Numbers 3:42
New International Version
So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.

New Living Translation
So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded.

English Standard Version
So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him.

Berean Standard Bible
So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

King James Bible
And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

New King James Version
So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded him.

New American Standard Bible
So Moses counted all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him;

NASB 1995
So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him;

NASB 1977
So Moses numbered all the first-born among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him;

Legacy Standard Bible
So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded him;

Amplified Bible
So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the Israelites, just as the LORD had commanded him;

Christian Standard Bible
So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.

American Standard Version
And Moses numbered, as Jehovah commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
Moses obeyed the LORD and counted the first-born sons;

English Revised Version
And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Moses registered all the firstborn Israelites as the LORD commanded him.

Good News Translation
Moses obeyed, and registered all the first-born males

International Standard Version
So Moses numbered all the firstborn from the sons of Israel just as the LORD commanded him.

Majority Standard Bible
So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

NET Bible
So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

New Heart English Bible
Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.

World English Bible
Moses counted, as Yahweh commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Moses numbers, as YHWH has commanded him, all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses numbereth, as Jehovah hath commanded him, all the first-born among the sons of Israel.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Moses reviewed as Jehovah commanded him, all the first-born of the sons of Israel.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Moses reckoned up, as the Lord had commanded, the firstborn of the children of Israel:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Moses took a census, just as the Lord had instructed, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

New American Bible
So Moses enrolled all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him.

New Revised Standard Version
So Moses enrolled all the firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Moshe numbered all of the firstborn of the children of Israel according to what LORD JEHOVAH commanded him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses counted, as the Lord commanded him, every first-born among the children of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Redemption of the Firstborn
41You are to take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him. 43The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.…

Cross References
Exodus 13:2
“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

Exodus 13:12-15
you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. / You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem. / In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ...

Numbers 8:16-18
For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. / For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. / But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.

Numbers 18:15-16
The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. / You are to pay the redemption price for a month-old male according to your valuation: five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.

Leviticus 27:26
But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the LORD. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s.

Deuteronomy 15:19
You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.

Luke 2:22-23
And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord / (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),

Hebrews 12:23
in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

1 Samuel 1:28
I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.

1 Chronicles 23:13
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

Nehemiah 10:36
And we will bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as it is written in the Law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God.

Matthew 1:25
But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.

Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

Colossians 1:15
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.


Treasury of Scripture

And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

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Born Children Commanded Counted First Firstborn First-Born Israel Israelites Numbered Numbereth
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Numbers 3
1. The sons of Aaron
5. The Levites are given to the priests instead of the firstborn
14. Are numbered by their families
21. The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27. Of the Kohathites
33. Of the Merarites
38. The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40. The firstborn are freed by the Levites
44. The balances are refunded














So Moses numbered them
The act of numbering, or taking a census, is significant in the Hebrew context. The Hebrew root for "numbered" is "paqad," which implies a careful and attentive accounting. This was not merely a bureaucratic task but a divinely ordained responsibility. Moses, as the leader chosen by God, was executing a sacred duty. In the broader biblical narrative, numbering often signifies preparation for service or battle, indicating that each individual has a role in God's plan. This act underscores the importance of community and individual responsibility within the covenant relationship with God.

according to the word of the LORD
The phrase "word of the LORD" is pivotal, as it emphasizes divine authority and guidance. In Hebrew, "word" is "dabar," which can mean command, promise, or decree. This highlights that Moses' actions were not based on human wisdom but on divine instruction. The "word of the LORD" is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, signifying God's active communication with His people. It reassures believers that God is not distant but intimately involved in the affairs of His people, guiding them through His revealed will.

as he had been commanded
The obedience of Moses is underscored here. The Hebrew root for "commanded" is "tsavah," which conveys the idea of giving orders or instructions. Moses' compliance with God's command reflects his faithfulness and humility. In the conservative Christian perspective, this obedience is a model for believers, illustrating the importance of submitting to God's will. It serves as a reminder that true leadership in the faith community is marked by adherence to God's commands, rather than personal ambition or agenda.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Moses
מֹשֶׁ֔ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

numbered
וַיִּפְקֹ֣ד (way·yip̄·qōḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the firstborn
בְּכֹ֖ר (bə·ḵōr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

of the Israelites,
בִּבְנֵ֥י (biḇ·nê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had commanded
צִוָּ֥ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

him.
אֹת֑וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case


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OT Law: Numbers 3:42 Moses numbered as Yahweh commanded him all (Nu Num.)
Numbers 3:41
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