Numbers18

Numbers 18 delineates the distinct responsibilities and provisions for the priests (Aaron and his sons) and the Levites. The priests are charged with the sanctuary and altar, bearing its iniquity, while the Levites are appointed to assist in the tabernacle service, forbidden from touching holy vessels. The chapter details the various offerings and firstfruits designated as the priests' perpetual due. Furthermore, the Levites are granted all tithes in Israel as their inheritance for their service, in lieu of land, and are commanded to offer a tenth of these tithes to the priests.
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Duties and Responsibilities of Priests and Levites

1
And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers’ house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. ​
2
And thy brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou near with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall be before the tent of the testimony. ​
3
And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the Tent: only they shall not come nigh unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor ye.
4
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
5
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel. ​
6
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting. ​
7
And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and ye shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Provisions for the Priests (The Sacred Offerings)

8
And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, And I, behold, I have given thee the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, as a portion for ever. ​
9
This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, even every meal-offering of theirs, and every sin-offering of theirs, and every trespass-offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. ​
10
As the most holy things shalt thou eat thereof; every male shall eat thereof: it shall be holy unto thee.
11
And this is thine: the heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof. ​
12
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give unto Jehovah, to thee have I given them. ​
13
The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring unto Jehovah, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat thereof.
14
Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine.
15
Everything that openeth the womb, of all flesh which they offer unto Jehovah, both of man and beast shall be thine: nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. ​
16
And those that are to be redeemed of them from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).
17
But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Jehovah. ​
18
And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be thine.
19
All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto Jehovah, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before Jehovah unto thee and to thy seed with thee. ​

The Levites' Inheritance and Tithes Defined

20
And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any portion among them: I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. ​
21
And unto the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting. ​
22
And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die. ​
23
But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
24
For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave-offering unto Jehovah, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

The Tithe of the Levites (The Tithe of the Tithe)

25
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
26
Moreover thou shalt speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave-offering of it for Jehovah, a tithe of the tithe. ​
27
And your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the grain of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the winepress. ​
28
Thus ye also shall offer a heave-offering unto Jehovah of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and thereof ye shall give Jehovah’s heave-offering to Aaron the priest.
29
Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave-offering of Jehovah, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. ​
30
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye heave the best thereof from it, then it shall be reckoned unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the winepress.
31
And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.
32
And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best thereof: and ye shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that ye die not. ​

Study Notes for Numbers 18

Verse 1

This verse establishes the fundamental distinction between the High Priestly family (Aaron and sons) and the general tribe of Levi. They bear the 'iniquity of the sanctuary,' meaning they are responsible for maintaining its ritual purity and suffer the consequences of failure.

Verse 2

The Levites are given to the priests (Aaron and sons) as assistants ('joined unto thee,' cf. *lavah*, the root of Levi), but only the priests may approach the sacred objects (vessels and altar).

Verse 5

The warning here links the proper execution of priestly duties directly to preventing further divine wrath (like the plague in Num 17:11-14). Maintaining strict ritual boundaries is crucial for the safety of the whole congregation.

Verse 6

The Levites are described as a 'gift' (*nethunim*) given by God to the priests for service. This emphasizes their status as dedicated religious personnel, replacing the firstborn of Israel (Num 3:12).

Verse 8

This section details the economic support system for the priests, ensuring their livelihood now that they are wholly dedicated to sanctuary service. The 'heave offerings' (gifts separated and lifted up) constitute their income.

Verse 9

'Most holy things' are offerings where only the male priests could eat the remainder, and only in a consecrated place (v. 10). These include parts of the sin, trespass, and meat offerings not consumed by fire.

Verse 11

Unlike the 'most holy things' (v. 9), these 'wave offerings' are less restricted; they can be eaten by the entire priestly household, including daughters, provided they are ritually clean.

Verse 12

This refers to the best (*cheleb*) of the produce, signifying the firstfruits. Giving the highest quality of oil, wine, and grain demonstrates that God deserves the first and richest portion of Israel's harvest.

Verse 15

The firstborn of both humans and unclean animals must be redeemed (bought back) because they belong to God (Exod 13:2). The payment for redemption (v. 16) then becomes the priest's possession.

Verse 17

Clean firstborn animals (cattle, sheep, goats) are not redeemed but sacrificed, with their blood and fat dedicated to the Lord. The meat of these sacrifices is then allotted to the priests (v. 18).

Verse 19

A 'covenant of salt' signifies an everlasting, binding, and incorruptible agreement. Salt was used as a preservative and symbolized permanence, emphasizing the enduring nature of the priestly provisions.

Verse 20

This verse establishes the unique economic relationship between the priests/Levites and God: they receive no territorial inheritance in Canaan, as Yahweh Himself is their 'portion' and source of provision.

Verse 21

The tithe (ten percent) of all the produce of Israel is designated as the inheritance and livelihood for the Levites, who perform the general service of the Tabernacle.

Verse 22

This reiteration of the boundary established after the Korah rebellion warns lay Israelites not to approach the sacred area, reinforcing the necessity of the Levite/Priest mediation system.

Verse 26

This passage introduces the 'tithe of the tithe.' The Levites, though recipients of Israel's tithe, must also acknowledge God's ultimate ownership by presenting a portion of their income to the priests (Aaron's family).

Verse 27

This offering is accepted by God as if it were the Levites' own agricultural produce, equating their income from service with the produce of the farming tribes.

Verse 29

The requirement to offer 'the best thereof' ensures that the Levites prioritize quality and honor in their offering to the priests, mirroring the expectation placed on the lay Israelites.

Verse 32

This final verse provides assurance that if the Levites fulfill the requirements—especially offering the best of the tithe—they will not incur guilt by consuming the holy offerings, thereby protecting them from violating sacred boundaries.

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