Bible Commentaries
Numbers 18

Verse 1

XVIII.

(1) Shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary . . . —It must be remembered that the iniquity of the sanctuary, and the iniquity of the priesthood, extended not only to the defilement of the sanctuary by the transgressions of priests and people (Leviticus 16:11; Leviticus 16:15-16), but also to its defilement by the imperfections connected with the services of the priests and the offerings of the people (Exodus 28:38).

Verse 2

(2) That they may be joined unto thee.—There is an allusion here to the meaning of the name Levi, which was given to Leah’s third son. (See Genesis 29:34.) The Hebrew verb is the same as that which occurs in the speech of Leah.

And minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons . . . —Or, and they shall minister unto thee, both unto thee and to thy sons with thee, before the tent of witness. The service of the Levites was executed before the tent—i.e., in the court; that of the priests was in the holy place, as well as in the court (Numbers 18:7).

Verse 4

(4) And keep the charge . . . —See Numbers 1:53; Numbers 3:7.

Verses 5-6

(5, 6) And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary . . . —See Numbers 8:19.

Verse 7

(7) And within the vail.—i.e., the vail which separated the holy place from the most holy. The word which is employed in this place (parocheth) is used only of the second vail. (See Leviticus 16:12.) When the outer vail or hanging is designed to be understood, the word used is masak. The reference appears to be to the whole of the priestly duties which were discharged by Aaron and his sons, from those connected with the altar of burnt offering to those which were performed in the most holy place.

Verse 8

(8) The charge of mine heave offerings.—See Leviticus 7:34, and Numbers 18:11 of this chapter.

Unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing.—Better, unto thee have I given them for an anointing portion. (See Leviticus 7:35, and Note.)

By an ordinance for ever.—Better, as an eternal statute.

Verse 9

(9) From the fire.—i.e., from the fire which was kindled upon the altar of burnt offering.

Every oblation of their’s, every meat offering of their’s . . . —Or, every oblation of their’s for all their meat offerings, and for all their sin offerings, and for all their trespass offerings (or, guilt offerings).

Verse 10

(10) In the most holy place . . . —These gifts were to be eaten, as most holy, in the court of the Tabernacle (see Leviticus 6:16; Leviticus 6:26; Leviticus 7:6), and only by the priests and the male members of their families.

Verse 11

(11) The heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings . . . —See Leviticus 7:34.

Every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.—See Leviticus 22:10-13.

Verse 12

(12) All the best . . . —Hebrew, all the fat, as in Genesis 45:18.

The firstfruits of them . . . —The quantity is not defined. St. Jerome, in his Commentary on Ezekiel 45:0, mentions the fortieth part as a liberal contribution, and the sixtieth as a scanty one, according to Jewish tradition.

Verse 14

(14) Every thing devoted . . . —See Leviticus 27:21-28.

Verse 15

(15) Every thing that openeth the matrix . . . —(See Leviticus 27:6; Leviticus 27:26-27.) Five shekels was the redemption-price paid for each of the firstborn who were not redeemed by the Levites (Numbers 3:47).

Verse 16

(16) According to thine estimation.—See Leviticus 18:3-7, and Notes.

Verse 18

(18) And the flesh of them shall be thine . . . —In Deuteronomy 12:17-18, the firstlings of the herd and of the flock are directed to be eaten by the owners in the place which the Lord should choose. Either the law as prescribed in Numbers was subsequently modified, or the second clause of this verse explains and qualifies the preceding clause, and assigns only the wave breast and the right shoulder (or, rather, leg) to the priests. (Comp. Leviticus 10:14-15.)

Verse 19

(19) It is a covenant of salt.—i.e., an indissoluble covenant. (See Leviticus 2:13, and Note; also 2 Chronicles 13:5.) Hence the phrases used by the Greeks to denote the breach of a covenant, “Where is the salt?” and “They overstepped the salt.” (Comp. Pliny, H. N., xxxi. 41; Cic., De Div., ii. 16; Virgil, Ecl., viii. 82.)

Verse 20

(20) Thou shalt have no inheritance . . . —Aaron is addressed in this verse as the representative of the priesthood. He himself did not enter into the land of Canaan.

I am thy part and thine inheritance . . . —All that are admitted into the number of Christ’s royal priesthood have God for their portion and inheritance—in life, in death, and throughout eternity. (Comp. Psalms 73:26; Psalms 142:5.)

Verse 21

(21) All the tenth in Israel.—The reference here is to the first tithe, or tenth of the whole of the produce of the land.

Verse 22

(22) Lest they bear sin and die.—i.e., lest they bring sin upon themselves, the penalty of which they would have to bear. This appears to be the primary meaning of the phrase, from which the secondary meaning, viz., that of bearing sin in the sense of atoning for it, is derived. (Comp. Leviticus 19:17; Leviticus 22:9.)

Verse 24

(24) But the tithes . . . —Better, for the tithes . . . This verse assigns the reason why the Levites were to have no inheritance among the children of Israel.

Verse 25

(25) And the Lord spake unto Moses . . . —The law respecting the Levitical dues was given to Aaron, and communicated through him to the people. The law respecting the tithe which the Levites were to give to the priests, in which Aaron’s family were directly concerned, was communicated to Moses, and by him to the Levites.

Verse 26

(26) Even a tenth part of the tithe.—Better, a tithe of the tithe.

Verse 27

(27) And as the fulness of the wine-press.—The word which is here rendered fulness is the same which occurs in Exodus 22:9, and is there rendered “the first of thy ripe fruits.” It is used to denote either the fully ripe grain, or the produce of the vine. The tithe which the Levites paid to the priests was regarded in the same light as if it had been the produce of their own labour.

Verse 30

(30) As the increase of the threshing-floor.—As the tithe rendered to the priests was to be regarded in the same light as if it had been the produce of their own labour (Numbers 18:27), so what remained after the heave-offerings had been duly set apart was to be reckoned as much the property of the Levites, and to be treated in the same manner, as the corn of the threshing-floor and the wine of the wine-press of the rest of the Israelites.

Verse 31

(31) And ye shall eat it in every place.—When the tenth which was due to the priests had been duly paid, the remainder of the tithe received from the people became the rightful portion of the Levites, as their ordinary means of subsistence, and might be eaten by them in every place, not being subject to the restrictions laid upon the priests in regard to the place in which the holy things were to be eaten. (See 5:10.)

Verse 32

(32) And ye shall bear no sin . . . —i.e., shall not incur any guilt, or become liable to any punishment. (See Note on Numbers 18:22.)