Numbers 18:13-23

13 All the beginnings of fruits which the earth bringeth forth, and be brought (in) to the Lord, shall fall into thine uses; he that is clean in thine house(hold), shall eat of those (things).
14 All things that the sons of Israel yield by a vow, shall be thine. (Everything that the Israelites give by a vow, shall be yours.)
15 Whatever thing cometh first forth of the womb of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether it is of men, either of beasts, it shall be of thy right; so only that thou take price for the first begotten child of man, and that thou make each beast that is unclean to be bought again; (Whatever thing of all flesh that cometh forth first from the womb, whether it is of men, or of beasts, which they offer to the Lord, shall be thy right to have; so only that thou take payment in exchange, or as redemption, for the first-born of man, and that thou make each beast that is unclean to be bought back;)
16 whose again-buying shall be after one month, for five shekels of silver, by the weight of [the] saintuary (whose redemption shall be after one month, for five shekels of silver, by the measure of the sanctuary); a shekel hath twenty halfpence.
17 Forsooth thou shalt not make the first engendered of an ox, and of sheep, and of goat, to be again-bought, for those be hallowed to the Lord; only thou shalt pour the blood of those upon the altar, and thou shalt burn the inner fatness into sweetest odour to the Lord. (But thou shalt not allow the first-born of an ox, or of a sheep, or of a goat, to be bought back, for they be holy to the Lord; thou must throw their blood against the altar, and thou shalt burn their inner fatness to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)
18 Soothly the flesh shall fall into thine use, as the breast hallowed and the right shoulder, shall be thine. (But their flesh shall be for thy use, like the breast for the special gift, and the right shoulder, be for thee.)
19 I have given to thee, and to thy sons and thy daughters, by everlasting right, all the first fruits of the saintuary, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord; it is (an) everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord, to thee, and to thy sons (with thee, and with thy sons).
20 And the Lord said to Aaron, Ye shall not wield anything of heritage in the land of Israel, neither ye shall have part among them; I am thy part and thine heritage, in the midst of the sons of Israel. (And the Lord said to Aaron, Ye shall not possess any inheritance in the land of Israel, nor shall ye have any portion among them; for I am thy portion, and thy inheritance, among the Israelites.)
21 Soothly, I gave to the sons of Levi all the tithes of Israel into possession, for the service by which they serve me in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; (Truly, I have given to the sons of Levi all of the tithes of Israel for a possession, for the service which they do in the Tabernacle of the Covenant, that is, the Tabernacle of the Witnessing;)
22 that the sons of Israel nigh no more to the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, neither do deadly sin. (so that the Israelites no longer come near to the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and so do sin, and then must die.)
23 To the sons alone of Levi, serving me in the tabernacle, and bearing the people's sins, it shall be a lawful thing everlasting in your generations. (This is only for the sons of Levi, who serve me in the Tabernacle, and who bear the people's sins; and this shall be an everlasting law in all your generations.)

Numbers 18:13-23 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.