1
Nu 3:1-51.
英文原文
Nu 3:1-51.
THE LEVITES' SERVICE.
1. These . . . are the generations of Aaron and Moses, &c.--This chapter contains an account of their families; and although that of Moses is not detailed like his brother's, his children are included under the general designation of the Amramites
(Nu 3:27),
a term which comprehends all the descendants of their common father Amram. The reason why the family of Moses was so undistinguished in this record is that they were in the private ranks of the Levites, the dignity of the priesthood being conferred exclusively on the posterity of Aaron; and hence, as the sacerdotal order is the subject of this chapter, Aaron, contrary to the usual style of the sacred history, is mentioned before Moses.
in the day that the Lord spake with Moses in mount Sinai--This is added, because at the date of the following record the family of Aaron was unbroken.
2
無標題
2-4. 亞倫兒子的名字如下——亞倫的四個兒子全都受了膏，得以在祭司的職任上事奉。兩個年長的在任時間極短
(Le 10:1, 2; Nu 3:4; 26:61)； 而以利亞撒和以他瑪這兩位卻忠心盡職，在父親有生之年作他的助手，在父親的督導之下履行聖事。
英文原文
2-4. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron--All the sons of Aaron, four in number, were consecrated to minister in the priest's office. The two oldest enjoyed but a brief term of office
(Le 10:1, 2; Nu 3:4; 26:61);
but Eleazar and Ithamar, the other two, were dutiful, and performed the sacred service during the lifetime of their father, as his assistants, and under his superintendence.
5
無標題
5-10. 你使利未支派近前來——希伯來文「使近前來」是獻祭用語，指將祭物獻給神；因此此詞用於利未人，意指他們被當作祭物獻給聖所，不再擔任任何尋常的差事。他們從屬於祭司——只有祭司享有進入聖所的特權；但他們卻擔任許多屬於聖所的較卑微職務，也在許多對百姓的信仰與道德大有裨益、極其重要的職任上盡力。
英文原文
5-10. Bring the tribe of Levi near--The Hebrew word "bring near" is a sacrificial term, denoting the presentation of an offering to God; and the use of the word, therefore, in connection with the Levites, signifies that they were devoted as an offering to the sanctuary, no longer to be employed in any common offices. They were subordinate to the priests, who alone enjoyed the privilege of entering the holy place; but they were employed in discharging many of the humbler duties which belonged to the sanctuary, as well as in various offices of great utility and importance to the religion and morals of the people.
9
無標題
9. 他們都是從以色列人中全然給他的等——祭司站在神的地位，而利未人因順服祭司，便作了神的僕人。
英文原文
9. they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel, &c.--The priests hold the place of God, and the Levites are the servants of God in the obedience they render to the priests.
11
無標題
11-13. 我揀選了利未人等——這支派的奉獻並非出於摩西立法的智慧，而是出於神特別的選召——祂揀選他們代替長子。按着為記念那臨到埃及的最後嚴厲審判（以色列人的家宅奇蹟地得免）而立的定例，一切長子都歸神為聖
(Ex 13:12; 22:29)， 神便這樣在特殊情形下，似乎是採用了先祖以長子任家中祭司的習俗。但長子所得的贖回特權為改變開了路；於是在摩西體制完全確立之時，先前交託長子的聖事管理權，便從他們轉給了利未人——他們接受這尊榮，部分作為對摩西和亞倫的敬意，部分因這支派在金牛犢事件上熱心有功
(Ex 32:29)， 也因他們是支派中最小的，在工作與供養上不易找到合宜的出路。（參
De 33:8）。 為宗教的聖職特設一個階層，是明智的安排；因為百姓定居迦南後必事務繁忙，未必有暇料理聖所事奉，聖事或因種種緣故遭疏忽。但以整個支派奉獻於神的事奉，便確保了宗教儀節的按時舉行。本章下文便論到這支派的正式替代。
我是耶和華——即我定規如此；我既擁有至高的權柄，便期望完全的順服。
英文原文
11-13. I have taken the Levites, &c.--The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God
(Ex 13:12; 22:29),
who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to adopt the patriarchal usage of appointing the oldest to act as the priest of the family. But the privilege of redemption that was allowed the first-born opened the way for a change; and accordingly, on the full organization of the Mosaic economy, the administration of sacred things formerly committed to the first-born was transferred from them to the Levites, who received that honor partly as a tribute to Moses and Aaron, partly because this tribe had distinguished themselves by their zeal in the affair of the golden calf
(Ex 32:29),
and also because, being the smallest of the tribes, they could ill find suitable employment and support in the work. (See on
De 33:8).
