The Redemption of the Firstborn

The LORD tells Moses to count Israel's firstborn males and to take the Levites in their place, along with Levitical livestock for Israelite livestock. The count of firstborn comes to 22,273.

T⁴⁰hen the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the Israelites a month old or more, and list their names. ⁴¹You are to take the Levites for Me— I am the LORD— in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.” ⁴²So Moses numbered all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD had commanded him. ⁴³The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

Because the firstborn exceed the Levites by 273, the LORD sets a redemption price of five shekels each. Moses collects the silver and gives it to Aaron and his sons, exactly as commanded.

⁴⁴Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁵“Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD. ⁴⁶To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, ⁴⁷you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs. ⁴⁸Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the excess among the Israelites.” ⁴⁹So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the number redeemed by the Levites. ⁵⁰He collected the money from the firstborn of the Israelites: 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.