Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
- KJV And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
- BSB Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,
- NASB Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
- NLT The Lord spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,
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 Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. God commands the counting of the Levites for their special service.
Overview
This introduces the census of the Levites, distinct from the earlier military count. The setting at Sinai roots the command in the place of covenant. As before, the action proceeds entirely from God's direct word, underscoring that the ordering of His servants is His prerogative.
Cross-references & the web
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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 3:14 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
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