Numbers 4:3
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men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Rules of Service, and Numbering of the Levites Qualified for Service. - After the adoption of the Levites for service at the sanctuary, in the place of the first-born of Israel, Moses and Aaron mustered the three families of the Levites by the command of God for the service to be performed by those who were between the ages of 30 and 50. The particulars of the service are first of all described in detail (vv. 4-33); and then the men in each family are taken, of the specified age for service (vv. 34-49). The three families are not arranged according to the relative ages of their founders, but according to the importance or sacredness of their service. The Kohathites take the lead, because the holiest parts of the tabernacle were to be carried and kept by this family, which included the priests, Aaron and his sons. The service to be performed by each of the three Levitical families is introduced in every case by a command from God to take the sum of the men from 30 years old to 50 (see Num 4:1-3, Num 4:21-23, Num 4:29 and Num 4:30).
Open source ↗In the former chapter an account was taken of the whole tribe of Levi, in this we have an account of those of that tribe who were in the prime of their time for service, betwixt thirty and fifty years old. I. The serviceable men of the Kohathites are ordered to be numbered, and their charges are given them (v. 2-20). II. Of the Gershonites (Num 4:24-28). III. Of the Merarites (Num 4:29-33). IV. The numbers of each, and the sum total at last, are recorded (Num 4:34, etc.).
Open source ↗4:3 Of the 22,000 Levites (3:39), only men between the ages of thirty and fifty, those in the prime of their life, were allowed to serve in the sanctuary. The summary of this registration (another “numbering”) found in 4:34-49 gives the total number of qualified males as 8,580.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task.
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil.
In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
Their fellow Levites were assigned to every kind of service of the tabernacle, the house of God.
everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that by them you may fight the good fight,
from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting.