Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 3:46
And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;
46, 47. The Levites number 22,000, but the first-born 22,273. The remaining 273 must therefore be redeemed by a payment of five shekels for each.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And for those that are to be redeemed, c. With money, there being not Levites enough to answer to them, and exchange for them:
of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites for the sum total of the Levites, as given, was but 22,000, Nu 3:39, whereas the sum total of the firstborn of Israel were 22,273, Nu 3:43, so that there were, two hundred seventy three more of the latter than of the former; and what was to be done with these next follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
redeemed = bought back. Hebrew. g’aal. See note on Exo 6:8
more = over and above: 273 (= 13 x 21). App-10. The firstborn males were 22,273 The Levites were 22,000. This leaves a difference of 273.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
redeemed: Num 18:15, Exo 13:13
the two hundred: As the number of the Levites was 22,000, and the first-born males of the Israelites were 22,273, there were therefore 372 more of the latter than of the former, which are here ordered to be redeemed. The price of redemption is fixed at five shekels, or about 15s. each, in Num 3:47. This money, amounting to 1,365 shekels, equal to, 15s English, was taken of the first-born. There is some difficulty, however, in determining which of the first-born should be redeemed by paying this sum, and which should be exchanged for the Levites; for every Israelite, no doubt, would rather have his first-born redeemed by a Levite, than pay five shekels; and yet some of them must have incurred this expense. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, to prevent contention, Moses took 22,000 slips of parchment, and wrote on each a son of Levi, and 273 more, on which he wrote five shekels; then putting them in an urn, and shaking them together, he ordered every one of the first-born to draw out a slip. If he drew out one with the first inscription, he said to him, a Levite hath redeemed thee, but if he drew out one of the latter, he said, pay the price. This is pronounced by Dr. A. Clarke to be a stupid, silly tale; but when we know that the determination by lot was used among the Israelites, it does not seem improbable that it was now resorted to, though we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the detail. This species of redeeming men is referred to by St. Peter in his 1st Epistle 1Pe 1:18, 1Pe 1:19.
which are: Num 3:39-43
Reciprocal: Num 3:50 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 3:46. For those that are to be redeemed It is probable, in the exchange they began with the eldest of the firstborn, and so downward, so that those were to be redeemed who were the two hundred and seventy- three youngest of them.