Numbers 3:12

'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;

Young's Literal Translation

In The King James Version

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;

In Context

11And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

13for Mine [is] every first-born, in the day of My smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I have sanctified to Myself every first-born in Israel, from man unto beast; Mine they are; I [am] Jehovah.'

Read all of Numbers 3

Cross References

Numbers 3:41and thou hast taken the Levites for Me (I [am] Jehovah), instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of every firstling among the cattle of the sons of Israel.'

Numbers 8:16'For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb — the first-born of all — from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself;

Numbers 18:6'And I, lo, I have taken your brethren the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel; to you a gift they are given by Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting;

Matthew Henry on Numbers 3:2-14

The Separation of the Levites. ( b. c. 1490.) 1 These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord , when they offered strange fire before the Lord , in the wilderness of Sinai, and… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Numbers 3:12