The Meaning of Numbers 3:13 Explained

Numbers 3:13

KJV: Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

YLT: for Mine is every first-born, in the day of My smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I have sanctified to Myself every first-born in Israel, from man unto beast; Mine they are; I am Jehovah.'

Darby: for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and beast; mine shall they be: I am Jehovah.

ASV: for all the first-born are mine; on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast; mine they shall be: I am Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because all the firstborn  [are] mine; [for] on the day  that I smote  all the firstborn  in the land  of Egypt  I hallowed  unto me all the firstborn  in Israel,  both man  and beast:  mine shall they be: I [am] the LORD. 

What does Numbers 3:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 3:1-13 - 44-51, The Substitute For The First-Born
The Levites were taken, instead of the firstborn sons of Israel, to perform the service of the Tabernacle. There were nearly as many Levites as first-born, and the difference was made good by the payment of redemption money on the part of the overplus, Numbers 3:45-48. So each of us has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb to belong to God and to minister to Him! Aaron's family provided the priesthood, Leviticus 3:9-10. The rest of the tribe performed the more irksome duties of ministry and transport.
The Gershonites, as eldest, pitched westward of the Tabernacle, and cared for the hangings and curtains. The Kohathites, because related to Aaron, pitched southward, and had charge of the sacred vessels. The Merarites pitched northward, and had charge of the boards and sockets. It was enough for each to know that his place and charge were God-appointed. Even to carry a pin became honorable, when God had allotted that to a man as his share. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 3

1  The sons of Aaron
5  The Levites are given to the priests instead of the firstborn
14  Are numbered by their families
21  The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27  Of the Kohathites
33  Of the Merarites
38  The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40  The firstborn are freed by the Levites
44  The balances are refunded

What do the individual words in Numbers 3:13 mean?

Because [are] Mine all the firstborn On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified to Myself the firstborn in Israel from man to beast Mine they shall be I [am] Yahweh -
כִּ֣י לִי֮ כָּל־ בְּכוֹר֒ בְּיוֹם֩ הַכֹּתִ֨י כָל־ בְּכ֜וֹר בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי לִ֤י בְּכוֹר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאָדָ֖ם עַד־ בְּהֵמָ֑ה לִ֥י יִהְי֖וּ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה ס

כִּ֣י  Because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לִי֮  [are]  Mine 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בְּכוֹר֒  the  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
בְּיוֹם֩  On  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַכֹּתִ֨י  that  I  struck 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בְּכ֜וֹר  the  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֗יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי  I  sanctified 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
לִ֤י  to  Myself 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בְּכוֹר֙  the  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מֵאָדָ֖ם  from  man 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בְּהֵמָ֑ה  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
לִ֥י  Mine 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
יִהְי֖וּ  they  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יְהוָֽה  [am]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation