Numbers 3:40

Numbers 3:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said to Moses, "List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.

Context of Numbers 3:40

38Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites, camped in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise. Any unauthorized person who came near it was to be put to death. 39The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000. The Lord told Moses, “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites one month old or more, and list their names. 41You are to take the Levites for me — I am the Lord — in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.” 42So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him.

Numbers 3:40 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה פְּקֹ֨ד כָּל־בְּכֹ֤ר זָכָר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִבֶּן־חֹ֖דֶשׁ וָמָ֑עְלָה וְשָׂ֕א אֵ֖ת מִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁמֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• Numberפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• all the firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
• of the malesזָכָרzâkâr · maleH2145
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• from a monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
• oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
• and upwardמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
• and takeנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: countH5375
• the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• of their namesשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for Numbers 3:40

• Numbers 3:12“See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to me,
• Exodus 32:26And Moses stood at the camp’s entrance and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
• Psalms 87:6When he registers the peoples, the Lord will record, “This one was born there.”Selah
• Isaiah 4:3Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy — all in Jerusalem written in the book of life —
• Luke 10:20However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
• Philippians 4:3Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life.
• 2 Timothy 2:19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.
• Hebrews 12:23to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,
• Revelation 3:5“In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.
• Revelation 14:4These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.

Commentaries on Numbers 3:40

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 40-51Verses 40-51 The number of the first-born, and that of the Levites, came near to each other. Known unto God are all his works beforehand; there is an exact proportion between them, and so it will appear, when they are compared together. The small number of first-born, over and above the number of the Levites, were to be redeemed, and the redemption-money given to Aaron. The church is called the church of the first-born, which is redeemed, not as they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 40-51There 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…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 40-5140-51. Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, &c.--The principle on which the enumeration of the Levites had been made was now to be applied to the other tribes. The number of their male children, from a month old and upward, was to be reckoned, in order that a comparison might be instituted with that of the Levites, for the formal adoption of the latter as substitutes for the first-born. The Levites, amounting to twenty-two…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 3:40

• Census
• Firstborn

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Chief
• Conclude
• Custody
• Encamp
• O

Commentaries on Numbers 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings