Numbers 8:16
For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
Cross-reference
Numbers 8:10 commands laying hands on the Levites; verse 16 explains they are given to God instead of firstborn.
Numbers 8:11 describes the wave offering of Levites; verse 16 gives the rationale—they replace the firstborn.
Numbers 3:12 states the same principle—Levites taken instead of firstborn—almost identical to this verse.
Numbers 3:45 repeats the command to take Levites in place of firstborn, reinforcing the substitution introduced here.
Numbers 3:13 gives the same reasoning: firstborn belong to God from the plague in Egypt, and Levites replace them.
Numbers 3:41 echoes the same substitution command, including livestock, reinforcing the exchange of Levites for firstborn.
Numbers 18:6 presents Levites as a gift to Aaron for service, shifting focus from substitution to their dedicated role.
Exodus 13:2 is the original command to consecrate every firstborn, which this verse references as the basis for taking Levites instead.
Luke 2:23 quotes the law of consecrating firstborn (Exodus 13:2), showing its ongoing relevance in Jesus' presentation.