Deuteronomy 18:1-8

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.

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: ³they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach.

4 ⁴The 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 ⁵to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time.

6 "And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, ⁶where he lives--and he may come when he desires^[c]--⁷to the place that the LORD will choose,

7 and ministers in the name of the LORD his God, ⁸like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD,

8 then he may have equal ⁹portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.^[d]

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 18

This chapter gives an account of the provision made for the priests and Levites, with the reason of it, De 18:1-5, of allowance of a country Levite to minister at Jerusalem, and take his portion with the rest, De 18:6-8, and of several persons of bad practices not to be suffered among the people of Israel, De 18:9-14, and of an extraordinary prophet that should be raised up among them, to whom they should hearken, or it would be the worse for them, De 18:15-19, but a false prophet was to be put to death, of whom a sign is given by which he might be known, De 18:20-22.

Cross References

• 1. See Numbers 18:20
• 2. Numbers 18:8, 9; Joshua 13:14; 1 Samuel 2:28; [1 Corinthians 9:13]
• 3. See Leviticus 7:30-34
• 4. Numbers 18:12; 2 Chronicles 31:5
• 5. Deuteronomy 17:12
• 6. Numbers 35:2, 3; Judges 17:7; Judges 19:1
• 7. See Deuteronomy 12:5
• 8. [1 Chronicles 23:6; 2 Chronicles 31:2]
• 9. 2 Chronicles 31:4; Nehemiah 12:44, 47; Nehemiah 13:10

Footnotes

• [a]. Or the offerings by fire to the Lord
• [b]. Hebrew his
• [c]. Or lives - if he comes enthusiastically
• [d]. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain