"Count the sons of Levi by their fathers' households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall count."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nomber the children of Leui after the houses of their fathers, in their families: euery male from a moneth olde and aboue shalt thou nomber.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number."
Contemporary English Version
"Now I want you to count the men and boys in the Levi tribe by families and by clans. Include every one at least a month old."
Complete Jewish Bible
"Take a census of the tribe of Levi by clans and families. Count every male a month old or over."
Darby Translation
Number the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, after their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Count all the families and family groups in the tribe of Levi. Count every man or boy who is one month old or older."
English Standard Version
"List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list."
George Lamsa Translation
Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a month old and upward, you shall number them.
Good News Translation
to register the Levites by clans and families, enrolling every male a month old or older,
Christian Standard Bible®
“Register the Levites by their ancestral families and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.”
Literal Translation
Number the sons of Levi by their families, by their fathers' house. You shall number every male from a son of a month and upward.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Nombre the children of Leui after their fathers houses and kynreds, all that are males of a moneth olde and aboue.
American Standard Version
Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Bible in Basic English
Let all the children of Levi be numbered by their families and their fathers' houses; let every male of a month old and over be numbered.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Number the chyldren of Leui after the houses of their fathers in their kinredes: All that are males from a moneth old and aboue, shalt thou number.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.'
King James Version (1611)
Number the children of Leui, after the house of their fathers, by their families: euery male from a moneth old and vpward shalt thou number them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Take the number of the sons of Levi, according to the houses of their families, according to their divisions; number ye them every male from a month old and upwards.
English Revised Version
Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Berean Standard Bible
"Register the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
of Synay, and seide, Noumbre thou the sones of Leuy bi `the housis of her fadris, and bi meynees, ech male fro o monethe and aboue.
Young's Literal Translation
`Number the sons of Levi by the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a son of a month and upward thou dost number them.'
Update Bible Version
Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward, you shall number them.
Webster's Bible Translation
Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
World English Bible
"Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shall you number."
New King James Version
"Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above."
New Living Translation
"Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older."
New Life Bible
"Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses and by their families. Number every male a month old and older."
New Revised Standard
Enroll the Levites by ancestral houses and by clans. You shall enroll every male from a month old and upward.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Number thou the sons of Levi, by their ancestral houses, by their families, - every male, from one month old and upwards, shalt thou number them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and upward.
Revised Standard Version
"Number the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Number the sons of Levi by their fathers' households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number."

Contextual Overview

14 God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: "Count the Levites by their ancestral families and clans. Count every male a month old and older." Moses counted them just as he was instructed by the mouth of God . 17 These are the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These are the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 The sons of Kohath by clan: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari by clan: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of Levi, family by family. 21Gershon was ancestor to the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites, known as the Gershonite clans. All the males who were one month and older numbered 7,500. The Gershonite clans camped on the west, behind The Dwelling, led by Eliasaph son of Lael. At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were in charge of maintaining The Dwelling and its tent, its coverings, the screen at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the hangings of the Courtyard, the screen at the entrance to the Courtyard that surrounded The Dwelling and Altar, and the cords—in short, everything having to do with these things. 27Kohath was ancestor to the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were known as the Kohathite clans. All the males who were one month and older numbered 8,600. The Kohathites were in charge of the Sanctuary. The Kohathite clans camped on the south side of The Dwelling, led by Elizaphan son of Uzziel. They were in charge of caring for the Chest, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altars, the articles of the Sanctuary used in worship, and the screen—everything having to do with these things. Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, supervised the leaders of the Levites and those in charge of the Sanctuary. 33Merari was ancestor to the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites, known as the Merarite clans. The males who were one month and older numbered 6,200. They were led by Zuriel son of Abihail and camped on the north side of The Dwelling. The Merarites were in charge of the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—everything having to do with these things, as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and cords. 38 Moses and Aaron and his sons camped to the east of The Dwelling, toward the rising sun, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were in charge of maintaining the Sanctuary for the People of Israel and the rituals of worship. Anyone else who tried to perform these duties was to be put to death. 39 The sum total of Levites counted at God' s command by Moses and Aaron, clan by clan, all the males one month and older, numbered 22,000.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 3:22, Numbers 3:28, Numbers 3:34, Numbers 3:39, Numbers 3:40, Numbers 3:43, Numbers 18:15, Numbers 18:16, Numbers 26:62, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 2:2, Jeremiah 31:3, Mark 10:14, 2 Timothy 3:15

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 23:24 - after the house 2 Chronicles 31:17 - genealogy

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:4
The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."
Genesis 3:6
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:7
Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.
Genesis 3:8
When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.
Genesis 3:10
He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid."
Genesis 3:13
"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."
Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."
Psalms 132:11
God gave David his word, he won't back out on this promise: "One of your sons I will set on your throne; If your sons stay true to my Covenant and learn to live the way I teach them, Their sons will continue the line— always a son to sit on your throne. Yes—I, God , chose Zion, the place I wanted for my shrine; This will always be my home; this is what I want, and I'm here for good. I'll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry; I'll dress my priests in salvation clothes; the holy people will sing their hearts out! Oh, I'll make the place radiant for David! I'll fill it with light for my anointed! I'll dress his enemies in dirty rags, but I'll make his crown sparkle with splendor."
Matthew 3:7
When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It's your life that must change, not your skin! And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Number the children of Levi,.... Who were left out of the general muster of the children of Israel, but now were to be numbered alone, and in a different manner, and for, a different purpose, the Lord having a special regard auto, them, and special service for them:

after the house of their fathers, by their families; into which the tribe was divided; house seems to be put for "houses", which were principal ones; and these were divided into families, which branched from them, and according to these, denominated from their fathers, and not their, mothers, were they to be numbered; for as the Jewish writers often say, a mother's family is no family; wherefore, if a Levite woman married into any other tribe, as she might, her, descendants were not taken into this accounts only such whose fathers were Levites, see Numbers 1:2;

every male from a month old and upwards shalt thou number them; the reason of this was, because the firstborn, for whom they were to be exchanged, were at a month old claimed by the Lord as his, and to be redeemed; and as this numbering was on, another account than, that of the children of Israel, who were numbered from twenty years of age and upwards, that they might on occasion be called out to war, from which the Levites were exempted, and the numbering of them was for the service of the sanctuary; so from their youth they were to be brought up and trained for this, that they might be fit for it, and enter upon it at a proper age.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 3:15. A month old and upward — The males of all the other tribes were numbered, from twenty years and upward; had the Levites been numbered in this way, they would not have been nearly equal in number to the firstborn 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 be also of all ages; and it appears to have been on this ground, at least partly, that the Levites were numbered from four weeks old and upward.


 
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