◄ Numbers 3:46 ►
And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;
Treasury of Scripture

redeemed

Numbers 18:15 Every thing that opens the matrix in all flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be yours...

Exodus 13:13 And every firstling of an donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break his neck...

the two hundred. As the number of the Levites was

22,000, and the first-born males of the Israelites were

22,273, there were therefore

372 more of the latter than of the former, which are here ordered to be redeemed. The price of redemption is fixed at five shekels, or about

15s. each, in ver

Numbers 3:47 You shall even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take them...

. This money, amounting to

1365 shekels, equal to F204.

15s. English, was taken of the first-born. There is some difficulty, however, in determining which of the first-born should be redeemed by paying this sum, and which should be exchanged for the Levites; for every Israelite, no doubt, would rather have his first-born redeemed by a Levite, than pay five shekels; and yet some of them must have incurred this expense. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, to prevent contention, Moses took

22,000 slips of parchment, and wrote on each a son of Levi, and

273 more, on which he wrote five shekels; then putting them in an urn, and shaking them together, he ordered every one of the first-born to draw out a slip. If he drew out one with the first inscription, he said to him, a Levite hath redeemed thee; but if he drew out one of the latter, he said, pay the price. This is pronounced by Dr. A. Clarke to be a stupid, silly tale; but when we know that the determination by lot was used among the Israelites, it does not seem improbable that it was now resorted to, though we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the detail. This species of redeeming men is referred to by Peter in his

1st Epistle,

Numbers 1:18,19 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month...

.

which are

Numbers 3:39-43 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families...



Context
Firstborn Sons Redeemed

40And the LORD said to 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. 41And you shall take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the children of Israel. 42And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and three score and thirteen. 44And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 47You shall even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shall you take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 48And you shall give the money, with which the odd number of them is to be redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons. 49And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 50Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and three score and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 51And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Parallel Verses
American Standard Version
And for the redemption of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel, that are over and above the number of the Levites,

Douay-Rheims Bible
But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, of the firstborn of the children of Israel, that exceed the number of the Levites,

Darby Bible Translation
And for those that are to be ransomed, the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are in excess over the Levites,

King James Bible
And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;

Young's Literal Translation
And from those ransomed of the two hundred and seventy and three (who are more than the Levites) of the first-born of the sons of Israel,

Numbers 3:45
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