Exodus 6:16
Ver. 16. And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations,.... Whose sons, according to the order of their birth, were as follow:
Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari; see Ge 46:11:
and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty seven years; and exactly the same number of years is assigned him by Polyhistor from Demetrius {c}, an Heathen writer. Jarchi says, that the reason why, the years of the life of Levi are reckoned is to show how long the bondage lasted; for there was no servitude as long as any of the tribes (or of the sons of Jacob) remained, according to Ex 1:6 and the Jewish chronologers {d} affirm that Levi was the last of the patriarchs that died; and that he died in the year of the world 3332, and lived in Egypt ninety four years; and from his time, to the going out of Egypt, were only one hundred and sixteen years; and they further say the bondage could not last longer than one hundred and sixteen years, nor shorter than eighty seven. Bishop Usher {e} places his death in A. M. 2385, and before Christ 1619: according to the Targum of Jonathan, he lived to see Moses and Aaron the deliverers of Israel; but that is false, since Joseph and all his brethren died before Moses was born, Ex 1:6.
{c} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 21. p. 425. {d} Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 5. 1. Tzemach David, par. 1, fol. 6. 2. & 7. 1. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 3. p. 9. {e} Annales Vet. Test. p. 17.