Wesley Corpus

Given to him - To attend upon him and observe his orders, and ease him of his burden. The stranger - That is, every one who is of another family than Aaron's; yea, though he be a Levite. That cometh nigh - To execute any part of the priest's office. The first - born - Who were God's property, Exo 13:12, and to whom the administration of holy things was formerly committed, which now was taken away from them, either because they had forfeited this privilege by joining with the rest of their brethren in the idolatrous worship of the calf, or because they were to be mainly concerned in the distribution and management of the inheritances which now they were going to possess, and therefore could not be at leisure to attend upon the service of the sanctuary: and God would not commit it to some other persons in each tribe, which might be an occasion of idolatry, confusion, division, and contempt of sacred things, but to one distinct tribe, which might be entirely devoted to that service, and particularly to the tribe of Levi; partly out of his respect to Moses and Aaron, branches of this tribe; partly as a recompence of their zeal for God against idolaters, and partly because it was the smallest of the tribes, and therefore most likely to find both employment in, and maintenance for the work. From a month old - Because at that time the first - born, in whose stead the Levites came, were offered to God. And from that time the Levites were consecrated to God, and were, as soon as capable, instructed in their work. Elsewhere they are numbered from twenty - five years old, when they were entered as novices into part of their work, Num 8:24, and from thirty years old, when they were admitted to their whole office. The tabernacle - Not the boards, which belonged to Merari, Nu 3:36, but the ten curtains. The tent - The curtains of goats hair. The coverings - That is, the coverings of rams - skins and badgers - skins. The cords - By which the tabernacle was fastened to the pins, and stretched out, Exo 35:18.