KJV 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;
VERSE STUDY • KJV
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;
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
“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 World English Bible
“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 American Standard Version
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 Young’s Literal Translation
‘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;
Surrounding context — Numbers 3
9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they [are] wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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;
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.
14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַאֲנִ֞יH589 · a.niIהִנֵּ֧הH2009 · hin.nehbeholdלָקַ֣חְתִּיH3947 · la.qachto take: takeאֶת־H853 · et[Obj.]הַלְוִיִּ֗םH3881 · le.viy.yiLeviמִתּוֹךְ֙H8432 · ta.vekhmidstבְּנֵ֣יH1121 · benson: childיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478 · yis.ra.elIsraelתַּ֧חַתH8478 · ta.chatunderneath: underכָּל־H3605 · kolallבְּכ֛וֹרH1060 · be.khorfirstbornפֶּ֥טֶרH6363 · pe.terfirstbornרֶ֖חֶםH7358 · re.chemwombמִבְּנֵ֣יH1121 · benson: childיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לH3478 · yis.ra.elIsraelוְהָ֥יוּH1961 · ha.yahto beלִ֖יH9030 · nimeהַלְוִיִּֽם׃H3881 · le.viy.yiLevi
Cross-references
Numbers 3:41And 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.Numbers 8:16For 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 18:6And 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.Exodus 13:2Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, [both] of man and of beast: it [is] mine.Numbers 8:18And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.Numbers 3:45Take 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.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Numbers 3:12
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →