“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families;
Parallel translations
- KJV Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;
- BSB “Take a census of the Gershonites as well, by their families and clans,
- NKJV “Also take a census of the sons of Gershon, by their fathers’ house, by their families.
- NASB “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ households, by their families;
- NLT “Record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Gershonite division of the tribe of Levi.
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
God commands a census of the Gershonites by their families. Each Levite clan was numbered for its particular service.
Overview
Like the Kohathites, the Gershonites were counted to organize them for their assigned work in the tabernacle. The repetition emphasizes that all the Levites, not just the most prominent, had a vital part in worship. It models how the whole body of God's servants shares in His work, each according to his calling.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Num 3:18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
- Num 3:24The prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
- Num 3:21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimeites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
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 4:22 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.