The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers.
Parallel translations
- WEB But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not counted among them.
- KJV But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
- NKJV But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe;
- NASB The Levites, however, were not counted among them by their fathers’ tribe.
- NLT But this total did not include the Levites.
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 are not counted with the other tribes. They are set apart for a special, sacred service rather than for war.
Overview
The exclusion of Levi marks the tribe's unique calling to serve the tabernacle rather than fight in Israel's army. This distinction reflects God's design that some be consecrated wholly to His worship. It points toward the priesthood of Christ and the spiritual service of all His people (1 Pet. 2:9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Num 2:33But the Levites were not counted among the other Israelites, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Num 3:1This is the account of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
- Num 26:57–62Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari.
- 1 Chr 21:6But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.
- 1 Chr 6:1–81The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- Num 1:3You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.
- Num 1:50Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its articles, care for it, and camp around it.
- Num 8:1–26Then the LORD said to Moses,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 1:47 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.