Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.
- KJV And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
- BSB and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe.
- NKJV And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house.
- NASB and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for there is to be one staff for the head of each of their fathers’ households.
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
Aaron's name was to be written on the rod of Levi, representing the priestly house among the tribes.
Overview
Aaron's rod stood for the tribe of Levi and specifically the priestly line. By including it among the twelve, God put Aaron's contested priesthood directly to the test. This singling out of Aaron prepares for the miracle that would vindicate the Aaronic priesthood, which itself foreshadows Christ's appointed priesthood.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Num 18:1Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
- Num 3:2–3These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- Num 18:7You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
- Exod 6:16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.
- Exod 6:20Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years.
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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 17:3 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.