The designation of a special class for the sacred offices of religion was a wise arrangement; for, on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might not be at leisure to wait on the service of the sanctuary, and sacred things might, from various causes, fall into neglect. But the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service ensured the regular performance of the rites of religion. The subsequent portion of the chapter relates to the formal substitution of this tribe.
I am the Lord--that is, I decree it to be so; and being possessed of sovereign authority, I expect full obedience.
14
無標題
14-31. 數點利未人——他們和其他支派一樣被數點；但數點的原則不同——其他支派是從二十歲以上的男丁算起〔Nu 1:3〕， 利未支派卻「從一個月以外的男子」算起。這區分的緣由是顯而易見的。其他支派的統計是為爭戰之用〔Nu 1:3〕， 利未人則完全免於兵役。利未人所受派的，是他們一能受教便可開始的工作。他們以利未的三個兒子——革順、哥轄、米拉利——之名被提及，這三人也是該支派三個細分的族長或祖先之首。他們的職責是協助搬運帳幕——百姓在各營地間遷移時——並在駐紮時作帳幕的守衛：革順人駐在西面，哥轄人在南面，米拉利諸家在北面。哥轄人在帳幕周圍居首要位置，受託照管最貴重神聖之物——這尊榮大概因亞倫家族屬於利未支派的這一分支。革順人因最年長，被派在次尊的位置，而粗重勞役的重擔則落在米拉利一分支身上。
英文原文
14-31. Number the children of Levi--They were numbered as well as the other tribes; but the enumeration was made on a different principle--for while in the other tribes the number of males was calculated from twenty years and upward
[Nu 1:3],
in that of Levi they were counted "from a month old and upward." The reason for the distinction is obvious. In the other tribes the survey was made for purposes of war
[Nu 1:3],
from which the Levites were totally exempt. But the Levites were appointed to a work on which they entered as soon as they were capable of instruction. They are mentioned under the names of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, sons of Levi, and chiefs or ancestral heads of three subdivisions into which this tribe was distributed. Their duties were to assist in the conveyance of the tabernacle when the people were removing the various encampments, and to form its guard while stationary--the Gershonites being stationed on the west, the Kohathites on the south, and the families of Merari on the north. The Kohathites had the principal place about the tabernacle, and charge of the most precious and sacred things--a distinction with which they were honored, probably, because the Aaronic family belonged to this division of the Levitical tribe. The Gershonites, being the oldest, had the next honorable post assigned them, while the burden of the drudgery was thrown on the division of Merari.
32
無標題
32. 首領——更確切地說，是利未人的「眾首領」。這三個不同部門各有首領，共有三人被提及
[Nu 3:24, 30, 35]。
以利亞撒總管他們；因此他被稱為「第二祭司」
（2Ki 25:18）；
在大祭司因病或其他必要緣故缺席時，他便履行其職
（1Ki 4:4）。
英文原文
32. chief--rather, "chiefs" of the Levites. Three persons are mentioned as chiefs of these respective divisions
[Nu 3:24, 30, 35].
And Eleazar presided over them; whence he is called "the second priest"
(2Ki 25:18);
and in the case of the high priest's absence from illness or other necessary occasions, he performed the duties
(1Ki 4:4).
38
無標題
38. 在帳幕前安營的等——那一邊既是入口所在，便是尊位，故保留給摩西與祭司家族。但摩西的兒子們在此並無崗位。
英文原文
38. those that encamp, &c.--That being the entrance side, it was the post of honor, and consequently reserved to Moses and the priestly family. But the sons of Moses had no station here.
39
無標題
39. 二萬二千——這次戶口調查的結果，雖是在對利未最為有利的條件下進行，卻證明利未是以色列中最小的支派。
Nu 3:22, 28, 34
所分別記載的人數，加起來共二萬二千三百。那三百人的省略，有不同的解釋——有人說，因為他們可能是已獻給神的長子，不能算作替代者；另有人說，因為按聖經的體裁，總數以整數計算。最有可能的推測是，由於《希伯來文》以字母作數字，在抄寫過程中，一個字母被誤作另一個形似而值小的字母。
英文原文
39. twenty and two thousand--The result of this census, though made on conditions most advantageous to Levi, proved it to be by far the smallest in Israel. The separate numbers stated in
Nu 3:22, 28, 34,
when added together, amount to twenty-two thousand three hundred. The omission of the three hundred is variously accounted for--by some, because they might be first-born who were already devoted to God and could not be counted as substitutes; and by others, because in Scripture style, the sum is reckoned in round numbers. The most probable conjecture is, that as Hebrew letters are employed for figures, one letter was, in the course of transcription, taken for another of like form but smaller value.
