Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lee R. Martin" <lmartin AT vol.com>]

Dear Peter,
I am not really a discourse type, but I will attempt to outline the passage 
for you.
I hope you can understand my outline, but any questions are welcomed.
Lee R. Martin

Numbers 3:1-39
These are the descendants …                              verbless clause, 
heading
 when God spoke to Moses                                 provides setting, 
past time

2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron:          verbless clause
Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar;

3 these are the names of the sons of Aaron,            verbless clause
    the anointed priests,                                            
attributive
adjective
        whom he had ordained to minister….              qatal, past perfect 
tense

4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD … imbedded narrative, past tense

5 And the LORD said to Moses,                            wayyiqtol, 
narrative, setting
is v.1
    6 "Bring the tribe of Levi near,                             imv
         and you shall set them before Aaron                weqatal, 
continues imv
         and they shall minister to him.                         weqatal, 
future
        7 They shall perform duties for him                  weqatal, future
        8 they shall have charge …                             weqatal, future
        9 And you shall give the Levites …                 weqatal, future
           to Aaron … they are wholly given                 ptc. as predicate
nominative
        10 But Aaron and his sons you shall appoint      vav-X-Yiqtol, future
            and they shall be priests                               weqatal, 
future
                 but if any one else comes near                vav-X-Yiqtol, 
future
                    he shall be put to death.                        yiqtol, 
future

11 And the LORD said to Moses,                             wayyiqtol, 
subsequent
speech
     12 "Behold, I have taken the Levites                     qatal, past 
tense
                … The Levites shall be mine,                     weqatal, 
future
                    13 for all the first-born were mine;           verbless 
clause,
parenthetical
                    on the day that I slew …                        
infinitive,
setting
                    I consecrated for me all the first-born      qatal, past 
tense
                    they shall be mine                                   
yiqtol,
future

14 And the LORD said to Moses                               wayyiqtol, 
subsequent
speech
       in the wilderness of Sinai,                                     new 
setting,
not same as v.1
     15 "Number the sons of Levi,                                 imv
      every male … you shall number                            yiqtol, future
16 So Moses numbered them                                     wayyiqtol, 
narrative
        as he was commanded.                                      qatal, past 
tense

17 And these were the sons of Levi                            wayyiqtol, 
subsequent
narrative
      Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

    18 And these are the names                                   verbless 
clause
    of the sons of Gershon
    19 And the sons of Kohath
    20 And the sons of Merari
    These are the families of the Levites.                       verbless 
clause

       21 Of Gershon were the family of …                   verbless clause
           these were the families of the Gershonites.        verbless clause
           22 Their number … was 7500                         verbless clause
           23 … will encamp behind the tabernacle     yiqtol, future
           24 with Eliasaph, …as head
           25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon
               …was the tabernacle                                    verbless

       27 Of Kohath were the family of…                       verbless
            these are the families of the Kohathites.            verbless
            28 there were eight thousand six hundred         verbless
            29 … will encamp on the south side                 yiqtol, future
            30 with Elizaphan … as head
            31 And their charge was  the ark                     verbless
            32 And Eleazar … was  chief                          verbless

       33 Of Merari were the family of …                        verbless
            these are the families of Merari.                        verbless
            34 Their number … was 6200                          verbless
            35 And the head … was Zuriel                          verbless
            they will encamp on the north side                     yiqtol, 
future
            36 the charge … was the frames                       verbless

       38 And those encamping before the tabernacle        ptc., past 
continuous
       are Moses and Aaron and his sons                          verbless 
clause
            having charge of the rites within the sanctuary,     ptc., past 
continuous

            the approaching stranger will be put to death.      yiqtol, future

39 All who were numbered of the Levites,                      ptc.
         whom Moses and Aaron numbered                       qatal, past tense
         were twenty-two thousand.                                    
verbless clause