What is the significance of the number 2,750 in Numbers 4:36? Canonical Setting and Immediate Context Numbers 4 records a second, task-specific census of the Levites. After the tribe had already been numbered “from a month old and upward” (Numbers 3), Yahweh now directs Moses and Aaron to number only the able-bodied men “from thirty to fifty years old” who will shoulder the physical work of the Tabernacle (Numbers 4:3). Verse 36 summarizes the tally for the clan of Kohath: “and their numbered ones by their families were 2,750.” This figure therefore represents every Kohathite male in his physical prime, qualified to carry the Ark, the Table of the Presence, the Menorah, and the altars once Aaron’s priestly family had covered them (Numbers 4:4–15). Demographic and Logistic Implications 1. Total Kohathite males one month old and upward: 8,600 (Numbers 3:28). 2. Qualified workforce at thirty–fifty: 2,750. 3. Percentage of clan fit for Tabernacle duty: ≈ 32 %. The ratio is consistent with modern actuarial tables for a pre-industrial population: roughly one-third of males will lie between thirty and fifty, once infant mortality and elder attrition are factored in. The number is therefore demographically credible, not artificially rounded. With 2,750 men: • The Ark (≈ 180 lbs. bare, plus gold plating) could be carried by only four priests at a time, but the load was rotated frequently. Ample manpower ensured no individual served continuously, preventing accidental exposure to the holy objects (Numbers 4:15,20). • The Table, Lampstand, and altars together weigh an estimated metric ton. Factoring terrain and forty-two wilderness stops (Numbers 33), a pool of 2,750 provided redundancy for illness, ritual impurity, and guard shifts. Ratio and Comparative Census Data Gershon (Numbers 4:40): 2,630 Merari (Numbers 4:44): 3,200 Kohath (Numbers 4:36): 2,750 Kohathites stand between their Levitical brethren—fewer than Merarites (who hauled massive frame boards and bases) yet more than Gershonites (who managed lighter curtains and coverings). The distribution aligns perfectly with the varying physical demands of each assignment (Numbers 4:24–33). Theological Symbolism of the Figure 2750 = 50 × 55. Fifty evokes the Jubilee, liberty, and restored inheritance (Leviticus 25:10), while fifty also defines the upper age limit of Levitical service—fitting for a group charged with transporting the symbols of redemption. Fifty-five (5 × 11) joins the biblical emblem of grace (five) with the reminder of disorder or transition (eleven), hinting that God’s grace carries His people through the wilderness of disorder. Scripture never bases doctrine on numerology alone, yet patterns like this reinforce the providential fingerprints that run through the text. Illustrations of Scriptural Cohesion • In Deuteronomy 10:8 Moses recalls that “at that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark.” Numbers 4 supplies the census that makes that commission plausible. • First Chronicles 23:3 later cites a census “from thirty years old and upward,” echoing the Mosaic precedent and implying continuity across half a millennium of Israelite history—another internal check on accuracy. Practical Applications for Today The 2,750 Kohathites remind believers that God values both exact obedience and meticulous stewardship. Every name counted, every task assigned, every burden balanced—nothing in kingdom service is incidental. As Paul exhorts, “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The same Lord who tallied 2,750 Levites now numbers the very hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). Summary The figure 2,750 in Numbers 4:36 is far more than an ancient statistic. It demonstrates textual reliability, demographic sense, logistical sufficiency, theological resonance, and indefatigable divine order—all converging to highlight the holiness of God and the privilege of serving Him. |
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