Redemption of the Firstborn

(Book of Numbers 3:40 -3:51)

Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Now make a census of all the firstborn sons of Israel a month old or more and make a list of their names.  Let the Levites be substitutes for all the firstborn sons of Israel and let the Levites' livestock be substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the entire nation of Israel.  Thus says Jehovah."

And so Moses conducted a census of all the firstborn sons of Israel, as Jehovah had commanded him.  Counting the names of the firstborn sons a month or older, the total came to 22,273.

Jehovah then instructed Moses, "The Levites will be substitutes for the firstborn of Israel and their livestock substitutes for the livestock of Israel.  The Levites belong to me.  Thus says Jehovah.  However, to redeem the additional 273 firstborn of Israel, those exceeding the 22,000 Levites, collect from each of them 5 pieces of silver, each equal to a shekel (that is, a shekel determined by the priest's weights, which is equal to 20 gerahs).  Give this silver to Aaron as the price for the redemption of the extra firstborn sons."

Moses thus collected the silver for the redemption of the firstborn sons of Israel above the number redeemed by the Levites.  The amount of silver collected was 1,365 pieces, with each piece being equal to a shekel by the priest's weights.   On behalf of those firstborn sons of Israel, Moses presented this silver to Aaron and his sons, as Jehovah had commanded.

Notes
1.  Jehovah claims the entire tribe of Levi as his property, his slaves, forced to dedicate their lives to his worship.  The justification for this is curious.  Jehovah murders all the firstborn Egyptians in order to compel the Pharaoh of Egypt to free the Israelites from their bondage.  Then, as payment for his "good" deed,  he demands that the Israelites give to him all their firstborn, livestock and human.  Instead of requiring the firstborn males to be human sacrifices on his altar, he allows the debt to be satisfied by his being given one of the tribes of Israel.  The numbers of Levites and the number of firstborn among the entire people of Israel are roughly equal.  But Jehovah will not be cheated or shorted.  The  273 firstborns that the Levites do not cover must be paid for, literally. 

2. To Jehovah the life of a human being is worth 5 shekels, two ounces of silver, at present market values, about $32.  However, in Leviticus a man is worth ten times as much as a votive offering.

3.  The silver that Jehovah demands in payment for the firstborn is given to Aaron and his sons.  Yet another money-making racket for the priests!  (The 1,365 pieces of silver would amount to about  $8700 in current money, although, of course, it is difficult to know its real buying power in ancient Hebrew society.)

4.  The male population of Israel of an age to bear arms is reported to be over 600,000.  The entire number of firstborn males is more than 22,000.  Hasn’t anyone noticed that these numbers are rather askew?  They only make sense if every couple had 30 or 40 children.

5.  It is not explicit what happens to the livestock belonging to the Levites and, therefore, belonging to Jehovah.  Are they all destined for the Sacrificial Altar?