American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Numbers 18
1
And the LORD said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Reference
2
And your brothers also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring you with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you: but you and your sons with you shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 29:34
3
And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor you also, die.
Reference
4
And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come near to you.
5
And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more on the children of Israel.
Reference
6
And I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Reference
7
Therefore you and your sons with you shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil; and you shall serve: I have given your priest's office to you as a service of gift: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.
Reference
8
And the LORD spoke to Aaron, Behold, I also have given you the charge of my heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; to you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, by an ordinance for ever.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 6:16
Exodus 29:29
Exodus 40:15
Exodus 40:13
Leviticus 7:6
Sacrifice
Leviticus 6:18
9
This shall be your of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat 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.
Reference
10
In the most holy place shall you eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy to you.
Reference
11
And this is yours; the heave offering of their gift, with 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, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in your house shall eat of it.
Reference
12
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first fruits of them which they shall offer to the LORD, them have I given you.
Reference
13
And whatever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring to the LORD, shall be yours; every one that is clean in your house shall eat of it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 22:29
14
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be yours.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 27:28
15
Every thing that opens the matrix in all flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be yours: nevertheless the firstborn of man shall you surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shall you redeem.
Reference
16
And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shall you redeem, according to your estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
Reference
17
But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy: you shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet smell to the LORD.
18
And the flesh of them shall be yours, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are yours.
19
All the heave 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, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD to you and to your seed with you.
Reference
20
And the LORD spoke to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any part among them: I am your part and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 14:27
Joshua 14:3
Revelation 21:3
References Israel
Ezekiel 44:28
References Lord
Deuteronomy 10:9
Joshua 13:33
Lamentations 3:24
Deuteronomy 12:12
Psalm 142:5
Psalm 16:5
21
And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Reference
22
Neither must the children of Israel from now on come near the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
Reference
Sin
Leviticus 22:9
23
But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
Reference
Temple
Numbers 3:7
24
But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Reference
Sacrifice
Numbers 18:26
25
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
26
Thus speak to the Levites, and say to them, When you take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
Reference
27
And this your heave offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 18:30
28
Thus you also shall offer an heave offering to the LORD of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and you shall give thereof the LORD's heave offering to Aaron the priest.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 14:18
29
Out of all your gifts you shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
30
Therefore you shall say to them, When you have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press.
31
And you shall eat it in every place, you and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Reference
Summary of Numbers 18
Numbers 18 presents the guidelines for the responsibilities of Aaron, his sons, and his nephew’s family concerning the tabernacle. After the conflict with Korah, many Israelites feared that all who drew near would die (Numbers 18:1). God specified who among the Israelites was responsible for the tabernacle furnishings and directed how the priests and Levites should serve at the Most Holy Place.
God warned Aaron that his family had to bear the responsibility of the sanctuary. He told Aaron that his sons and his father’s household would be entrusted with the duty of caring for the tabernacle and teaching the people (Numbers 18:5-6). Aaron and his sons had the honor of the priesthood, but the Levites were to serve them by assisting with the tasks of the tabernacle. The Levites were forbidden to touch the holy things, and any such Levite who approached the altar would have brought guilt upon the priests (Numbers 18:1-8). God laid out these restrictions to distinguish between the priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites to prevent others from serving at the Most Holy Place. The priests, however, had to safeguard the Most Holy Place, ensuring that no one brought sacrifices of their choosing (Numbers 18:9-12). It was the Levites’ duty to assist the priests at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:13-19).
God instructed Aaron that he had chosen the priests for service at the Most Holy Place. The priesthood was a family order, and Aaron and his sons had to accept that it had been set apart for a holy task (Numbers 18:20-21). Because of their duties relating to the Most Holy Place, the priests had to show due reverence (Numbers 18:22).
The passage went on to explain the portions of various sacrifices that belonged to the priests. Certain portions of the grain offering, sin offering, and trespass offering were designated for Aaron and his sons. Additionally, the priests were entitled to a share of the Israelites’ gifts. All these scriptures revealed that the priests had a right to the most holy offerings, which had to be eaten in a holy place and by clean people (Numbers 18:23-24).
God provided for the priests because they had no inheritance among their brethren (Numbers 18:25). It was thus fitting that the priests received a share of the gifts presented at the Most Holy Place. Furthermore, Aaron and his sons were to be given the firstfruits of the land (Numbers 18:26). It was the responsibility of the priests to ensure that the first tithe that the Israelites gave belonged to God. The first sons of the Israelites belonged to God, but they could be redeemed for five shekels (Numbers 18:27-32). Similarly, the firstborn of unclean beasts had to be redeemed, but the Israelites could offer the clean beasts to God (Numbers 18:31). The redemption money was to be given to the priests as compensation for caring for the firstfruits of Israel (Numbers 18:32).
The priests also received the firstborn sons of the Israelites. The passage explained that the redemption money for the firstborn sons was to be given to the priests. Just as Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to God. However, instead of the Israelites serving at the Most Holy Place, they had to pay a certain amount of money to the priests. The Levites had to serve at the Most Holy Place in place of the firstborn sons of Israel (Numbers 18:33-36).
