Numbers 3:48 - and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.”

Generated Verse: Numbers 3:48

What does "Numbers 3:48" mean?


This verse, Numbers 3:48, refers to the redemption money paid for the extra Levites (meaning there were fewer Levites than firstborn Israelite males). Let's break down what it means:

Context: The book of Numbers deals heavily with the census and organization of the Israelites, particularly the Levites who were chosen to serve in the Tabernacle. God decreed that the Levites would be taken in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel.

"And you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed..." This indicates that after the census, a calculation was made. There were more firstborn Israelite males than there were Levites to replace them. To "redeem" or "buy back" the remaining firstborn, each family with an unreplaced firstborn son had to pay a specific sum of money (five shekels) as a symbolic redemption payment.

"...to Aaron and to his sons." Aaron was the High Priest, and his sons were the priests. The redemption money was given to them. This was a way of supporting the priesthood and providing for their needs since they were devoted to serving in the sanctuary and didn't have their own land inheritance like the other tribes.

In summary:

The verse describes a process of equalizing the number of firstborn males with the number of Levites. Since there were more firstborn than Levites, a redemption price was paid to the priests (Aaron and his sons) on behalf of the "extra" firstborn sons. This money went towards supporting the priesthood. This verse highlights the Levites' unique role in replacing the firstborns and emphasizes the importance of the priesthood in the religious and social structure of Israel.

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