Numbers 18:21-26

21 "To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the ¹tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.

22 "²The 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 ³bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel ⁴they shall have no inheritance.

24 "For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore * I have said concerning them, '⁵They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.' "

25 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

26 "Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you take from the sons of Israel ⁶the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the LORD, a ⁷tithe of the tithe.

Numbers 18:21-26 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

• 1. Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 14:22-29
• 2. Numbers 1:51
• 3. Numbers 18:1
• 4. Numbers 18:20
• 5. Deuteronomy 10:9
• 6. Numbers 18:21
• 7. Nehemiah 10:38