Numbers 3:49 - Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "Numbers 3:49" mean?
This verse in Numbers 3:49 is part of the census and redemption process described in the chapter. To understand it, we need to break down the context:
The Census: God commanded Moses to take a census of the firstborn males of Israel (Numbers 3:40).
The Levites as Ransom: God designated the Levites to serve in the tabernacle in place of all the firstborn males of Israel (Numbers 3:12-13). In essence, the Levites were taken as a "ransom" or substitute for the firstborn.
Comparing Numbers: After counting, it was found that there were more firstborn Israelite males than there were Levite males (Numbers 3:43). Specifically:
Firstborn males: 22,273
Levites: 22,000
The Redemption Price: Since the Levites could not fully cover all the firstborn, the Israelites had to pay a redemption price (ransom) for the extra firstborn (Numbers 3:46-47). This price was five shekels of silver per extra firstborn.
The Verse Explained:
"Moses took the redemption money..." This refers to Moses collecting the money required to redeem the excess firstborn males.
"...from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites." This part specifies who the money was collected from. It was collected from the families of the 273 firstborn who were not covered by the number of Levites. The Levites had "redeemed" 22,000 of the firstborn simply by existing and being dedicated to the service. The remaining 273 needed to be individually redeemed by paying the ransom.
In simpler terms:
There were more firstborn sons than Levites. Since the Levites were supposed to take the place of all the firstborn, those firstborn who weren't covered by a Levite substitute had to be "bought back" from God by paying a price. The verse is saying that Moses collected this "buy back" money from the families of those extra firstborn sons.
Significance:
This passage demonstrates God's meticulousness and concern for fairness. It also underscores the concept of redemption. God provided a substitute (the Levites), but when a full substitution wasn't possible, a financial redemption was required to complete the process. This highlights the need for atonement and how God makes provision for it. It's also a foreshadowing of the ultimate redemption that would come through Jesus Christ.
Numbers 3:49 - Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites;
What does "Numbers 3:49" mean?
This verse in Numbers 3:49 is part of the census and redemption process described in the chapter. To understand it, we need to break down the context:
The Census: God commanded Moses to take a census of the firstborn males of Israel (Numbers 3:40).
The Levites as Ransom: God designated the Levites to serve in the tabernacle in place of all the firstborn males of Israel (Numbers 3:12-13). In essence, the Levites were taken as a "ransom" or substitute for the firstborn.
Comparing Numbers: After counting, it was found that there were more firstborn Israelite males than there were Levite males (Numbers 3:43). Specifically:
Firstborn males: 22,273
Levites: 22,000
The Redemption Price: Since the Levites could not fully cover all the firstborn, the Israelites had to pay a redemption price (ransom) for the extra firstborn (Numbers 3:46-47). This price was five shekels of silver per extra firstborn.
The Verse Explained:
"Moses took the redemption money..." This refers to Moses collecting the money required to redeem the excess firstborn males.
"...from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites." This part specifies who the money was collected from. It was collected from the families of the 273 firstborn who were not covered by the number of Levites. The Levites had "redeemed" 22,000 of the firstborn simply by existing and being dedicated to the service. The remaining 273 needed to be individually redeemed by paying the ransom.
In simpler terms:
There were more firstborn sons than Levites. Since the Levites were supposed to take the place of all the firstborn, those firstborn who weren't covered by a Levite substitute had to be "bought back" from God by paying a price. The verse is saying that Moses collected this "buy back" money from the families of those extra firstborn sons.
Significance:
This passage demonstrates God's meticulousness and concern for fairness. It also underscores the concept of redemption. God provided a substitute (the Levites), but when a full substitution wasn't possible, a financial redemption was required to complete the process. This highlights the need for atonement and how God makes provision for it. It's also a foreshadowing of the ultimate redemption that would come through Jesus Christ.