New Living Translation
Numbers 3:17
17Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Numbers 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
- New International Version (NIV)These were the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
- New King James Version (NKJV)These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Context of Numbers 3:17
15“Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans. List every male who is one month old or older.” 16So Moses listed them, just as the Lord had commanded. Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libni and Shimei. 19The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Read all of Numbers 3Numbers 3:17 word by word
וַיִּֽהְיוּ־אֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־לֵוִ֖י בִּשְׁמֹתָ֑ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Numbers 3:17
- Numbers 26:57This is the record of the Levites who were counted according to their clans: The Gershonite clan, named after their ancestor Gershon. The Kohathite clan, named after their ancestor Kohath. The Merarite clan, named after their ancestor Merari.
- Genesis 46:11The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- Exodus 6:16These are the descendants of Levi, as listed in their family records: The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Levi lived to be 137 years old.)
- Joshua 21:1Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 6:1The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- 1 Chronicles 15:5From the clan of Kohath, 120, with Uriel as their leader.
- 1 Chronicles 23:6Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- 1 Chronicles 24:1This is how Aaron’s descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work:
- 1 Chronicles 26:1These are the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the family of Abiasaph.
- Numbers 11:1Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp.
- Numbers 12:1While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman.
Commentaries on Numbers 3:17
- 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 3:17
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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