Numbers 3:45
New International Version
“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD.

New Living Translation
“Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the LORD.

English Standard Version
“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

King James Bible
Take 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.

New King James Version
“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD.

NASB 1995
“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD.

NASB 1977
“Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
“Take the Levites [for Me] instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine. I am the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
“Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to me; I am the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to Me; I am Yahweh.

American Standard Version
Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am Jehovah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Bring the Levites in the place of every firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in the place of their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine; I AM LORD JEHOVAH.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Take the Levites instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine; I am the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
"The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the first-born sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' first-born livestock.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Take the Levites for the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites for their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.

English Revised Version
Take 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Take the Levites to be substitutes for all the firstborn Israelites and the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for their animals. The Levites will be mine. I am the LORD.

Good News Translation
"Now dedicate the Levites as mine in place of all the first-born Israelite sons, and dedicate the livestock of the Levites in place of the first-born of the Israelites' livestock.

International Standard Version
"Separate the descendants of Levi in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel and the livestock of the descendants of Levi in place of their livestock. The descendants of Levi belong to me, since I am the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine, even the LORD'S.

Literal Standard Version
“Take the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites have been Mine; I [am] YHWH.

Majority Standard Bible
“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

New American Bible
Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle, that the Levites may belong to me. I am the LORD.

NET Bible
"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
Accept the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take the Levites instead of all the first-born 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.

World English Bible
“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am Yahweh.

Young's Literal Translation
Take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites have been Mine; I am Jehovah.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Redemption of the Firstborn
44Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD. 46To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites,…

Cross References
Exodus 34:20
You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Numbers 3:12
"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,

Numbers 3:41
You are to take the Levites for Me--I am the LORD--in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites."

Numbers 3:44
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Numbers 8:16
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.

Numbers 18:6
Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting.

Malachi 2:4
Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD of Hosts.


Treasury of Scripture

Take 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.

Numbers 3:12,40,41
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; …

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Cattle Children First Firstborn First-Born Instead Israel Levites
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Cattle Children First Firstborn First-Born Instead Israel Levites
Numbers 3
1. The sons of Aaron
5. The Levites are given to the priests instead of the firstborn
14. Are numbered by their families
21. The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27. Of the Kohathites
33. Of the Merarites
38. The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40. The firstborn are freed by the Levites
44. The balances are refunded














(45) And the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle.--There appears to have been no numbering of the cattle. Had it been otherwise, an argument might have been used in support of the prospective reference of the command to number the firstborn, derived from the fact that it would have been impossible to ascertain the number of firstborn among the cattle. It appears, however, that the whole of the cattle of the Levites was given in redemption of the firstborn of all the cattle of the other tribes.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Take
קַ֣ח (qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

the Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֗ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

in place
תַּ֤חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

of all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the firstborn
בְּכוֹר֙ (bə·ḵō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

and the cattle
בֶּהֱמַ֥ת (be·hĕ·maṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

of the Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֖ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

in place of
תַּ֣חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

their cattle.
בְּהֶמְתָּ֑ם (bə·hem·tām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

The Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֖ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

belong to Me;
וְהָיוּ־ (wə·hā·yū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

I
אֲנִ֥י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all (Nu Num.)
Numbers 3:44
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