Discovery BoxNumbers 3:12 
Context3:12 “Look, 1 I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of 2 every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,
Numbers 3:40-41
Context3:40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites from a month old and upward, and take 3 the number of their names. 3:41 And take 4 the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”
1 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here carries its deictic force, calling attention to the fact that is being declared. It is underscoring the fact that the
2 tn Literally “in the place of.”
3 tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “take”) has here the sense of collect, take a census, or register the names.
4 tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it carries forward the instructions from the preceding verse. The verb “take” now has the sense of appointing or designating the Levites.
