And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
There went a man ... The name of the man was Amram, and that of the woman whom he espoused was Jochebed, who is called "a daughter of Levi." Her immediate descent from Levi seems to be confirmed (Exodus 6:20) by the special mention of her relationship to Amram previous to their marriage; and it has been supposed, from the repeated notice of this circumstance, that there was a peculiarity in their matrimonial connection-that, in fact, it came within those degrees which, though permitted in the early times of the patriarchs, were prohibited under the Mosaic law (Leviticus 18:12).
There are chronological difficulties, however, lying in the way of this interpretation. If Jochebed were There are chronological difficulties, however, lying in the way of this interpretation. If Jochebed were actually the daughter of Levi, then her sons must have been his grandsons by their mother's side, while their father Amram was grandson, also, by his father's side. But there is a stronger objection suggested by the bearing of Jochebed's filial relation to Levi on the period of Israel's sojourn in Egypt. Assuming, what is generally admitted, that Levi (born in Jacob's 88th year) was 42 at the time of immigration into Egypt; and, from his having reached 137 years at his death, that he had passed 95 years of his life in that country; then, as Jochebed's birth took place within these 95 years (Numbers 26:59), we have the following data: 95 + 80 (age of Moses at the Exodus) = 175-215 (the shorter period of the sojourn) = 40 missing. It is evident, then, that the word "daughter," from the vague use in the Hebrew writings of all terms of consanguinity (Genesis 14:14) must be taken in the sense of 'descendant' of Levi; and that consequently, as the genealogies are usually abridged, there must be some links of the pedigree dropped either between Kohath and Amram, or between Amram and Moses. From other parts of Scripture we learn that Amram and Jochebed had two children, one of them born three years (Exodus 7:7) previous to the events narrated in the following verses; and we infer, from there being no difficulties connected with his being reared, that the infanticidal edict had not been issued.