2 And thy brethren H251 also of the tribe H4294 of Levi, H3878 the tribe H7626 of thy father, H1 bring H7126 thou with thee, that they may be joined H3867 unto thee, and minister H8334 unto thee: but thou and thy sons H1121 with thee shall minister before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of witness. H5715
Bring H7126 the tribe H4294 of Levi H3878 near, H7126 and present H5975 them before H6440 Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 that they may minister H8334 unto him. And they shall keep H8104 his charge, H4931 and the charge H4931 of the whole congregation H5712 before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle. H4908 And they shall keep H8104 all the instruments H3627 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and the charge H4931 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle. H4908 And thou shalt give H5414 the Levites H3881 unto Aaron H175 and to his sons: H1121 they are wholly given H5414 unto him out of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And thou shalt appoint H6485 Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 and they shall wait on H8104 their priest's office: H3550 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 And I, behold, I have taken H3947 the Levites H3881 from among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 instead of all the firstborn H1060 that openeth H6363 the matrix H7358 among the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 therefore the Levites H3881 shall be mine; Because all the firstborn H1060 are mine; for on the day H3117 that I smote H5221 all the firstborn H1060 in the land H776 of Egypt H4714 I hallowed H6942 unto me all the firstborn H1060 in Israel, H3478 both man H120 and beast: H929 mine shall they be: I am the LORD. H3068
And Zadok H6659 the priest, H3548 and his brethren H251 the priests, H3548 before H6440 the tabernacle H4908 of the LORD H3068 in the high place H1116 that was at Gibeon, H1391 To offer H5927 burnt offerings H5930 unto the LORD H3068 upon the altar H4196 of the burnt offering H5930 continually H8548 morning H1242 and evening, H6153 and to do according to all that is written H3789 in the law H8451 of the LORD, H3068 which he commanded H6680 Israel; H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 18
Commentary on Numbers 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 18
Nu 18:1-7. The Charge of the Priests and Levites.
1. the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary—Security is here given to the people from the fears expressed (Nu 17:12), by the responsibility of attending to all sacred things being devolved upon the priesthood, together with the penalties incurred through neglect; and thus the solemn responsibilities annexed to their high dignity, of having to answer not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of the people, were calculated in a great measure to remove all feeling of envy at the elevation of Aaron's family, when the honor was weighed in the balance with its burdens and dangers.
2-7. thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi—The departments of the sacred office, to be filled respectively by the priests and Levites, are here assigned to each. To the priests was committed the charge of the sanctuary and the altar, while the Levites were to take care of everything else about the tabernacle. The Levites were to attend the priests as servants—bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle—while the high and dignified office of the priesthood was a "service of gift." "A stranger," that is, one, neither a priest nor a Levite, who should intrude into any departments of the sacred office, should incur the penalty of death.
Nu 18:8-20. The Priests' Portion.
8-13. the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of my heave offerings—A recapitulation is made in this passage of certain perquisites specially appropriated to the maintenance of the priests. They were parts of the votive and freewill offerings, including both meat and bread, wine and oil, and the first-fruits, which formed a large and valuable item.
14. Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine—provided it was adapted for food or consumable by use; for the gold and silver vessels that were dedicated as the spoils of victory were not given to the priests, but for the use and adornment of the sacred edifice.
19. it is a covenant of salt—that is, a perpetual ordinance. This figurative form of expression was evidently founded on the conservative property of salt, which keeps meat from corruption; and hence it became an emblem of inviolability and permanence. It is a common phrase among Oriental people, who consider the eating of salt a pledge of fidelity, binding them in a covenant of friendship. Hence the partaking of the altar meats, which were appropriated to the priests on condition of their services and of which salt formed a necessary accompaniment, was naturally called "a covenant of salt" (Le 2:13).
Nu 18:21-32. The Levites' Portion.
21, 22. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve—Neither the priests nor the Levites were to possess any allotments of land but to depend entirely upon Him who liberally provided for them out of His own portion; and this law was subservient to many important purposes—such as that, being exempted from the cares and labors of worldly business, they might be exclusively devoted to His service; that a bond of mutual love and attachment might be formed between the people and the Levites, who, as performing religious services for the people, derived their subsistence from them; and further, that being the more easily dispersed among the different tribes, they might be more useful in instructing and directing the people.
23. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: they shall bear their iniquity—They were to be responsible for the right discharge of those duties that were assigned to them, and consequently to bear the penalty that was due to negligence or carelessness in the guardianship of the holy things.
26. the Levites … offer … a tenth of the tithe—Out of their own they were to pay tithes to the priests equally as the people gave to them. The best of their tithes was to be assigned to the priests, and afterwards they enjoyed the same liberty to make use of the remainder that other Israelites had of the produce of their threshing-floors and wine-presses.
32. ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, &c.—Neglect in having the best entailed sin in the use of such unhallowed food. And the holy things would be polluted by the reservation to themselves of what should be offered to God and the priests.