ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Numbers 3

Num. 3:1–4:49 The two censuses of Levites count different groups. The first (3:1–51) counts every male Levite over one month old. The male Levites took the place of the firstborn males of the other tribes to serve the Lord, so the first census ensures that the number of the Levites matches the number of other firstborn sons. The second census (4:1–49) counts Levites between 30 and 50 years of age. This census aims to find if there are enough able-bodied male Levites to transport the tabernacle.

Num. 3:1–4 This census begins with the priests, the most holy family of the Levites. The priests were descended from Aaron, who belonged to the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:16–25).

Num. 3:5–10 The two main tasks of the Levites were (1) guarding the tabernacle from intruders and (2) ministering at the tabernacle (which included carrying it from place to place).

Num. 3:11–13 In the final plague, every firstborn male Egyptian and every firstborn of their cattle died, but the Israelite boys and cattle were spared. After this, all Israelite firstborn boys and cattle were dedicated to God. That meant the cattle were sacrificed and the boys should have served God in the sanctuary (Ex. 11:4–13:15). But after the golden calf incident, the Levites served in place of the firstborn boys (Ex. 32:25–29) from other tribes.

Num. 3:14–39 The census results are listed by clan. Each clan is responsible for carrying a specific part of the tabernacle and for guarding a specific side of the tabernacle. The total number of Levites (v. 39) is 22,000, which is 300 less than the sum of the individual Levite clans. The likeliest explanation is that, correcting a copyist’s error, the number of Kohathites should be 8,300, not 8,600. The numerals 6 and 3 are very similar in Hebrew.

Num. 3:43 all the firstborn males . . . were 22,273. If the total population was over 2 million, then this number would represent only firstborn males born since the exodus. Other interpreters understand this figure as the total of all the firstborn in Israel, which would indicate a much smaller total population.

Num. 3:46–49 The census showed that there were 273 fewer Levites than firstborn males in the other tribes. To redeem these 273 Israelites who had no Levite to take their place, five shekels per person had to be paid (see Lev. 27:6). This would have been about a year’s pay for a herdsman.