Komentarz do Liczb 3:21

לגרשון משפחת הלבני OF GERSHON, THE FAMILY OF THE LIBNITES — that is to say: Of Gershon, those who were numbered were the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; and the section concludes with the statement (v. 22) “those who were numbered of them were so-and-so many”.

The family of Livni. There are texts that read “the first was to explain who his children were”. Rashi is answering the question: Why does the Torah write this twice, since above it is written “these are the names of Gershon’s sons…” (v. 18)? He answers that the first time was to explain who his children were, and the second was to say that for Gershon the family of Livni and the family of Shim’i numbered so many and so many. According to our text one may also explain, that the verse does not come to inform us who his families were, since we already knew this. Rather this verse comes to inform us that the count of the families of Livni and Shim’i were so many and so many — as if it had said “Of Gershon the family of Livni and the family of Shim’i which are the families of Gershon — their numbers were so many and so many.”

Their numbers were so many and so many. Rashi is answering the question: The term “Of Gershon, the family of Livni” implies that Gershon was from the family of Livni and this is not the case, because the family of Livni was from the family of Gershon. Therefore he explains “Meaning, of Gershon those who were counted…”