God’s Word Translation
Numbers 3:15
15“Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old.”
Numbers 3:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
Context of Numbers 3:15
13because every firstborn is mine. The day I killed every firstborn male in Egypt, I set apart as holy every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They will be mine. I am the Lord.” 14The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, “Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old.” 16So Moses did what the Lord said and registered them as he had been commanded. 17Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the sons of Levi.
Read all of Numbers 3Numbers 3:15 word by word
פְּקֹד֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם כָּל־זָכָ֛ר מִבֶּן־חֹ֥דֶשׁ וָמַ֖עְלָה תִּפְקְדֵֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Numberפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
- the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
- after the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- by their familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- every maleזָכָרzâkâr · maleH2145
- from a monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
- oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
- and upwardמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
Cross-references for Numbers 3:15
- Numbers 3:22The total number of all the males at least one month old was 7,500.
- Numbers 18:15Every firstborn male, human or animal, that is brought to the Lord is yours. But you must buy back every firstborn son and the firstborn male of any unclean animal.
- Numbers 26:62The total number of all the ⌞Levite⌟ males at least one month old was 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites, because they were given no land of their own.
- Proverbs 8:17I love those who love me. Those eagerly looking for me will find me.
- Jeremiah 2:2“Go and announce to Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride. I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn’t be farmed.
- Jeremiah 31:3The Lord appeared to me in a faraway place and said, “I love you with an everlasting love. So I will continue to show you my kindness.
- Mark 10:14When Jesus saw this, he became irritated. He told them, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of God’s kingdom.
- 2 Timothy 3:15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus.
Commentaries on Numbers 3:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15A 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-39Verses 14-39 The Levites were in three classes, according to the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and these were subdivided into families. The posterity of Moses were not at all honoured or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites; thus it was plain, that Moses did not seek the advancement of his own family, or to secure any honours to it. The tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. God's chosen are but a little…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-39This 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…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-3114-31. Number the children of Levi--They were numbered as well as the other tribes; but the enumeration was made on a different principle--for while in the other tribes the number of males was calculated from twenty years and upward [Nu 1:3], in that of Levi they were counted "from a month old and upward." The reason for the distinction is obvious. In the other tribes the survey was made for purposes of war [Nu 1:3], from which the Levites were totally…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 3:15
In the dictionaries
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
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