Numbers 18:13-23

13 "1The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.
14 "2Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
15 "3Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.
16 "As to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
17 "But 4the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. 5You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the LORD.
18 "Their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the 6breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh.
19 "7All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is 8an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD to you and your descendants with you."
20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "9You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; 10I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.
21 "To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the 11tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.
22 "12The sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.
23 "Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall 13bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel 14they shall have no inheritance.

Numbers 18:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 18

This chapter gives an account of the distinct work and service of the priests and Levites, Nu 18:1-7; and of several things given to the priests for their maintenance, Nu 18:8-19; and of the tithes the Levites should have to live upon, since they were to have no inheritance in the land of Israel, Nu 18:20-24; and of the tenth out of those tithes they were to give to the high priest, Nu 18:25-32.

Cross References 14

  • 1. Exodus 22:29; Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26
  • 2. Leviticus 27:1-33
  • 3. Exodus 13:13, 15; Numbers 3:46
  • 4. Deuteronomy 15:19
  • 5. Leviticus 3:2
  • 6. Leviticus 7:31
  • 7. Numbers 18:11
  • 8. 2 Chronicles 13:5
  • 9. Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 12:12; Deuteronomy 14:27, 29
  • 10. Deuteronomy 18:2; Joshua 13:33; Ezekiel 44:28
  • 11. Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 14:22-29
  • 12. Numbers 1:51
  • 13. Numbers 18:1
  • 14. Numbers 18:20

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Lit "Everything that opens"
  • [b]. I.e. A shekel equals approx one-half oz
  • [c]. I.e. A shekel equals approx one-half oz
  • [d]. Lit "flesh"
  • [e]. Lit "seed"
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