Numbers 18:20

20 The LORD spoke to Aaron. He said, "You will not receive any part of the land I am giving to Israel. You will not have any share among them. I am your share. I am what you will receive among the people of Israel.

Numbers 18:20 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 18:20

And the Lord spake unto Aaron
What is said, being what concerned the tribe of Levi, at the head of which Aaron was, even concerning the maintenance of the Levites:

thou shalt have no inheritance in their land;
in the land of Israel when they come to possess it, as the rest of the tribes had:

neither shalt thou have any part among them;
any part of the land when it is divided by lot, as it was in the times of Joshua, when taken from the Canaanites; no tract of land was peculiarly assigned to them as were to the other tribes, as fields, nor vineyards; they had cities appointed them, and they had houses and fields devoted to the Lord which fell to them, and others they had by gift or legacy, or by purchase, as had Jeremiah the priest and Barnabas the Levite, ( Jeremiah 32:9 ) ( Acts 4:36 Acts 4:37 ) ; but they had no share in the distribution of the land of Canaan at the time of the division of it among the tribes; no, not even in the spoil of the cities of the land of Canaan, when they were conquered; this Maimonides F14 says they were warned not to take; and a son of Levi that took any part of the spoil was to be beaten; but the spoil of other lands, subdued by the kings of Israel, they might take, as other Israelites did: the reason of all this was, because they had a sufficient provision made for them in another way, and that they might not be entangled in worldly affairs, or spend their time in the culture of fields and vineyards, but wholly give themselves to the service of God in his house:

I [am] thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel;
in things temporal, the offerings, tithes, firstfruits which were given to the Lord, being bestowed upon them; and in things spiritual, they being employed in the work and service of God, and having a peculiar nearness to him, and communion with him: so all that are made priests unto God, as all believers in Christ are, ( 1 Peter 2:5 1 Peter 2:9 ) , have God for their portion and inheritance; God, in his persons and in all his perfections, and under every character, as the God of nature, providence, and grace, is the portion of his people; and a rich, large, and satisfying portion he is, and which is inexhaustible, and will endure for ever; he is their portion in life and at death, in time and to all eternity; see ( Psalms 73:26 ) ( 142:5 ) ( Leviticus 3:14 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F14 Hilchot Shemittah Veyobel, c. 13. sect. 10, 11.

Numbers 18:20 In-Context

18 "The meat will belong to you. It is just like the breast and the right thigh of the wave offering. Those parts belong to you.
19 Part of the holy offerings the people of Israel bring to me will be set to one side. No matter what it is, I will give it to you and your sons and daughters. It is your regular share. It is a covenant of salt from me. The salt means that the covenant will last for all time to come for you and your children."
20 The LORD spoke to Aaron. He said, "You will not receive any part of the land I am giving to Israel. You will not have any share among them. I am your share. I am what you will receive among the people of Israel.
21 "The people of Israel will give me a tenth of everything they produce. And I will give it to the Levites. They serve at the Tent of Meeting. I will give them the tenth for the work they do there.
22 From now on the people of Israel must not go near the Tent of Meeting. If they do, they will be punished for their sin. They will die.
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