Numbers 3 Summary

The chapter opens with the priestly line of Aaron — noting that Nadab and Abihu died for offering strange fire and left no sons, leaving Eleazar and Ithamar to serve under their father. God then commands Moses to set the tribe of Levi apart to assist Aaron and the priests in the service of the tabernacle, declaring the Levites wholly given to the priesthood and warning that any unauthorized person who approaches the sanctuary shall be put to death. The three Levitical clans — Gershon (7,500 males), Kohath (8,600), and Merari (6,200) — are each counted, assigned specific positions around the tabernacle, given named leaders, and charged with distinct portions of the tabernacle's furnishings and structure, totaling 22,000 Levite males. Finally, God declares the Levites a substitution for all Israelite firstborn males (who numbered 22,273); since the Levites were 273 fewer, the surplus firstborn were redeemed at five shekels each, and Moses delivered the redemption silver of 1,365 shekels to Aaron and his sons as the LORD commanded.