Deuteronomy 18:5

5 The Lord your God has chosen the priests and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and serve the Lord always.

Deuteronomy 18:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:5

For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes,
&c.] That is, has chosen the tribe of Levi out of all the other tribes of Israel:

to stand to minister in the name of the Lord;
the priests to minister to the Lord by offering sacrifices, and the Levites to minister to the priests in assisting them in their service; and both their ministry were in the name of the Lord, and for his glory, and done standing; for there was no sitting in the sanctuary ^F23; the priestly ministry was only performed standing ^F24, whatever was done sitting was rejected {y}; see ( Hebrews 10:11 ) ,

him and his sons for ever;
Levi and his posterity, or the posterity of the tribe of Levi, were chosen by the Lord to this service, to be employed in it as long as the ceremonial law continued, on which stood the Levitical priesthood; but both are now abolished by Christ, having their accomplishment in him, ( Hebrews 7:11 ) ( 12:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Maimon. in Misn. Zebachim, c. 2. sect. 1.
F24 Bartenora in ib.
F25 Misn. ib.

Deuteronomy 18:5 In-Context

3 When you offer a bull or sheep as a sacrifice, you must share with the priests, giving them the shoulder, the cheeks, and the inner organs.

4 Give them the first of your grain, new wine, and oil, as well as the first wool you cut from your sheep.

5 The Lord your God has chosen the priests and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and serve the Lord always.

6 If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he lives and comes to the place the Lord will choose, because he wants to serve the Lord there,

7 he may serve the Lord his God. He will be like his fellow Levites who serve there before the Lord.