Numbers 18

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 18

1¶ And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

2And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee [shall minister] before the tabernacle of witness.

3And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.

4And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

5And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.

6And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you [they are] given [as] a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

7Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office [unto you] as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

8¶ And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

9This shall be thine of the most holy things, [reserved] from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, [shall be] most holy for thee and for thy sons.

10In the most holy [place] shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.

11And this [is] thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

12All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.

13[And] whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat [of] it.

14Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.

15Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, [whether it be] of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.

16And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerahs.

17But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they [are] holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat [for] an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

18And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.

19All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it [is] a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

20¶ And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I [am] thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

21And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, [even] the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

22Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

23But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.

24But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer [as] an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

25And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

26Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, [even] a tenth [part] of the tithe.

27And [this] your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though [it were] the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.

28Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

29Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, [even] the hallowed part thereof out of it.

30Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.

31And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it [is] your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.

32And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Numbers 18 delineates the distinct responsibilities and provisions for the priests (Aaron and his sons) and the Levites. The priests are charged with the sanctuary and altar, bearing its iniquity, while the Levites are appointed to assist in the tabernacle service, forbidden from touching holy vessels. The chapter details the various offerings and firstfruits designated as the priests' perpetual due. Furthermore, the Levites are granted all tithes in Israel as their inheritance for their service, in lieu of land, and are commanded to offer a tenth of these tithes to the priests.

Medium Summary

The Lord establishes a clear division of labour in Numbers 18, assigning Aaron and his sons the primary responsibility for the sanctuary, the altar, and the holy things, emphasizing their unique priestly office and the burden of its iniquity. The Levites, their brethren, are given to them as a gift to assist in the general service of the tabernacle, but with strict prohibitions against approaching the holy vessels or the altar, lest they die. For their service, the priests are granted specific portions of the most holy offerings, heave offerings, firstfruits, and redeemed firstborn, which are to be their perpetual sustenance. The Levites, in turn, receive all the tithes from the children of Israel as their inheritance, as they are to have no land. Finally, the Levites are instructed to offer a tenth of these tithes as a heave offering to Aaron, ensuring a portion of their provision also supports the high priesthood.

Long Summary

Numbers 18 meticulously outlines the divine ordinance concerning the duties and provisions for the priestly lineage of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. Aaron and his sons are given the solemn charge of the sanctuary and the altar, bearing the iniquity associated with these holy functions, and are alone permitted to minister within the veil. The other Levites are designated as their assistants, given to them to perform the general service of the tabernacle of the congregation, but are strictly forbidden from touching the vessels of the sanctuary or the altar, under penalty of death. This division ensures the proper maintenance of the tabernacle and prevents divine wrath upon Israel. For their dedicated service, the Lord grants Aaron and his sons specific portions of the offerings: the most holy things (oblations, meat offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings), various heave offerings, wave offerings, the best of the oil, wine, and wheat, all firstfruits of the land, and all devoted things. They also receive the firstborn of men (redeemed) and clean beasts (after their blood is sprinkled and fat burned). These provisions are established as a perpetual statute and a 'covenant of salt.' Crucially, neither Aaron's house nor the Levites are to have any inheritance of land among the children of Israel; the Lord declares Himself to be Aaron's portion. Instead, the Levites are given all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance for their service at the tabernacle. Furthermore, the Levites themselves are commanded to offer a 'heave offering of the LORD' from their received tithes, specifically a tenth part, to Aaron the priest, ensuring a portion of their sustenance also supports the high priest. This system ensures the sustenance of both priestly and Levitical families without requiring them to engage in agricultural labour, allowing them to focus entirely on their sacred duties.

Core Concepts

  • Priestly ResponsibilitiesAaron and his sons are solely responsible for the sanctuary, the altar, and the holy things, bearing the iniquity of their priesthood and ministering within the veil. They are distinct from the other Levites in their direct access and duties concerning the most sacred elements.
  • Levitical Support RoleThe Levites are given to Aaron as assistants to perform the general service of the tabernacle of the congregation. They are strictly prohibited from approaching the holy vessels or the altar, lest they die, underscoring the unique sanctity of the priestly office.
  • Priestly ProvisionsFor their service, the priests are granted specific portions of various offerings, including the most holy things, heave offerings, firstfruits, devoted things, and redeemed firstborn. These provisions are established as a perpetual statute and a 'covenant of salt' for their sustenance.
  • Levitical Inheritance of TithesThe Levites receive all the tithes from the children of Israel as their inheritance, in exchange for their service at the tabernacle. This provision compensates them for their lack of land inheritance among the other tribes.
  • Tithes of TithesThe Levites are commanded to offer a tenth part of the tithes they receive from the children of Israel as a heave offering to Aaron the priest. This ensures that a portion of their income also supports the high priesthood.
  • No Land InheritanceBoth the priests (Aaron's house) and the Levites are explicitly stated to have no inheritance of land among the children of Israel. The Lord declares Himself to be the priests' portion, while the Levites' inheritance is the tithes.