40
無標題
40-51. 以色列人中頭生的男子等——數點利未人所依的原則，如今要應用到其他支派上。他們從一個月以上的男嬰人數要被計算，以便與利未人的人數比較，正式接納後者作為長子的替代。利未人共二萬二千名，用以交換其他支派同等數目的長子，多出二百七十三名；這些既沒有替代者，便各按五舍客勒的價銀贖出
（Nu 18:15, 16）。
每個以色列人自然都希望自己的兒子能藉利未人贖出，免繳此稅，然而總有些人必須負擔這費用，因為利未人不足以作相等的交換。猶太作者說，這事是這樣以籤決定的：摩西將二萬二千塊羊皮紙放入一個甕中，每塊寫上「利未之子」，另有二百七十三塊，寫上「五舍客勒」。搖勻之後，他命每個長子伸手取一塊。若取出的是前一種，那孩子便由利未人贖出；若是後一種，父母便須付款。贖銀按每舍客勒值半克朗計算，每人合十二先令六便士，歸聖所使用。全體長子超過利未人的數目如此之少，唯一的解釋是：所計算的長子只是仍住在父母家中的男子，或所數點的長子只是自出埃及以後所生的，那時神宣稱一切長子都歸祂為特有之產業。
英文原文
40-51. Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, &c.--The principle on which the enumeration of the Levites had been made was now to be applied to the other tribes. The number of their male children, from a month old and upward, was to be reckoned, in order that a comparison might be instituted with that of the Levites, for the formal adoption of the latter as substitutes for the first-born. The Levites, amounting to twenty-two thousand, were given in exchange for an equal number of the first-born from the other tribes, leaving an excess of two hundred seventy-three; and as there were no substitutes for these, they were redeemed at the rate of five shekels for each
(Nu 18:15, 16).
Every Israelite would naturally wish that his son might be redeemed by a Levite without the payment of this tax, and yet some would have to incur the expense, for there were not Levites enough to make an equal exchange. Jewish writers say the matter was determined by lot, in this manner: Moses put into an urn twenty-two thousand pieces of parchment, on each of which he wrote "a son of Levi," and two hundred seventy-three more, containing the words, "five shekels." These being shaken, he ordered each of the first-born to put in his hand and take out a slip. If it contained the first inscription, the boy was redeemed by a Levite; if the latter, the parent had to pay. The ransom-money, which, reckoning the shekel at half a crown, would amount to 12s. 6d. each, was appropriated to the use of the sanctuary. The excess of the general over the Levitical first-born is so small, that the only way of accounting for it is, by supposing those first-born only were counted as were males remaining in their parents' household, or that those first-born only were numbered which had been born since the departure from Egypt, when God claimed all the first-born as his special property.
41
無標題
41. 利未人的牲畜——這些牲畜由他們牧放在所屬城邑郊野的牧場與草地上，為其家屬供應乳製品與肉食，也被取作當時以色列人一切頭生牲畜的替代。由於這項交換，頭生的牲畜那時便不像後來那樣被帶到壇前與祭司那裏。
英文原文
41. the cattle of the Levites--These, which they kept to graze on the glebes and meadows in the suburbs of their cities, to supply their families with dairy produce and animal food, were also taken as an equivalent for all the firstlings of the cattle which the Israelites at that time possessed. In consequence of this exchange the firstlings were not brought then, as afterwards, to the altar and the priests.
Nu 3:1-51.
利未人的事奉
1. 亞倫和摩西的後代等——本章記述他們的家族；雖然摩西的譜系不像他哥哥那樣詳盡，他的兒女卻被歸在暗蘭人這總稱之下
(Nu 3:27)， 這稱呼涵蓋了他們共同父親暗蘭的一切後裔。摩西的家族在這份記錄中之所以如此不起眼，是因為他們身處利未人的普通行列中，而祭司的尊榮只賜給亞倫的後裔；因此，本章的主題既是祭司的職任，亞倫便一反聖史慣常的次序，被排在摩西之前。
耶和華在西奈山與摩西說話的那日——這句補充說明，是因為在以下記錄的時點，亞倫的家族尚是完整的。