Numbers 18:8-20

The Priests' Portion

8 Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, "Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My ¹offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment.

9 "This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even ²every grain offering and every ³sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.

10 "As the most holy gifts you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.

11 "This also is yours, ⁴the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have ⁵given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.

12 "⁶All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you.

13 "⁷The 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 "⁸Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.

15 "⁹Every 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 ¹⁰the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. ¹¹You 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 ¹²breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh.

19 "¹³All 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 ¹⁴an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD to you and your descendants with you."

20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "¹⁵You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; ¹⁶I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

Numbers 18:8-20 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 6:16, 18; Leviticus 7:28-34
• 2. Leviticus 2:1-16
• 3. Leviticus 6:30
• 4. Numbers 18:1; Deuteronomy 18:3
• 5. Leviticus 22:1-16
• 6. Deuteronomy 18:4; Deuteronomy 32:14; Psalms 81:16; Psalms 147:14
• 7. Exodus 22:29; Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26
• 8. Leviticus 27:1-33
• 9. Exodus 13:13, 15; Numbers 3:46
• 10. Deuteronomy 15:19
• 11. Leviticus 3:2
• 12. Leviticus 7:31
• 13. Numbers 18:11
• 14. 2 Chronicles 13:5
• 15. Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 12:12; Deuteronomy 14:27, 29
• 16. Deuteronomy 18:2; Joshua 13:33; Ezekiel 44:28

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "heave offerings," and so throughout the ch
• [b]. Lit "fat"
• [c]. Lit "fat"
• [d]. Lit "Everything that opens"
• [e]. I.e. A shekel equals approx one-half oz
• [f]. I.e. A shekel equals approx one-half oz
• [g]. Lit "flesh"
• [h]. Lit "seed"