King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest [shall be] chief over the chief of the Levites, [and have] the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
Complete Jewish Bible:
El'azar the son of Aharon the cohen was first among the chiefs of the L'vi'im and supervised those in charge of the Holy Place.
Berean Standard Bible:
The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
American Standard Version:
And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Eleazar{H499} the son{H1121} of Aaron{H175} the priest{H3548} shall be chief{H5387} over the chief{H5387} of the Levites{H3881}, and have the oversight{H6486} of them that keep{H8104} the charge{H4931} of the sanctuary{H6944}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Chronicles 26:20
- ¶ And of the Levites, Ahijah [was] over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.
1 Chronicles 26:24
- And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, [was] ruler of the treasures.
Numbers 4:27
- At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.
2 Kings 25:18
- And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
Numbers 4:16
- And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest [pertaineth] the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, [and] the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein [is], in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.
1 Chronicles 9:14
- ¶ And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
1 Chronicles 9:20
- And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, [and] the LORD [was] with him.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 3:32
Numbers 3:32 is a verse that falls within the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness following their exodus from Egypt. The book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, and it details the organization and census of the Israelite community as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.
In this particular verse, the theme of leadership and priestly responsibility is highlighted. Eleazar, the son of Aaron, is designated as the chief over the other Levite chiefs. The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, set apart for religious service rather than inheriting a territorial tribal allotment like the other tribes. Aaron, Eleazar's father, was the first high priest of Israel, and the priesthood was to be carried on through his lineage.
The verse underscores the hierarchical structure of the Levitical priesthood, with Eleazar holding the highest position among the Levites. His role included overseeing the Levites who were entrusted with the care of the sanctuary, also known as the Tabernacle. This was a significant responsibility, as the sanctuary was the locus of Israel's religious life, where the presence of God was believed to dwell among the people. The Levites, under Eleazar's supervision, were charged with maintaining the sanctity of the sanctuary, performing the sacred rituals, and ensuring that the worship of God was conducted according to the divine instructions given to Moses.
Historically, this verse reflects the importance of religious leadership and organization in ancient Israelite society. It also prefigures the later establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem, where the priesthood continued to play a central role in Jewish religious life until the Temple's destruction in 70 CE. The meticulous attention to the roles and responsibilities within the Levitical priesthood, as exemplified in Numbers 3:32, is indicative of the detailed prescriptions for worship and religious observance that characterized early Judaism.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H499
There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלְעָזָר
Transliteration: ʼElʻâzâr
Pronunciation: el-aw-zawr'
Description: from אֵל and עָזַר; God (is) helper; Elazar, the name of seven Israelites; Eleazar. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H175
There are 480 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַהֲרוֹן
Transliteration: ʼAhărôwn
Pronunciation: a-har-one'
Description: of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of Moses; Aaron. - Strong's Number: H3548
There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֹּהֵן
Transliteration: kôhên
Pronunciation: ko-hane'
Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. - Strong's Number: H5387
There are 120 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָשִׂיא
Transliteration: nâsîyʼ
Pronunciation: naw-see'
Description: or נָשִׂא; from נָשָׂא; properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mist; captain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour. - Strong's Number: H3881
There are 258 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֵוִיִּי
Transliteration: Lêvîyîy
Pronunciation: lay-vee-ee'
Description: or לֵוִי; patronymically from לֵוִי; a Levite or descendant of Levi; Leviite. - Strong's Number: H6486
There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פְּקֻדָּה
Transliteration: pᵉquddâh
Pronunciation: pek-ood-daw'
Description: feminine passive participle of פָּקַד; visitation (in many senses, chiefly official); account, (that have the) charge, custody, that which...laid up, numbers, office(-r), ordering, oversight, [phrase] prison, reckoning, visitation. - Strong's Number: H8104
There are 440 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַר
Transliteration: shâmar
Pronunciation: shaw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.; beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man). - Strong's Number: H4931
There are 69 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִשְׁמֶרֶת
Transliteration: mishmereth
Pronunciation: mish-mer'-reth
Description: feminine of מִשְׁמָר; watch, i.e. the act (custody), or (concretely) the sentry, the post; objectively preservation, or (concretely) safe; figuratively observance, i.e. (abstractly) duty or (objectively) a usage or party; charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch. - Strong's Number: H6944
There are 382 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֹדֶשׁ
Transliteration: qôdesh
Pronunciation: ko'-desh
Description: from קָדַשׁ; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity; consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, ([idiom] most) holy ([idiom] day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.