🔢WEB · Numbers 3:27
What does Numbers 3:27 mean?
"Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites."
— Numbers 3:27 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
The prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.
The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.
The prince of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
Explanation
Numbers 3:27 is a genealogical listing that identifies the four clan families descended from Kohath, one of the three sons of Levi. The verse simply states that Kohath's descendants were organized into four family groups: the Amramites (descended from Amram), the Izharites (descended from Izhar), the Hebronites (descended from Hebron), and the Uzzielites (descended from Uzziel). Together these four families made up what the text calls "the Kohathites," a major division within the tribe of Levi.
This verse comes from a larger section of Numbers (chapters 3-4) in which Moses, at God's command, is organizing the tribe of Levi for tabernacle service during Israel's wilderness journey. Levi's three sons—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari—each headed a major Levitical division, and each division was assigned specific duties related to the tabernacle. The Kohathites, described here, were given responsibility for the most sacred objects: the ark of the covenant, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the other holy furnishings (as detailed later in Numbers 4). Moses himself, along with Aaron the high priest, descended from the Amramite branch of Kohath's family, since Amram was their father. This genealogical precision mattered because it established who was authorized to serve in which capacity around the tabernacle, and it protected the holiness of Israel's worship by ensuring that sacred duties were carried out by those specifically designated for them.
Theologically, this verse reflects the seriousness with which God ordered worship and ministry among
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