레위 지파에 관한 이야기 민수기 3장

 민수기 2장 군대 배치에 이어 3장은 종교 담당을 맡은 레위 지파 혹은 레위 사람들에 대한 책임과 의무 등에 관하여 얘기하고 있습니다.

 

 

 

레위 사람에 관하여

 

 

레위 사람은 하나님의 성막을 보호하고 관리 및 제사를 주관하는 특별한 직책을 맡았는데요. 레위 사람은 이스라엘의 열두 지파 가운데 특정한 지파였습니다. 이들은 야곱의 아들 중 한 명인 레위의 자손들이었고 이들은 하나님께 특별한 봉사를 하기 위해 분리되었습니다. 이들의 주요 임무는 제사장을 지내고, 성막이나 성전을 돌보고 의식과 제물을 행하고 모세의 율법을 가르치는 등 요즘 식으로 목회자 집안이라고 해도 될 것 같습니다.

 

 

 아론의 네 아들

 

 

 

These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.

 

 

 

아론에게는 장남 나답과 차남 아비후가 있으며 아래로 엘르아살과 이타마르가 있었습니다. 그런데 그의 두 아들 나답과 아비후는 하나님께 제를 올리다가 불량 기름을 썼다는 이유로 즉사합니다. 어떻게 죽였는지도 모르게 아주 순식간에 보내버렸는데요. 당연히 아론은 절망했지만 큰 반항은 하지 않은 것 같습니다. 그리고 그의 남은 두 아들이 앞서 보낸 형들의 사례를 경각심을 갖고 뒤를 이어 임무를 맡아서 하였습니다. 

 

 

 레위 지파를 데려와라

 

 

 

 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death."

 

하나님이 모세를 통해 레위 지파를 데려오라고 명하십니다. 그리고서는 아론을 제사장으로 임명하고 

 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord."

 

 

 

레위 지파를 통해 목회를 보게 명령합니다. 그러면서 첫아들에게 목회를 보게 한 것인지, 하나님에 귀속된 자라고 하는 것 같습니다. 

 

 

 레위 가문 인구 조사

 

 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, "List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upwards you shall list." So Moses listed them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, lzhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers' houses.

 

To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upwards was 7,500. The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers' house of the Gershonites. And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is round the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords- all the service connected with these.

 

 

 

레위의 장남 게르손의 인구 조사 및 차남 고핫의 인구 조사에 관한 이야기 나열입니다.

 

To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. According to the number of all the males from a month old and upwards, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers' house of the clans of the Kohathites. And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.

 

 레위 아들 므라리

 

 

 

To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these are the clans of Merari. Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upwards was 6,200. And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; also the pillars round the court, with their bases and pegs and cords.

 

므라리도 레위의 아들 중 한명이며 역시 인구 조사와 직책을 나열합니다. 히브리어로 므라리는 슬프다, 쓰다, 강하다는 뜻이라고 합니다. 

 

 

Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting towards the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came before was to be put to death. All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the Lord, by clans, all the males from a month old and upwards, were 22,000.

 

And the Lord said to Moses, "List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upwards, taking the number of their names. And you shall take the Levities for me - I am the Lord- instead of all the Israel." So Moses listed all the firstborn manded him. And all the firstborn males, month old and upwards as listed were 22,273.

 

 

 레위 사람들은 나의 것이다

 

 

 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the Levities instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levities instead of their cattle. The Levities shall be mine: I am the Lord. And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn number of the male Levites, you shall take according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over." So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above redeemed by the Levities. From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1, 365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

 

하나님은 레위 사람은 내 것이라고 아예 공표를 하십니다. 종교적 의무를 다하는 대신 세속적 의무는 면제를 해주는데요. 왜 여호와 증인은 자기들이 레위 지파도 아닌데 군대를 안 가려고 하는지 이해가 안 가네요. 아무튼, 레위 지파는 하나님께 봉사하는 대신 병역과 토지 상속 같은 세속적 의무로부터는 면제를 받았습니다. 종교인 면세가 이때부터 시작했나 봅니다.