Numbers 3:12

Verse

“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,

American Standard Version (1901)

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:

Bible in Basic English

See, I have taken the Levites out of the children of Israel to be mine in place of the first sons of the children of Israel;

Free Bible Version

“I've taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every one of their firstborn. The Levites belong to me

King James (Authorized) Version

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

One Unity Resource Bible

“Behold, I have taken the Levites [Descendants of United with] from among the children of Israel [God prevails] instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel [God prevails]; and the Levites [Descendants of United with] shall be mine:

Translation for Translators

“Note that from all the Israelis, I have chosen the men of the tribe of Levi to take the places of all the firstborn sons of the Israeli people. The male descendants of Levi belong to me,

Unlocked Literal Bible

“Look, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. I have done this instead of taking each firstborn male who is born among the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me.

Noah Webster Bible

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

World English Bible

“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine,

Young's Literal Translation

'And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine;

Context

The Duties of the Levites

¹¹Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,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,¹³for 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 Mine; I am the LORD.”

Summary

In Numbers 3:12, God instructs Moses to count the Levites from the age of one month and older, as they are chosen to serve in the tabernacle and assist the priests. This counting signifies the special role and consecration of the Levites in the worship and service of God. It highlights the importance of obedience and faithfulness in carrying out the duties assigned by God, emphasizing the need for order and structure in the community of believers. The verse also reflects God's sovereignty in selecting and equipping individuals for specific tasks within the body of believers, demonstrating His wisdom and purpose in orchestrating His divine plan.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

I have taken the Levites - instead of all the first-born - The Levites are taken for the service of the sanctuary in place of the first-born. The first-born were dedicated to God in commemoration of his slaying the first-born of the Egyptians, and preserving those of the Israelites. Even the cattle of the Levites were taken in place of the first-born of the cattle of the rest of the tribes. See Num 3:45. Several reasons have been assigned why God should give this honor to the tribe of Levi in preference to all the others, but they do not seem to me to be conclusive. Their zeal in destroying those who had corrupted the worship of God in the business of the golden calf, Exo 32:28, has been thought a sufficient reason. A better reason is, that this was the smallest tribe, and they were quite enough for the service. To have had a more numerous tribe at this time would have been very inconvenient. Aaron, says Mr. Ainsworth, being in his priesthood a type of Christ, all these rites are fulfilled in him. For unto Christ God gave children, Heb 2:13. And they are a congregation of first-born, whose names are written in heaven, Heb 12:23, being of God's own will begotten by the word of truth, that they should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, Jam 1:18, to whom he also gives the first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom 8:23. These wait on and follow the Lamb, being first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb, Rev 14:4; and Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, that we may serve him day and night in his temple, Rev 1:6; Rev 7:15.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel,.... Separated them from others, and set them apart for the service of the sanctuary; this was his own act and deed, and which he did of his own will and pleasure, who is a sovereign Being, and might and would do whatsoever he pleased, nor should any object unto him, or contradict him: and this he did: instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel; he made an exchange of those for the Levites; upon the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and saving the firstborn of Israel, he claimed the latter as his own in a special sense, and now he gave up his right to them, and instead thereof took the Levites; nor could the people of Israel reasonably object to this, nor be uneasy at it, but rather be pleased with it; since hereby they were not only freed from the charge of redeeming their firstborn, but since they were the Lord's, he might have appointed them to be servants to the priests; and every Israelite would choose rather, no doubt, to part with a tribe for this service than to have their firstborn sons employed in it; and there were none so fit as the tribe of Levi, not only because it was a small tribe, but because the priests were of this tribe, to whom they were to minister; and therefore as there was a connection between them, the Levites would readily serve them: it is a notion that has obtained both among Jews and Christians, that the firstborn before this time were priests in the family, but now the Levites were taken in their room; and Jarchi particularly observes, that when the firstborn sinned in the business of the calf, they were rejected, and the Levites, who did not commit idolatry, were chosen in their room; but it does not appear, before the fixing the priesthood in Aaron's family, that the firstborn in a family were priests, and officiated as such, but rather the father and head of the family for the whole, or everyone for himself, as in Adam's family, he and his two sons; and moreover, it was a recent thing, and only among the Hebrews, that the firstborn were in a peculiar manner the Lord's, not as priests, only to be redeemed, and now the Levites were redeemed in their room; it was not to be priests, but the servants of the priests (r): therefore the Levites shall be mine; whom he gave to the priests to assist them in their work, which was for him and his glory. (r) Vid. Outram. de Sacrificiis, l. 1. c. 4. sect. 1, 2, 3.