All the first-born males, &c.— All the males of the tribe of Levi are said to be twenty and two thousand, Numbers 3:39 but if we put together the particular sums mentioned Numbers 3:22; Numbers 3:28; Numbers 3:34 they amount to 300 more; which Patrick, Le Clerc, and others think to be omitted, because they were the first-born of the Levites themselves, and on that account belonged to God already. But we have shewn in the note on Numbers 3:39 how this difficulty may be otherwise solved. The number of the first-born exceeded that of the Israelites by 273, and for these it is enjoined, Numbers 3:47 that they should be redeemed at the rate of five shekels, i.e. about 12s. a head; see Leviticus 27:6. Numbers 18:16. It has been asked, who was to pay this money? for every Israelite would think he had an equal right to be redeemed by a Levite. The Jews tell us, as Bishop Patrick remarks, that it was done by drawing lots thus: Moses took 22,000 scrolls of parchment, on which he wrote a son of Levi, and 273 more, whereon he wrote five shekels; and then, putting all the lots into an urn, that every first-born might draw, he that drew one of the former lots was redeemed, and he that drew one of the latter paid his price. It has appeared surprising to same, that from above 600,000 full grown men, there should not be more first-born sons: but it is to be considered, that so many had been born since the slaughter of the Egyptian first-born; from which time and event only the first-born were to be consecrated to God; see Exodus 13:2.
Related Commentaries of Numbers 3:43
Numbers 3:43
43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.