Numbers 26:57

CENSUS OF THE LEVITES, Num_26:57-62.

As in the Sinaitic enumeration, the census of the Levites was taken separately, thereby showing their non-military, non-secular, and semi-priestly character; The enumeration of the three families of the Levites proceeds regularly till Num_26:58, where the writer turns aside to trace the descent of Moses and Aaron, and to name the sons of the latter and the judicial death of two of them. Instead of the completion of the census of the Levite families their sum total is given.

57. The Levites — For their character, see Num_1:49, note. For their service, see Num_3:14-39; Num_7:3-9, notes.

The Gershonites — Num_4:21-28, note.

The Kohathites — Num_4:4-20, notes.

The Merarites — Num_3:35-37; Num_4:29-33, notes.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26:57-61 The family of Kohath received special attention as the clan of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Levi was God's tribe, a tribe that was to have no inheritance with the rest in the land of Canaan, and therefore was not numbered with the rest, but by itself; so it had been numbered in the beginning of this book at Mount Sinai, and therefore came not under the sentence passed upon all that were then numbered, that none of them should enter Canaan but Caleb and Joshua; for of the Levites that were not numbered with them, nor were to go forth to war, Eleazar and Ithamar, and perhaps others who were above twenty years old then (as appears, Jos 4:16, 28), entered Canaan; and yet this tribe, now at its second numbering, had increased but 1000, and was still one of the smallest tribes. Mention is made here of the death of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire, as before of the sin and punishment of Korah, because these things happened to them for ensamples.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

57–62. The census of the Levites. They were numbered separately from the secular tribes, because they were not, as a tribe, to possess any land.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mustering of the Levites. - The enumeration of the different Levitical families into which the three leading families of Levi, that were founded by his three sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were divided, is not complete, but is broken off in Num 26:58 after the notice of five different families, for the purpose of tracing once more the descent of Moses and Aaron, the heads not of this tribe only, but of the whole nation, and also of giving the names of the sons of the latter (Num 26:59-61). And after this the whole is concluded with a notice of the total number of those who were mustered of the tribe of Levi (Num 26:62). - Of the different families mentioned, Libni belonged to Gershon (cf. Num 3:21), Hebroni to Kohath (Num 3:27), Machli and Mushi to Merari (Num 3:33), and Korchi, i.e., the family of Korah (according to ch. Num 16:1; cf. Exo 6:21 and Exo 6:24), to Kohath. Moses and Aaron were descendants of Kohath (see at Exo 6:20 and Exo 2:1). Some difficulty is caused by the relative clause, "whom (one) had born to Levi in Egypt" (Num 26:59), on account of the subject being left indefinite. It cannot be Levi's wife, as Jarchi, Abenezra, and others suppose; for Jochebed, the mother of Moses, was not a daughter of Levi in the strict sense of the word, but only a Levitess or descendant of Levi, who lived about 300 years after Levi; just as her husband Amram was not actually the son of Amram, who bore that name (Exo 6:18), but a later descendant of this older Amram. The missing subject must be derived from the verb itself, viz., either היּלדת or אמּהּ (her mother), as in Kg1 1:6, another passage in which "his mother" is to be supplied (cf. Ewald, 294, b.).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

General Information:

This is a list of the Levite clans. Moses counts the Levites separately from the other tribes because they did not receive any land. (See: How to Translate Names)

counted clan by clan

This can be stated in active form. AT: "that the leaders also counted clan by clan" (See: Active or Passive)

Gershon ... Kohath ... Merari ... Amram

See how you translated these men's names you did in Numbers 3:17-19.

She bore to Amram their children

"She and Amram had children"

translationWords

Levi

descend

Egypt

Aaron

Miriam

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

AND THESE ARE THEY THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THE LEVITES. I do not know why He [commanded] that the Levites should be counted [here], and what purpose [is served] now by counting them [since they did not receive any portion in the Land]. Perhaps [they were counted because] it was only to these [Levites] that they gave the [forty-eight] cities to dwell in and their open land for their cattle, and not to those who were born afterwards. Or [it may be that this census] was done as an expression of honor for them before G-d, so that “the legion of the King” should not be treated as less important [than the other people], by not bothering to count them like the rest of the people. Scripture mentions Amram and his wife [Jochebed, with the children she bore — Aaron, Moses and Miriam their sister, although it does not do so in connection with any other Levite families], because the sons of [that] Levite [Amram] were counted as two [groups], as priests and as Levites, and it was fitting that Aaron and his sons [who were originally Levites but later on became priests] should be counted separately [therefore Scripture mentions especially the names of the parents and of their children].

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.