11 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 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; 13 for 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.'
14 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 'Number the sons of Levi by the house of their fathers, by their families; every male from a son of a month and upward thou dost number them.' 16 And Moses numbereth them according to the command of Jehovah, as he hath been commanded. 17 And these are sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these 'are' the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19 And the sons of Kohath, by their families, 'are' Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 20 And the sons of Merari by their families 'are' Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites, by the house of their fathers. 21 Of Gershon 'is' the family of the Libnite, and the family of the Shimite; these are the families of the Gershonite. 22 Their numbered ones, in number, every male from a son of a month and upward, their numbered ones 'are' seven thousand and five hundred. 23 The families of the Gershonite, behind the tabernacle, do encamp westward. 24 And the prince of a father's house for the Gershonite 'is' Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting 'is' the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the vail at the opening of the tent of meeting, 26 and the hangings of the court, and the vail at the opening of the court, which 'is' by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and its cords, to all its service. 27 And of Kohath 'is' the family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are families of the Kohathite. 28 In number, all the males, from a son of a month and upward, 'are' eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath encamp by the side of the tabernacle southward. 30 And the prince of a father's house for the families of the Kohathite 'is' Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 And their charge 'is' the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they serve, and the vail, and all its service. 32 And 'to' the prince of the princes of the Levites, Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, 'is' the oversight of the keepers of the charge of the sanctuary. 33 Of Merari 'is' the family of the Mahlite, and the family of the Mushite; these 'are' the families of Merari. 34 And their numbered ones, in number, all the males from a son of a month and upward, 'are' six thousand and two hundred. 35 And the prince of a father's house for the families of Merari 'is' Zuriel son of Abihail; by the side of the tabernacle they encamp northward. 36 And the oversight—the charge of the sons of Merari—'is' the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its vessels, and all its service, 37 and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. 38 And those encamping before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting, at the east, 'are' Moses and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the sons of Israel, and the stranger who cometh near is put to death.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 3:11-38
Commentary on Numbers 3:1-13
(Read Numbers 3:1-13)
There was much work belonging to the priests' office, and there were now only Aaron and his two sons to do it; God appoints the Levites to attend them. Those whom God finds work for, he will find help for. The Levites were taken instead of the first-born. When He that made us, saves us, as the first-born of Israel were saved, we are laid under further obligations to serve him faithfully. God's right to us by redemption, confirms the right he has to us by creation.
Commentary on Numbers 3:14-39
(Read Numbers 3:14-39)
The Levites were in three classes, according to the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and these were subdivided into families. The posterity of Moses were not at all honoured or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites; thus it was plain, that Moses did not seek the advancement of his own family, or to secure any honours to it. The tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. God's chosen are but a little flock in comparison with the world.