Numbers 18:10

In the most holy [place] shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.

In the most {H6944} holy {H6944} place shalt thou eat {H398} it; every male {H2145} shall eat {H398} it: it shall be holy {H6944} unto thee.

You are to eat it in an especially holy place; every male may eat it; it will be set apart for you.

You are to eat it as a most holy offering, and every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy.

As the most holy things shalt thou eat thereof; every male shall eat thereof: it shall be holy unto thee.

Commentary

Numbers 18:10 provides specific instructions regarding how the priests were to consume the most sacred portions of the offerings brought to the Tabernacle. It emphasizes the holiness of these provisions and the strict regulations surrounding their handling and consumption.

Context

This verse is part of God's detailed instructions to Aaron and his sons, the priestly family, concerning their duties and, crucially, their provisions for service in the Tabernacle. Following the rebellion of Korah and the confirmation of the Aaronic priesthood, God outlines how the priests and Levites are to be supported. This directive follows God's detailed instructions in Numbers 18:8-9 regarding the portions of the offerings that belonged to the priests as their inheritance from the Lord. These specific portions included parts of the grain offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings, which were considered "most holy" because they atoned for sin or were given in complete devotion to God.

Key Themes

  • Holiness and Sanctity: The phrase "most holy place" (Hebrew: qodesh qodashim) signifies the extreme sacredness of these offerings. They were not to be eaten just anywhere but in a designated area of the Tabernacle court, emphasizing the reverence due to God's provisions and the consecrated nature of priestly service.
  • Divine Provision: God meticulously details how His servants, the priests, are to be sustained. This highlights God's faithfulness in providing for those who dedicate themselves to His service, ensuring they lack nothing necessary for life and ministry.
  • Exclusivity and Purity: The instruction that "every male shall eat it" underscores the exclusive right and responsibility of the male priests to partake of these particular offerings. This was a matter of ritual purity and the unique role of the Aaronic priesthood in mediating between God and Israel. The requirement that only male priests eat these offerings in a sacred area highlights the strict separation and purity demanded of those who ministered before God.

Linguistic Insights

The term "most holy place" (Hebrew: qodesh qodashim) literally means "holy of holies." While it refers to the innermost sanctuary of the Tabernacle (and later, the Temple), in the context of eating offerings, it refers to a highly sacred area within the Tabernacle courtyard accessible only to priests, where these consecrated portions could be consumed. This emphasizes the supreme holiness of the offerings themselves. The phrase "it shall be holy unto thee" (Hebrew: qodesh l'ka) reinforces that these provisions were divinely consecrated and set apart specifically for the priests, making them distinct from common food.

Significance and Application

Numbers 18:10 reveals principles that transcend the Old Testament priestly system. It shows God's commitment to providing for those who serve Him faithfully, a principle echoed in the New Testament regarding support for those who minister the Gospel. Furthermore, it teaches us about the reverence due to sacred things. While believers today do not participate in the Levitical sacrificial system, the underlying message of holiness, purity, and treating God's provisions with respect remains relevant. As believers in Christ, we are called a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), and this verse reminds us of the sanctity involved in our worship and service to God, and the importance of approaching spiritual matters with purity and reverence.

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Cross-References

  • Leviticus 6:29

    All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it [is] most holy.

  • Leviticus 7:6

    Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it [is] most holy.

  • Leviticus 6:16

    And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

  • Leviticus 21:22

    He shall eat the bread of his God, [both] of the most holy, and of the holy.

  • Leviticus 10:17

    Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it [is] most holy, and [God] hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

  • Leviticus 14:13

    And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering [is] the priest's, [so is] the trespass offering: it [is] most holy:

  • Leviticus 6:26

    The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.
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