1 Chronicles 23 · Verse 3

1 Chronicles 23:3

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
1 Chronicles 23:3, King James Version

1 Chronicles 23:3 in other translations

BSBThe Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.
WEBThe Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
ASVAnd the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
YLTand the Levites are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, by their polls, is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand.
DARBYAnd the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number, by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
BBEAnd the Levites, all those of thirty years old and over, were numbered; and the number of them, by heads, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
WebsterNow the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

What does 1 Chronicles 23:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. the Levites were numbered ... thirty and eight thousand--Four times their number at the early census taken by Moses (see on Nu 4:1-49; 26:1-51). It was, in all likelihood, this vast increase that suggested and rendered expedient that classification, made in the last year of David's reign, which the present and three subsequent chapters describe. by their polls, man by man--Women and children were not included.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Thirty years and upward - The enumeration of the Levites made in the desert, Num 4:3, was from thirty years upwards to fifty years. In this place, the latter limit is not mentioned, probably because the service was not so laborious now; for the ark being fixed they had no longer any heavy burdens to carry, and therefore even an old man might continue to serve the tabernacle. David made another ordinance afterwards; see on 1Chr 23:24-27 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Chronicles 23:1-23

David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, settles the method of the temple service, and orders the officers of it. When those of the same family were employed together, it would engage them to love and assist one another.

Read the full comment on 1 Chronicles 23:1-23 →

1 Chronicles 23:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ֙vai.yi.sa.fe.Ruand they were countedH5608
הַלְוִיִּ֔םhal.vi.Yimthe LevitesH3881
מִבֶּ֛ןmi.Benfrom a son ofH1121
שְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםshe.lo.ShimthirtyH7970
שָׁנָ֖הsha.Nahyear[s]H8141
וָמָ֑עְלָהva.Ma.'e.lahand up -wardsH4605
וַיְהִ֨יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
מִסְפָּרָ֤םmis.pa.Ramnumber theirH4557
לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם֙le.gul.ge.lo.Tamto skulls theirH1538
לִגְבָרִ֔יםlig.va.Rimto menH1397
שְׁלֹשִׁ֥יםshe.lo.ShimthirtyH7970
וּשְׁמוֹנָ֖הu.she.mo.Nahand eightH8083
אָֽלֶף\׃'A.lefthousandH505

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 23:3

  • 1 Chronicles 23:24

    These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward.

  • Numbers 4:2-49

    Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Levites.
Nu 4:2,3,23,30,35,43,47
thirty and eight.
Nu 4:48

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Chronicles 23:2

    And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

  • 1 Chronicles 23:3

    Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

  • 1 Chronicles 23:4

    Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were officers and judges:

Read all of 1 Chronicles 23

1 Chronicles 23:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Fueron contados los Levitas de treinta años arriba; y fué el número de ellos por sus cabezas, contados uno á uno, treinta y ocho mil.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et on dénombra les Lévites, depuis l’âge de 30 ans et au-dessus; et leur nombre, par tête, par homme, fut de 38 000.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Leviten wurden gezählt von dreißig Jahren an und darüber; und ihre Zahl war, Kopf für Kopf, an Männern 38000.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Numeratique sunt Levitæ a triginta annis et supra: et inventa sunt triginta octo millia virorum.