Numbers 3:48

48 And thou shalt give the money to Aaron and to his sons, the ransom of those who exceed in number among them.

Numbers 3:48 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 3:48

And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of
them is to be redeemed
Or the superfluous number, the number of them that exceeded the Levites, namely, two hundred seventy three; the price of their redemption is ordered to be given

unto Aaron, and to his sons;
since the Levites were taken in lieu of the firstborn, whose redemption money belonged to the priests; and seeing the Levites were given to Aaron and his sons on that consideration, and there being a deficiency of them to answer to the firstborn, it was but right and just that the redemption price of the superfluous number should be paid to them.

Numbers 3:48 In-Context

46 And for the ransoms of the two hundred and seventy-three which exceed the Levites in number of the first-born of the sons of Israel;

47 thou shalt even take five shekels a head; thou shalt take them according to the holy didrachm, twenty oboli to the shekel.

48 And thou shalt give the money to Aaron and to his sons, the ransom of those who exceed in number among them.

49 And Moses took the silver, the ransom of those that exceeded in number the redemption of the Levites.

50 He took the silver from the first-born of the sons of Israel, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the holy shekel.