Numbers 3

Aaron's family line provided the priests who led Israel's worship. Aaron's four sons were the core of Israel's priesthood. They served in God's presence on behalf of the people. God chose (ordained) them to lead and serve as ministers in the Tent of Meeting. They also acted as guardians of God's covenant with his people.

Israel's priests and Levites had duties like moving, assembling, protecting, and maintaining the Tent of Meeting. The way God organized the tribes highlighted his concern for these priestly tasks.

• The deaths of Nadab and Abihu (see Leviticus 10:1–2) showed the need to protect the holiness of the sanctuary and to strictly obey God's instructions (Numbers 26:61; Leviticus 16:1; 1 Chronicles 24:2; compare Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 10:6–11; 11:29–30).

• Eleazar and Ithamar: See “Eleazar” Profile.

God chose the Levites to be assistants for the priests, represented by Aaron. They had a number of holy duties in their ministry service. They performed holy tasks to maintain the Tent of Meeting and its items (3:7,8; explained more in 4:1–33).

The sanctuary was set apart for God’s holy use (Numbers 1:51; 3:38; 18:7). Only qualified people could approach it (compare 3:4).

• every firstborn Israelite: These belonged to God because God spared them when the Egyptian firstborn sons died (3:13; see Exodus 11–12).

• I have taken the Levites: God chose the Levites to serve as substitutes for the firstborn sons.

• This first phase of a two-part registration of the tribe of Levi summarized each family's special duties. 4:1–33 describes this in more detail (see 4:34–49 for the second phase). This count did not relate to military duties, so it included male Levites from the age of one month (3:40–41).

• Three family groups descend from the three sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. These clans, often called the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites, later inherited the "cities of refuge" (Joshua 21). They also had various important roles in the Jerusalem temple (2 Chronicles 29:3–17).

Aaron and Moses, sons of Amram, were descendants of Kohath (see Exodus 6:18, 20, 26). They were caretakers of the Most Holy Place and its very holy furnishings (described in Numbers 3–4). The Kohathites were the most respected of the three clans.

8,600: Some ancient Greek versions say 8,300. The “six” (Hebrew shsh) in 8,600 could result from misreading a “three” (Hebrew shlsh).

Aaron’s third son, Eleazar, led the Levites as an administrator. He was like an executive secretary, while his father did other tasks. He had "oversight of the entire tabernacle" (4:16–20). Eleazar had a key role during Israel’s time in the wilderness. He later became the high priest after his father (see 16:37–39; 19:3–6; 20:25–28; 26:1–3).

The best campsite east of the tabernacle was for Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons.

22,000: The numbers for each clan totaled 22,300 (3:22, 28, 34). See the study note on 3:28.

There were 273 more firstborn sons in Israel from the non-Levite tribes than there were Levite males (compare Leviticus 3:39). The Levites acted as substitutes for Israel's firstborn sons (3:41; see study note on 3:11–13). The law required a redemption price of five pieces of silver for each extra firstborn son (Numbers 3:46–48; compare Leviticus 27:6).

It is unclear who paid this cost. This arrangement for special substitutes points to Christ’s role as a substitute. Through his death, Christ paid the redemption price for all humanity (see Mark 10:45; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:15).