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.
PeopleLoading…
PlacesLoading…
TimeframeLoading…
Listen to this chapter
0:000:00
Duties and Responsibilities of Priests and Levites
The LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the testimony.
They shall keep your commands, and the duty of all the Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they, nor you.
They shall be joined to you, and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you.
Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.
You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
The LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.
This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.
“This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
“I have given to you 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 to the LORD.
Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to the LORD, both of man and animal shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals.
You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.
“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.
All the wave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD to you and to your seed with you.”
The LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
“To 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.
But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance.
For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’”
“Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for the LORD, a tithe of the tithe.
Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to the LORD of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give the LORD’s wave offering to Aaron the priest.
“Therefore you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press.
You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.’”
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.
Use ←→ arrow keys to navigate
Settings
Reading Style
Typeface
Font Size px
The Calling of Disciples
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Options
Choose a Book
Study Note
Bible Version
Recent History
Get the App
Add TrulyRandomVerse to your home screen for instant access
TRV