Numbers 3:13

Numbers 3:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord."
• New King James Version (NKJV)because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”

Context of Numbers 3:13

11Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 12“Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me, because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord.” 14Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai: 15“Number the Levites by their clans and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number.”

Numbers 3:13 word by word

כִּ֣י לִי֮ כָּל־בְּכוֹר֒ בְּיוֹם֩ הַכֹּתִ֨י כָל־בְּכ֜וֹר בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי לִ֤י כָל־בְּכוֹר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאָדָ֖ם עַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֥י יִהְי֖וּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Because all the firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
• on the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that I smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• I hallowedקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
• in Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• both manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• and beastבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Numbers 3:13

• Numbers 8:16For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.
• Numbers 18:15The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you must redeem, and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem.
• Exodus 13:2“Set apart to me every firstborn male – the first offspring of every womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal; it is mine.”
• Exodus 22:29“Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. You must give me the firstborn of your sons.
• Exodus 34:19“Every firstborn of the womb belongs to me, even every firstborn of your cattle that is a male, whether ox or sheep.
• Leviticus 27:26“‘Surely no man may consecrate a firstborn that already belongs to the Lord as a firstborn among the animals; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it belongs to the Lord.
• Ezekiel 44:30The first of all the first fruits and all contributions of any kind will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the first portion of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house.
• Luke 2:23(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male will be set apart to the Lord”),
• Hebrews 12:23and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect,
• Exodus 12:29It happened at midnight – the Lord attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.
• Exodus 13:15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to release us, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of people to the firstborn of animals. That is why I am sacrificing to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb, but all my firstborn sons I redeem.’

Commentaries on Numbers 3:13

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13The concluding words are better expressed thus: “Mine shall they be, Mine, the Lord‘s.” On the subject of the firstborn see the notes at Numbers 3:43-51.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-13every 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.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. I have taken the Levites, &c.--The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (Ex 13:12; 22:29), who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 3:13

• Firstborn
• Levites
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Israel
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Birthright
• Chief
• Conclude
• Custody
• Encamp

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