Deuteronomy 18:1

Provision for Priests and Levites

1 "The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, 1shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They 2shall eat the LORD's food offerings[a] as their[b] inheritance.

Deuteronomy 18:1 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:1

The priests, the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have
no part nor inheritance with Israel
That is, in the land of Canaan, in the division of it among the tribes:

they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his
inheritance;
the meat offerings, see ( Leviticus 2:2 Leviticus 2:3 ) ( Leviticus 6:17 Leviticus 6:18 ) , and whatsoever of the sin offerings and peace offerings which were the Lord's; so Ben Melech says, the flesh of the offerings which belonged to the priests was called fire offerings, after part of it was consumed by fire. All these, with other things, ( Numbers 18:8 Numbers 18:9 ) , were given, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it, for their inheritance, in lieu of their having none in the land of Canaan.

Deuteronomy 18:1 In-Context

1 "The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD's food offerings as their inheritance.
2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them.
3 And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach.
4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time.

Cross References 2

  • 1. See Numbers 18:20
  • 2. Numbers 18:8, 9; Joshua 13:14; 1 Samuel 2:28; [1 Corinthians 9:13]

Footnotes 2

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.