7 Therefore thou and thy sons H1121 with thee shall keep H8104 your priest's office H3550 for every thing H1697 of the altar, H4196 and within H1004 the vail; H6532 and ye shall serve: H5647 I have given H5414 your priest's office H3550 unto you as a service H5656 of gift: H4979 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191
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 thou shalt gird H2296 them with girdles, H73 Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 and put H2280 the bonnets H4021 on them: and the priest's office H3550 shall be theirs for a perpetual H5769 statute: H2708 and thou shalt consecrate H4390 H3027 Aaron H175 and his sons. H1121
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Speak H1696 unto Aaron H175 thy brother, H251 that he come H935 not at all times H6256 into the holy H6944 place within H1004 the vail H6532 before H6440 the mercy seat, H3727 which is upon the ark; H727 that he die H4191 not: for I will appear H7200 in the cloud H6051 upon the mercy H3727 seat.
And he shall take H3947 a censer H4289 full H4393 of burning H784 coals H1513 of fire H784 from off the altar H4196 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and his hands H2651 full H4393 of sweet H5561 incense H7004 beaten small, H1851 and bring H935 it within H1004 the vail: H6532 And he shall put H5414 the incense H7004 upon the fire H784 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 that the cloud H6051 of the incense H7004 may cover H3680 the mercy seat H3727 that is upon the testimony, H5715 that he die H4191 not: And he shall take H3947 of the blood H1818 of the bullock, H6499 and sprinkle H5137 it with his finger H676 upon the mercy seat H3727 eastward; H6924 and before H6440 the mercy seat H3727 shall he sprinkle H5137 of the blood H1818 with his finger H676 seven H7651 times. H6471
And when the tabernacle H4908 setteth forward, H5265 the Levites H3881 shall take it down: H3381 and when the tabernacle H4908 is to be pitched, H2583 the Levites H3881 shall set it up: H6965 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191
But those that encamp H2583 before H6440 the tabernacle H4908 toward the east, H6924 even before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 eastward, H4217 shall be Moses, H4872 and Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 keeping H8104 the charge H4931 of the sanctuary H4720 for the charge H4931 of the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 and the stranger H2114 that cometh nigh H7131 shall be put to death. H4191
And he spake H1696 unto Korah H7141 and unto all his company, H5712 saying, H559 Even to morrow H1242 the LORD H3068 will shew H3045 who are his, and who is holy; H6918 and will cause him to come near H7126 unto him: even him whom he hath chosen H977 will he cause to come near H7126 unto him. This do; H6213 Take H3947 you censers, H4289 Korah, H7141 and all his company; H5712 And put H5414 fire H784 therein, H2004 and put H7760 incense H7004 in them before H6440 the LORD H3068 to morrow: H4279 and it shall be that the man H376 whom the LORD H3068 doth choose, H977 he shall be holy: H6918 ye take too much H7227 upon you, ye sons H1121 of Levi. H3878
To be a memorial H2146 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that H834 H4616 no stranger, H376 H2114 which is not of the seed H2233 of Aaron, H175 come near H7126 to offer H6999 incense H7004 before H6440 the LORD; H3068 that he be not as Korah, H7141 and as his company: H5712 as the LORD H3068 said H1696 to him by the hand H3027 of Moses. H4872
And they shall be joined H3867 unto thee, and keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 for all the service H5656 of the tabernacle: H168 and a stranger H2114 shall not come nigh H7126 unto you. And ye shall keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the sanctuary, H6944 and the charge H4931 of the altar: H4196 that there be no wrath H7110 any more upon the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto Aaron, H175 Thou shalt have no inheritance H5157 in their land, H776 neither shalt thou have any part H2506 among H8432 them: I am thy part H2506 and thine inheritance H5159 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And did I choose H977 him out of all the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 to be my priest, H3548 to offer H5927 upon mine altar, H4196 to burn H6999 incense, H7004 to wear H5375 an ephod H646 before H6440 me? and did I give H5414 unto the house H1004 of thy father H1 all the offerings made by fire H801 of the children H1121 of Israel? H3478
Nevertheless, G1161 brethren, G80 I have written G1125 the more boldly G5112 unto you G5213 in G575 some sort, G3313 as G5613 putting G1878 you G5209 in mind, G1878 because G1223 of the grace G5485 that is given G1325 to me G3427 of G5259 God, G2316 That I G3165 should be G1519 G1511 the minister G3011 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 to G1519 the Gentiles, G1484 ministering G2418 the gospel G2098 of God, G2316 that G2443 the offering up G4376 of the Gentiles G1484 might be G1096 acceptable, G2144 being sanctified G37 by G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151
And G1161 after G3326 the second G1208 veil, G2665 the tabernacle G4633 which G3588 is called G3004 the Holiest of all; G39 G39 Which had G2192 the golden G5552 censer, G2369 and G2532 the ark G2787 of the covenant G1242 overlaid G4028 round about G3840 with gold, G5553 wherein G1722 G3739 was the golden G5552 pot G4713 that had G2192 manna, G3131 and G2532 Aaron's G2 rod G4464 that budded, G985 and G2532 the tables G4109 of the covenant; G1242 And G1161 over G5231 it G846 the cherubims G5502 of glory G1391 shadowing G2683 the mercyseat; G2435 of G4012 which G3739 we cannot G3756 G2076 now G3568 speak G3004 particularly. G2596 G3313 Now G1161 when these things G5130 were G2680 thus G3779 ordained, G2680 the priests G2409 went G1524 always G1275 into G1519 G3303 the first G4413 tabernacle, G4633 accomplishing G2005 the service G2999 of God.
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.