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In reading Numbers 3–4, I was struck by how small the tribe of Levi was compared to the other tribes—only 22,000 men, whereas the others ranged from 32,200 up to 74,600. Curious about this, I did some brief research and found a Jewish website offering a few possible explanations, though none appeared to be definitive (The Smallest Tribe, AISH.COM). The author suggested that Jewish tradition posits that the Levites were not subjected to manual labor in Egypt, potentially affecting their population growth. Another idea was linked to the time of Pharaoh’s edict to kill Israelite male babies; Amram (Moses’s father) divorced his wife (Jochebed) temporarily, possibly leading other Levite family heads to follow suit and ultimately limiting their progeny. Yet another theory proposed was that God judged the Levites more strictly due to preparation for their special position, leading to fewer numbers. Additionally, a Jewish perspective suggested that God intentionally creates smaller numbers for those positioned closest to Him, such as fewer humans than animals, fewer Jewish people than Gentiles, and fewer Levites compared to other Israelites.

There’s an even greater puzzle in these chapters. When we add the Levite family numbers listed—Gershonites (7,500), Kohathites (8,600), and Merarites (6,200)—we reach a total of 22,300. Yet, verse 39 records the total as 22,000. Scholars have speculated about this discrepancy. The two main explanations are that Moses (guided by the Holy Spirit, 2 Timothy 3:16) may have rounded the number down (which seems unlikely), or a copyist error occurred during transcription. Although the second explanation seems more plausible, I find it difficult to understand how such an error would go unnoticed, as even casual readers typically add these numbers up as they read—let alone careful scribes. Nevertheless, my faith isn’t shaken by potential human errors. When given the choice of who doesn’t understand or who made a mistake—God or humanity—I’m going to answer humanity every time.

A couple of other important Scriptures to be familiar with, other than the one listed above, when discussing the reliability of Scripture are Psalm 12:6–7 and Matthew 5:18,

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6–7

“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:18

While the discrepancy found in Numbers 3 has led to speculation, my confidence remains firm: the Bible is God’s true and inspired Word, preserved faithfully until His plans are complete in Revelation 22. Human errors or unexplained details don’t undermine this truth.

In our daily Bible readings, I can’t address every detail within the limited space of this blog, nor do I want to make the reading of my writing more laborious than what God has to say to us. Still, today I’d like to highlight one more significant section—verses 40–51 of chapter three. At the Passover, God required the Israelites to dedicate every firstborn male—human and animal—to Him. Instead of each tribe offering their firstborn males, God chose the Levites as a substitute. It’s interesting to note that the number of firstborn males in Israel at that time (22,273) was so close to the number of Levite males one-month-old and upward (22,000). For the difference (273), the Israelites paid five shekels per person, totaling 1,365 shekels given to Aaron and his sons. This practice, known as Pidyon haben (פדיון הבן), continues among many Jewish people today, symbolically redeeming their firstborn sons with a five-shekel payment. (The next Jewish priest I meet I’m going to give him $20—approximately 5 shekels—for my firstborn son).

Takeaway: As we read through the Bible together this year, we’ll see how God’s Word proves itself trustworthy time and time again. Even when we encounter things that seem puzzling at first, the consistency, depth, and faithfulness of Scripture will become clearer. If you haven’t already experienced this, hang in there—you will! God’s Word always stands the test of time.