Aaron's Sons. These constituted a priestly order (Numbers 3:10). The description of these (who during their father's lifetime were only ordinary priests) as anointed (Numbers 3:3) agrees with Exodus 40:15 but not with the earlier ch. 29, where only Aaron (Numbers 3:7) and his descendants who should succeed him (Numbers 3:29) in the high priesthood, are directed to be anointed. As the earliest unguents were animal fats, and many animals were sacred, the practice of anointing was doubtless originally designed to impart to a priest or other important personage the virtues of the sacred animal from which the unguent was derived.
Numbers 3:1. The mention of Moses here is an error.
Numbers 3:3. whom he consecrated: lit., whose hand he filled (Exodus 29:9 *, Leviticus 8:33 *, 1 Chronicles 29:5 *), the object placed in the hand being perhaps the offering which the priests were to present (cf. 2 Chronicles 13:9; Exodus 29:24). The phrase eventually lost its primary sense and could be used of consecrating an altar (Ezekiel 43:26).
Numbers 3:4. died: see Leviticus 10:1-7.