Ed Walsh
Puritan Board Senior
Note: I have learned that there will be little interest in the obscure questions I sometimes ask but here goes anyway. I hope someone will be able to help me out.
Numbers 4:1-4; verse 3 states, "from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting."
verse 4 "This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things."
But...
Numbers 8:23–25 (ESV)
23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting.
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more.
Here's a footnote from G. J. Wenham's commentary, chapter 8 footnote 75
Any ideas on how or if we can harmonize this apparent contradiction?
Thanks,
Ed
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Numbers 4:1-4; verse 3 states, "from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting."
verse 4 "This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things."
But...
Numbers 8:23–25 (ESV)
23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting.
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more.
Here's a footnote from G. J. Wenham's commentary, chapter 8 footnote 75
From 25 years old and upward (24). This regulation conflicts with the provision in chapter 4 that the Levites between the ages of 30 and 50 (see verses 3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47) are to be in the labour force. The LXX already tried to harmonize these figures by reducing the age limit to 25 in chapter 4. Jewish commentators suggest that Levites served an apprenticeship for the first five years. Critical commentators argue that 8:23–26 is from a different, probably later, source than chapter 4, a step towards the 20 years of 1 Chronicles 23:24; 2 Chronicles 31:17; Ezra 3:8.
Any ideas on how or if we can harmonize this apparent contradiction?
Thanks,
Ed