Numbers 18

1 And the Lorde sayed vnto Aaron: Thou and thy sonnes and thy fathers housse with the shall bere the faute of that whiche is done amysse in the holy place. And thou and thy sonnes with the shall beare the faute of that whiche is done amysse in youre preasthode.
2 And thy brethern also ye tribe of leui ye trybe of thy father take with the and let them be yoyned vnto the and ministre vnto the. And thou and thy sonnes with the shall ministre before the tabernacle of witnesse.
3 And let them wayte apon the and apon all the tabernacle: only let them not come nye the holy vessels and the alter that both they ad ye also dye not.
4 And let them be by the and wayte on the tabernacle of witnesse and on all the seruyce of the tabernacle and let no straunger come nye vnto you.
5 Wayte therfore apon the holye place and apon the alter yt there fall no moare wrath apon the childern of Israel:
6 beholde I haue taken youre brethern the leuites from amonge childern of Israel to be youres as giftes geuen vnto the Lorde to doo the seruyce of the tabernacle of witnesse.
7 And se that both thou and thy sonnes with the take hede vnto youre preastes office in all thinges that pertayne vnto the alter and within the vayle. And se that ye serue for I haue geue youre preastes office vnto you for a gifte to do seruyce: and the straunger that cometh nye shall dye.
8 And the Lorde spake vnto Aaron: beholde I haue geuen the the kepynge of myne heueofferynges in all the halowed thynges of the childern of Israel. And vnto the I haue geuen them vnto anoyntynge ad to thy sonnes: to be a dutye for euer.
9 This shall be thyne of most holy sacrifyces: All their giftes thorow out all their meatofferynges synneoffrynges and trespaceoffrynges whiche they bringe vnto me: They shalbe most holy vnto the ad vnto thy sonnes.
10 And ye shall eate it in the most holye place: all that are males shall eate of it: for it shalbe holye vnto the.
11 And this shalbe thyne: the heueofferynge of their giftes thorow out all the waueofferynges of the childern of Israel for I haue geuen them vnto the and thy sonnes and thy doughters with the to be a dutye for euer: and all that are cleane in thy house shall eate of it
12 all the fatt of the oyle of the wyne and of the corne: their firstfrutes which they geue vnto the Lorde that haue I geuen vnto the.
13 The first frutes of all that is in their londes whiche they brynge vnto the Lorde shalbe thyne: and all that are cleane in thyne housse shall eate off it.
14 All dedicate thinges in Israel shalbe thine.
15 All that breaketh the matrice of all flesh that men bringe vnto the Lorde bothe of man and beest shalbe thyne. Neuerthelater the firstborne of man shalbe redemed and the firstborne of vncleane beestes shalbe redemed.
16 And their redemptions shalbe at a moneth olde valowed at .v. sycles of syluer of the holy sycle. A sycle maketh twentye Geras.
17 But the firstborne of oxen shepe and gootes shall not be redemed. For they are holy and thou shalt sprinkle their bloud apon the alter and shalt burne their fatt to be a sacrifyce of a swete sauoure vnte the Lorde.
18 And the flesh of them shalbe thyne as the waue brest and all the right shulder is thyne.
19 All the holy heueofferynges whiche the childern of Israel heue vnto ye Lorde I geue the and thy sonnes and thi doughters with the to be a dutye for euer. And it shalbe a salted couenaunte for euer before the Lorde: vnto the and to thy seed with the.
20 And the Lorde spake vnto Aaron: thou shalt haue none enheritaunce in their lande nor parte amonge them. For I am thy parte and thy enheritaunce among the childern of Israel.
21 And beholde I haue geuen the childern of Leui the tenth in Israel to enherite for the seruyce whiche they serue in the tabernacle of witnesse
22 that the childre of Israel henceforth come not nye the tabernacle of witnesse and beare synne and dye.
23 And the leuites shall do the seruyce in the tabernacle of witnesse and beare their synne and it shalbe a lawe for euer vnto youre childern after you: But amonge the childern of Israel they shall enheret none enheritaunce.
24 For the tithes of the childern of Israel whiche they heve vnto the Lorde I haue geuen the Leuites to enherett. Wherfore I haue sayed vnto them: Amonge the chyldern off Israell ye shall enherett none enheritaunce.
25 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge:
26 speake vnto the leuites and saye vnto the: when ye take of the childern of Israel the tithes whiche I haue geuen you of them to youre enheritaunce ye shall take an heueoffrynge of that same for the Lorde: euen the tenth of that tythe.
27 And it shalbe rekened vnto you for youre heueofferynge euen as though ye gaue corne out of the barne or a fullofferynge from the wyne presse.
28 And of this maner ye shall heue an heueofferynge vnto ye Lorde of all youre tithes which ye receaue of the childern of Israel and ye shall geue there of the Lordes heueofferinge vnto Aaron the preast
29 Of all youre giftes ye shall take out the Lordes heue offerynge: euen the fatt of all their halowed thynges.
30 And thou shalt saye vnto them: when ye haue take a waye the fatt of it from it it shalbe counted vnto the leuites as ye encrease of corne and wyne
31 And ye shall eate it in all places both ye and youre housholdes for it is youre rewarde for youre seruyce in the tabernacle of witnesse.
32 And ye shall beare no synne by ye reason of it when ye haue taken from it the fatt of it: nether shall ye vnhalowe ye halowed thynges of the childern of Israel and so shall ye not dye.

Numbers 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

The charge of the priests and Levites. (1-7) The priests' portion. (8-19) The Levites' portion. (20-32)

Verses 1-7 The people complained of their difficulty and peril in drawing near to God. God here gives them to understand, that the priests should come near for them. Aaron would see reason not to be proud of his preferment, when he considered the great care and charge upon him. Be not high-minded, but fear. The greater the trust of work and power that is committed to us, the greater danger there is of betraying that trust. This is a good reason why we should neither envy others' honours, nor desire high places.

Verses 8-19 All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take care of them. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And from the provision here made for the priests, the apostle shows that it is the duty of christian churches to maintain their ministers. Scandalous maintenance makes scandalous ministers. The priests were to be wholly devoted to their ministry, not diverted from it, or disturbed in it, by worldly care or business. Also, that they might be examples of living by faith, not only in God's providence, but in his ordinances. The best should be offered for the first-fruits unto the Lord. Those who think to save, by putting God off with the refuse, deceive themselves, for God is not mocked.

Verses 20-32 As Israel was a people not to be numbered among the nations, so Levi was a tribe to be distinguished from the rest. Those who have God for their Inheritance and their Portion for ever, ought to look with holy contempt and indifference upon the possessions of this world. The Levites were to give God his dues out of their tithes, as well as the Israelites out of their increase. See, in ver. ( 31 ) , the way to have comfort in all our worldly possessions, so as to bear no sin by reason of them. 1. We must be sure that what we have is got honestly and in the service of God. That meat is best eaten which is first earned; ( 2 Thessalonians. 3:10 ) We must be sure that God has his dues out of it. We have the comfort of our substance, when we have honoured the Lord with it. Ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved the best from it. We should give alms of such things as we have, that all may be holy and comfortable to us.

Chapter Summary

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.

Numbers 18 Commentaries

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