Numbers 3:22 kjv
Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
Numbers 3:22 nkjv
Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above?of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.
Numbers 3:22 niv
The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500.
Numbers 3:22 esv
Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 7,500.
Numbers 3:22 nlt
There were 7,500 males one month old or older among these Gershonite clans.
Numbers 3 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 3:17 | These therefore were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath... | Establishes the Levitical family lines being numbered. |
| Num 3:21 | Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites... | Identifies the specific Gershonite families included in this count. |
| Num 3:25-26 | The charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle... the curtains... | Details the specific duties corresponding to their numbers. |
| Num 4:24-28 | This is the service of the families of the Gershonites... | Further elaborates on Gershonite duties for active service (age 30-50). |
| Num 3:15 | Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families... | Highlights the divine command for a precise census of the Levites. |
| Num 1:49 | Only the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither take the sum... | Contrasts with the census for other tribes (20+ for war) highlighting Levites' unique role. |
| Num 1:3 | From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war... | Shows the different age requirement for the military census. |
| Num 8:24-26 | This is it that pertaineth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward... | Specifies the age range for active service of Levites in a later context. |
| Num 26:57-62 | These are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families... | Records another census of Levites, maintaining detailed records. |
| Exod 38:21 | This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony... | Illustrates God's meticulous nature and ordering in all things related to worship. |
| Num 3:5-8 | Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest... | Underscores the purpose of the Levites as dedicated assistants to the priests. |
| Num 3:9 | And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons... | Highlights the Levites as a divine gift for Tabernacle service. |
| Num 3:12-13 | And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead... | Explains the substitutionary role of the Levites for the firstborn. |
| Heb 7:11-12 | If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood... | Contrasts the temporal and limited Levitical priesthood with Christ's perfect priesthood. |
| Mal 3:3-4 | And he shall purify the sons of Levi... | Prophesies the future purification and acceptable offerings from Levite descendants. |
| Isa 49:1 | Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me... | God knows and calls His people from birth (similar concept to Levites set apart early). |
| Jer 1:5 | Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee... | Reflects God's pre-ordained purpose, echoing the Levites' early consecration. |
| Eph 4:11-12 | And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors... | Illustrates God providing specific gifts and roles for service in His spiritual house. |
| 1 Cor 12:4-6 | Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit... | Points to the divine ordering of diverse roles and gifts for the body of Christ. |
| Col 2:16-17 | Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday... | Suggests that Old Testament rituals, including Levitical service, were shadows of Christ. |
| 1 Pet 2:5,9 | Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood... | Describes New Testament believers as a spiritual priesthood with spiritual service. |
| Rev 7:9 | After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude... no man could number... | Contrasts the meticulous earthly census with the innumerable redeemed of God. |
Numbers 3 verses
Numbers 3 22 Meaning
Numbers 3:22 specifies the counted number of the Gershonite males within the tribe of Levi. This census included every male from one month old and upward, and their total came to seven thousand five hundred. It serves as part of a larger, meticulously detailed divine record of the Levitical families, organized for their service within the Tabernacle.
Numbers 3 22 Context
Numbers chapter 3 details the precise organization and census of the Levite tribe, distinguishing them from the rest of Israel. While Numbers chapter 1 counted all Israelite males 20 years and older fit for war, chapter 3 focuses exclusively on the Levites, who were chosen by God as substitutes for the firstborn males of Israel and consecrated for Tabernacle service. This specific verse (3:22) gives the exact number of male Gershonites from one month old and upward. It follows the general command for numbering the Levites (3:15) and specifically identifying the Gershonite families (3:21). Each Levite clan (Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites) had distinct responsibilities related to the Tabernacle's components, which the census would help manage and staff. The meticulous record-keeping underlines the divine order, sanctity, and structured nature of God's dwelling place and the worship associated with it. Historically, the counting of a people was a significant administrative act, often tied to military readiness or taxation. Here, it is uniquely tied to religious service and the maintenance of the sacred space.
Numbers 3 22 Word analysis
- Those that were numbered of them: (Hebrew: Pekuddehem - פְּקֻדֵיהֶֽם)
- Pekuddehem comes from the root pāqad (פָּקַד), meaning "to visit, muster, number, appoint, command, or oversee." It denotes a precise, intentional counting or registration.
- Significance: It highlights a divine act of surveying and assigning, indicating meticulous divine care and preparation for service. It wasn't an arbitrary counting but an appointed enumeration.
- according to the number: (Hebrew: lemispar - לְמִסְפַּר)
- Mispar means "number" or "quantity."
- Significance: Emphasizes precision and accuracy in the divine record-keeping. God deals with His people and their service in an orderly, quantifiable way.
- of all the males: (Hebrew: kol-zakhar - כָּל־זָכָר֙)
- Kol means "all" or "every"; zakhar means "male."
- Significance: Specifies the demographic being counted – only males were included in the Levitical census for Tabernacle service. This aligns with the patriarchal structure of priestly and Tabernacle roles in ancient Israel.
- from a month old and upward: (Hebrew: mi-ben ḥodesh wāmāʿlâ - מִבֶּן־חֹ֤דֶשׁ וָמָּ֙עְלָה֙)
- Mi-ben ḥodesh literally "from a son of a month," meaning "from one month old." Wāmāʿlâ means "and upward."
- Significance: This is a crucial distinction. Unlike the general census for military service (20 years old and upward, Num 1), or active Tabernacle service (30-50 years, Num 4), this census for Levites counted them from infancy. This indicates that Levites were consecrated for service from very early on, highlighting their special, lifelong dedication to God, serving as proxies for the firstborn of all Israel. It signifies a status of dedication rather than immediate service readiness.
- even those that were numbered of them: Repetition for emphasis, confirming the precision and finality of the count. It reinforces that the total specified indeed belongs to the group previously defined.
- were seven thousand and five hundred: The exact numerical count (7,500).
- Significance: Provides the specific data point for the Gershonites, enabling the overall calculation for the Levites and their total number in relation to the firstborn of Israel. This detail is essential for the logistical organization of the Tabernacle and its movable parts under the charge of each family.
Numbers 3 22 Bonus section
The inclusion of males "from a month old and upward" in this Levitical census, distinct from other counts, highlights their immediate and hereditary designation for sacred service. While actual service typically began at a much later age (25 or 30), the early numbering signified their foundational dedication and separate identity from the rest of Israel, acting as substitutes for Israel's firstborn whom God claimed as His own (Num 3:12-13). The total number for Gershonites (7,500) combined with Kohathites (8,600) and Merarites (6,200) amounted to 22,300, although the biblical sum given is 22,000 (Num 3:39). This slight discrepancy is typically understood either as a rounding for ease of redemption calculation (considering 22,273 firstborn males) or a textual variant that does not negate the primary truth of a divinely ordered census for precise function within the Tabernacle structure. This detail reflects God's complete provision and oversight for every aspect of His holy dwelling and its care.
Numbers 3 22 Commentary
Numbers 3:22 is more than a mere numerical statistic; it reveals God's meticulous nature in ordering His worship and His people. This precise census of Gershonite males, including infants, underscores the unique status of the Levites, chosen from the womb, as it were, to be consecrated for Tabernacle service in place of the firstborn of Israel. It contrasts sharply with censuses for military purposes, which involved only adult males. This count provides critical data for the allocation of duties and resources, highlighting divine organization. Each Levite family had specific responsibilities, and knowing their numbers facilitated the management of the movable Tabernacle, a symbol of God's presence among His people. The verse subtly reflects a profound truth: God's work is not random but divinely planned, structured, and executed with precise detail, demonstrating His commitment to an orderly, consecrated approach to His presence.