Charles Ellicott Commentary Numbers 3

These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses ... — The name of Aaron is placed first, not only because he was the elder brother, but also because the ministry of Moses was restricted to his own person, and his sons are merely classed among the rest of the Levitical families in 1 Chronicles 23:14; whereas the office of Aaron was perpetuated in the persons of his descendants. Hence we find no mention made in this place of the sons of Moses, but only of those of Aaron.

The word generations here, as in the book of Genesis (e.g.,Genesis 6:9; Genesis 25:19) and elsewhere, is used to denote the history; and in this sense the present and the following chapters pertain as much to Moses as to Aaron. Or the reference may be to the fact that Moses and Aaron were made the heads of the whole tribe of Levi, and therefore that the Levitical families generally are traced up equally to both.

Whom he consecrated ... — Literally, filled their hand. The rites of consecration are described at length in Exodus 29:1-37, where the command given to Moses is related, and in Leviticus 8:1-13, where the account is given of the actual consecration, on which occasion the appointed sacrificial offerings were placed by Moses in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons. The act of consecration was performed by Moses for Aaron’s sons, as well as for Aaron himself.

Died before the Lord. —The account is given in Leviticus 10:1-2, where the same expression “before the Lord” is used both in regard to the offering of strange fire by Nadab and Abihu, and also in regard to their death.

And they had no children. —To die childless was regarded not only as a reproach, but also as a judgment. This was especially the case in regard to Nadab and Abihu, inasmuch as the sons of one, or of both (as was the case in regard to the sons of Eleazar and of Ithamar), would have succeeded to the high priesthood.

And they shall keep his charge. —The word rendered charge may mean the directions which the Levites should receive from Aaron ; or—as seems more probable from the use of the same word in this and the following verse with reference to the congregation—it may refer to the charge which was laid upon Aaron and upon the whole congregation in matters pertaining to the public worship of God.

They are wholly given to him. —Hebrew, Given, given are they to him. This repetition of the word nethunim (given) is emphatic. The same repetition occurs in Numbers 8:16, where the Levites are represented as wholly given to the Lord instead of the firstborn; and in Numbers 3:19 of that chapter, as in Numbers 3:12 of this chapter, they are represented as being given by Him to Aaron and his sons. The word nethunim must not be confounded with Nethinim, the name given at a later date (1 Chronicles 9:2; Ezra 2:43; Nehemiah 3:26; Nehemiah 3:31) to the Gibeonites, who were made hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord (Joshua 9:27).

The tribe of Levi had proved themselves the most zealous for the honor of the Lord at the time of the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:26–29), and it was then that Moses gave them the charge to consecrate themselves (literally, to fill their hands, compare to Numbers 3:3 of this chapter) to the Lord. There was, therefore, a special reason for the selection of this tribe, independently of the fact that Moses and Aaron (and consequently the priests, as the descendants of Aaron) belonged to it.