Numbers 3 · Verse 12

Numbers 3:12

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

Numbers 3:12, King James Version

Numbers 3:12 in other translations

BSB	“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me,
WEB	“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine,
ASV	And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:
YLT	‘And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine;
DARBY	And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine;
BBE	See, I have taken the Levites out of the children of Israel to be mine in place of the first sons of the children of Israel;
Webster	And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

What does Numbers 3:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 3:11-13

11-13. I have taken the Levites, &c.--The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (Ex 13:12; 22:29), who thus…

Read the full comment on Numbers 3:11-13 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 12 I have taken the Levites - instead of all the first-born - The Levites are taken for the service of the sanctuary in place of the first-born. The first-born were dedicated to God in commemoration of his slaying the first-born of the Egyptians, and preserving those of the Israelites. Even the cattle of the Levites were taken in place of the first-born of the cattle of the rest of the tribes. See Num 3:45. Several reasons have been assigned why God should give this honor to the tribe of Levi in preference to all the others, but they do not seem to me to be conclusive. Their zeal in destroying those who had corrupted the worship of God in the business of the golden calf, Exo 32:28, has been thought a sufficient reason. A better reason is, that this was the smallest tribe, and they were quite enough for the service. To have had a more numerous tribe at this time would have been very inconvenient. Aaron, says Mr. Ainsworth, being in his priesthood a type of Christ, all these rites are fulfilled in him. For unto Christ God gave children, Heb 2:13. And they are a congregation of first-born, whose names are written in heaven, Heb 12:23, being of God's own will begotten by the word of truth, that they should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, Jam 1:18, to whom he also gives the first-fruits of his Spirit, Rom 8:23. These wait on and follow the Lamb, being first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb, Rev 14:4; and Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, that we may serve him day and night in his temple, Rev 1:6; Rev 7:15.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 3:1-13

Chapter Outline The sons of Aaron, The Levites taken instead of the first-born. (1-13) The Levites numbered by their families, Their duties. (14-39) The first-born are numbered. (40-51) Verses 1-13 There was much work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only Aaron and his two sons to do it; God appoints the Levites to attend them. Those whom God finds work for, he will find help for. The Levites…

Read the full comment on Numbers 3:1-13 →

Numbers 3:12 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.

וַאֲנִ֞יva.'a.Niand IH589

הִנֵּ֧הhi.Nehhere!H2009

לָקַ֣חְתִּיla.Kach.tiI have takenH3947

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הַלְוִיִּ֗םhal.vi.Yimthe LevitesH3881

מִתּוֹךְ֙mi.toKhfrom amongH8432

בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

תַּ֧חַתTa.chatin place ofH8478

כָּל\־kol-everyH3605

בְּכ֛וֹרbe.KhorfirstbornH1060

פֶּ֥טֶרPe.ter[the] firstborn ofH6363

רֶ֖חֶםRe.chema wombH7358

מִבְּנֵ֣יmi.be.Neifrom [the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

וְהָ֥יוּve.Ha.yuand they will belongH1961

לִ֖יlito <the> me

הַלְוִיִּֽם\׃hal.vi.Yimthe LevitesH3881

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

Cross references for Numbers 3:12

Numbers 18:6
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 8:16
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
Numbers 3:41
And thou shalt 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 firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
Exodus 13:2
Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
Numbers 3:45
Take 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.
Numbers 8:18
And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

When God miraculously destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians, (Ex 12:29,) he spared those of the Israelites; and, in commemoration of that event, he was pleased to appoint that all the first-born males "should be set apart unto himself." (Ex 13:12-16.) God is here pleased to relinquish this claim, and to appoint the whole tribe of Levi to attend his immediate service in their stead.
41,45; 8:16,18; 18:6

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

Context

Numbers 3:11
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 3:12
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
Numbers 3:13
Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.

Read all of Numbers 3

Numbers 3:12 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y he aquí yo he tomado los Levitas de entre los hijos de Israel en lugar de todos los primogénitos que abren la matriz entre los hijos de Israel; serán pues míos los Levitas:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et moi, voici, j’ai pris les Lévites du milieu des fils d’Israël, à la place de tout premier-né d’entre les fils d’Israël qui ouvre la matrice; et les Lévites seront à moi;
German Elberfelder 1871	Und ich, siehe, ich habe die Leviten aus der Mitte der Kinder Israel genommen, anstatt aller Erstgeburt, welche die Mutter bricht unter den Kindern Israel; und die Leviten sollen mir gehören.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Ego tuli Levitas a filiis Israël pro omni primogenito, qui aperit vulvam in filiis Israël, eruntque Levitæ mei.