The Levites, in turn, belonged to God and were to serve at the tabernacle. The Levites received a tenth of the Israelites’ produce as their share for serving at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:37-38). God ordered the priests to separate a tenth of the Levites’ tithe as the Lord’s heave offering (Numbers 18:27). The Levites had to give this tenth to Aaron concerning the service that he performed at the Most Holy Place. The Israelites had to bring the best gifts to God, and so it was fitting that the Levites brought a tenth of their tithe to the Lord. Furthermore, the Levites could consider the tithe that they received from the Israelites as their wages. Thus, they had to give the best of it as an offering to God (Numbers 18:39).
God instructed Moses to tell the Levites that whenever the Levites brought a tenth of the Israelites’ produce to Aaron, it should be considered as a gift from their own threshing floors and winepresses (Numbers 18:38). Therefore, the Levites had to give their best to the Lord concerning the service that they rendered at the Most Holy Place.
Finally, the Scripture declared that the Levites had no share of the inheritance of the Israelites. The Levites’ inheritance was the tithe of the Israelites that God had given to them (Numbers 18:39). Therefore, the Levites had to bring a tenth of the tithe to the Lord as the heave offering and give their wages to Aaron in accordance with the service that he rendered at the Most Holy Place (Numbers 18:32).
God warned Aaron that his family had to bear the responsibility of the sanctuary. He told Aaron that his sons and his father’s household would be entrusted with the duty of caring for the tabernacle and teaching the people (Numbers 18:5-6). Aaron and his sons had the honor of the priesthood, but the Levites were to serve them by assisting with the tasks of the tabernacle. The Levites were forbidden to touch the holy things, and any such Levite who approached the altar would have brought guilt upon the priests (Numbers 18:1-8). God laid out these restrictions to distinguish between the priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites to prevent others from serving at the Most Holy Place. The priests, however, had to safeguard the Most Holy Place, ensuring that no one brought sacrifices of their choosing (Numbers 18:9-12). It was the Levites’ duty to assist the priests at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:13-19).
God instructed Aaron that he had chosen the priests for service at the Most Holy Place. The priesthood was a family order, and Aaron and his sons had to accept that it had been set apart for a holy task (Numbers 18:20-21). Because of their duties relating to the Most Holy Place, the priests had to show due reverence (Numbers 18:22).
The passage went on to explain the portions of various sacrifices that belonged to the priests. Certain portions of the grain offering, sin offering, and trespass offering were designated for Aaron and his sons. Additionally, the priests were entitled to a share of the Israelites’ gifts. All these scriptures revealed that the priests had a right to the most holy offerings, which had to be eaten in a holy place and by clean people (Numbers 18:23-24).
God provided for the priests because they had no inheritance among their brethren (Numbers 18:25). It was thus fitting that the priests received a share of the gifts presented at the Most Holy Place. Furthermore, Aaron and his sons were to be given the firstfruits of the land (Numbers 18:26). It was the responsibility of the priests to ensure that the first tithe that the Israelites gave belonged to God. The first sons of the Israelites belonged to God, but they could be redeemed for five shekels (Numbers 18:27-32). Similarly, the firstborn of unclean beasts had to be redeemed, but the Israelites could offer the clean beasts to God (Numbers 18:31). The redemption money was to be given to the priests as compensation for caring for the firstfruits of Israel (Numbers 18:32).
The priests also received the firstborn sons of the Israelites. The passage explained that the redemption money for the firstborn sons was to be given to the priests. Just as Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to God. However, instead of the Israelites serving at the Most Holy Place, they had to pay a certain amount of money to the priests. The Levites had to serve at the Most Holy Place in place of the firstborn sons of Israel (Numbers 18:33-36).
The Levites, in turn, belonged to God and were to serve at the tabernacle. The Levites received a tenth of the Israelites’ produce as their share for serving at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:37-38). God ordered the priests to separate a tenth of the Levites’ tithe as the Lord’s heave offering (Numbers 18:27). The Levites had to give this tenth to Aaron concerning the service that he performed at the Most Holy Place. The Israelites had to bring the best gifts to God, and so it was fitting that the Levites brought a tenth of their tithe to the Lord. Furthermore, the Levites could consider the tithe that they received from the Israelites as their wages. Thus, they had to give the best of it as an offering to God (Numbers 18:39).
God instructed Moses to tell the Levites that whenever the Levites brought a tenth of the Israelites’ produce to Aaron, it should be considered as a gift from their own threshing floors and winepresses (Numbers 18:38). Therefore, the Levites had to give their best to the Lord concerning the service that they rendered at the Most Holy Place.
Finally, the Scripture declared that the Levites had no share of the inheritance of the Israelites. The Levites’ inheritance was the tithe of the Israelites that God had given to them (Numbers 18:39). Therefore, the Levites had to bring a tenth of the tithe to the Lord as the heave offering and give their wages to Aaron in accordance with the service that he rendered at the Most Holy Place (Numbers 18:32).