Daily Bread

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

³⁴ Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites^(A) by their clans and families. ³⁵ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(B) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ³⁶ counted by clans, were 2,750. ³⁷ This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans^(C) who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

³⁸ The Gershonites^(D) were counted by their clans and families. ³⁹ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. ⁴¹ This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.

⁴² The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. ⁴³ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(E) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ counted by their clans, were 3,200. ⁴⁵ This was the total of those in the Merarite clans.^(F) Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

⁴⁶ So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted^(G) all the Levites by their clans and families. ⁴⁷ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(H) who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting ⁴⁸ numbered 8,580.^{(I) 49} At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

Thus they were counted,^(J) as the Lord commanded Moses.