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[RyanS]

Hello:

My question concerns the final tally of 22.000 in Numbers 3:39. In verse 15 of the same chapter, the Lᴏʀᴅ commands Moses to, "list the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward" (ESV). So, in following the Lᴏʀᴅ, he does. For my own sake, let me demonstrate what the passage says:

-Levi has 3 sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (v. 17)
-Gershon has 2 sons, which correspond to 2 clans: Libni and Shimei (v. 18, 21)
-Kohath has 4 sons, which correspond to 4 clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel (v. 19, 27)
-Merari has 2 sons, which correspond to 2 clans: Mahli and Mushi (v. 20, 33)
-The Gershonites had 7.500 month-old or older males (v. 22)
-The Kohathites had 8.600 month-old or older males (v. 28)
-Those of the clans of Merari had 6.200 month-old or older males (v. 34)
-"All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the Lord, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22.000." (v. 39)

That number in verse 39 is surprising, for if one adds 7.500, 8.600, and 6.200, the result is 22.300, not the 22.000 that verse 39 says. How do we account for the 300 that should be listed, but are not?

Thank you very much.

[jimwalton]

Yeah, probably a copyist error. The total is correct. If you add up the numbers assigned to the 3 families (7500 + 8600 + 6200), the sum is 22,300, not 22,000, as you noticed.

As far as the "300 that aren't listed," they show up in v. 46 (273, which of course rounds up and approximates to 300), as it says in verse 43.

So the numbers are consistent. We have to assume a copyist error at the end of v. 39. Everything else gels except that one number.