So Moses numbered all the first-born among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him: Moses obeyed the LORD’s instructions given in the preceding verses. He registered all the firstborn males of Israel, except for the Levites. Numbered renders the Hebrew verb paqad, which is better translated “enrolled” (New Revised Standard Version) or “recorded” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; see 1.3). Instead of as the LORD commanded him, Good News Translation has simply “Moses obeyed.” Good News Translation leaves the LORD implied, which may detract from this repeated emphasis of the original text.

And all the first-born males refers to all the firstborn male Israelites whom Moses registered. According to the number of names refers to the number of their names registered (see verse 40).

For from a month old and upward, see verse 15.

As numbered were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three: The total number of registered firstborn Israelites was 22,273. Numbered renders the same Hebrew verb as in the previous verse.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .