The family of Merari, though smaller than either of the other families of Levi, yet had a greater number of able men than any of them; for out of 6,200 males of a month old and upwards, we find 3,200 who were neither too young nor too old for the service of the sanctuary; which was more than one-half of their whole number. In this the wisdom and providence of God appear most conspicuously; for the Merarites were charged with the heaviest part of the sanctuary, as the boards, bars, sockets, etc; and though waggons were afterwards provided for them, yet the loading and unloading of the sockets, and other things of great weight, would require much strength, both bodily and numerical. (Compare Numbers 4:36 and Numbers 4:40, with Numbers 3:22, Numbers 3:28, Numbers 3:24.) Thus God ever manifests his wisdom, in fitting men for the work to which they are appointed, whether with respect to number or gifts: "For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues, but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
Bible Commentary
Numbers 4:44
Numbers 4:44
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Canne, Browne, Blayney, Scott, and others · Public Domain
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Numbers 4 — OverviewNumbers 4 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleIn the former chapter an account was taken of the whole tribe of Levi,
in this we have an account of those of that tribe who were in the prime
of their time for service, betwixt thirty and fifty years old. I. The…Numbers 4 — OverviewNumbers 4 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeNumbers 4:1, The age at which the Levites were to begin to serve, and the duration of the service; Numbers 4:4, The duty of the Kohathites; Numbers 4:16, The charge of Eleazar; Numbers 4:17, The office of the priests;…Numbers 4 — OverviewNumbers 4 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThis chapter relates an order to number the Levites fit for business, and gives an account of the time and age when they should enter into service, and how long they should continue therein, Nu 4:1; what their…Numbers 4:34-49Numbers 4:34-49 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleWe have here a particular account of the numbers of the three families
of the Levites respectively, that is, of the effective men, between
thirty years old and fifty. Observe, 1. The Kohathites were, in all,…Numbers 4:44Numbers 4:44 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleEven those that were numbered of them after their families,.... See Gill on "Nu 4:34"