- the two hundred:
- As the number of the Levites was 22,000, and the first-born males of the Israelites were 22,273, there were therefore 372 more of the latter than of the former, which are here ordered to be redeemed. The price of redemption is fixed at five shekels, or about 15s. each, in "Thou shalt even takeª° five² shekels² apieceª¹ by the poll,ª after the shekelª of the sanctuaryª shalt thou takeª° [them]: (the shekelª [is] twentyª gerahs:)ª" {Num 3:47}. This money, amounting to 1,365 shekels, equal to £204, 15s English, was taken of the first-born. There is some difficulty, however, in determining which of the first-born should be redeemed by paying this sum, and which should be exchanged for the Levites; for every Israelite, no doubt, would rather have his first-born redeemed by a Levite, than pay five shekels; and yet some of them must have incurred this expense. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi says, to prevent contention, Moses took 22,000 slips of parchment, and wrote on each a son of Levi, and 273 more, on which he wrote five shekels; then putting them in an urn, and shaking them together, he ordered every one of the first-born to draw out a slip. If he drew out one with the first inscription, he said to him, a Levite hath redeemed thee, but if he drew out one of the latter, he said, pay the price. This is pronounced by Dr. A. Clarke to be a stupid, silly tale; but when we know that the determination by lot was used among the Israelites, it does not seem improbable that it was now resorted to, though we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the detail. This species of redeeming men is referred to by St. Peter in his 1st Epistle "Forasmuch as ye knowª° thatª ye were²° notª redeemedª° with corruptible things,ª [as] silverª andª gold,ª fromª yourª vainª conversationª [received] by tradition from your fathers;ª ... Butª with the preciousª bloodª of Christ,ª asª of a lambª without blemishª andª without spot:ª" {1Pe 1:18-19}.
|
