Now the Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward, and their number by head count of men was thirty-eight thousand.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
- KJV Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
- BSB The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.
- NKJV Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.
- NLT All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Levites aged thirty and older were counted, totaling thirty-eight thousand men. A large workforce was numbered for temple service.
Overview
David's census of the Levites from age thirty followed earlier guidelines for service in the sanctuary. The large number, thirty-eight thousand, shows how extensively God's worship would be supported. This careful organization of the Levites for service underscores the importance of ordered, dedicated ministry in the house of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Chr 23:24These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of Yahweh’s house, from twenty years old and upward.
- Num 4:2–49“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,
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The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
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