18 And the flesh H1320 of them shall be thine, as the wave H8573 breast H2373 and as the right H3225 shoulder H7785 are thine.
And thou shalt take H3947 the breast H2373 of the ram H352 of Aaron's H175 consecration, H4394 and wave H5130 it for a wave offering H8573 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 and it shall be thy part. H4490 And thou shalt sanctify H6942 the breast H2373 of the wave offering, H8573 and the shoulder H7785 of the heave offering, H8641 which is waved, H5130 and which is heaved up, H7311 of the ram H352 of the consecration, H4394 even of that which H834 is for Aaron, H175 and of that which is for his sons: H1121 And it shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons' H1121 by a statute H2706 for ever H5769 from the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 for it is an heave offering: H8641 and it shall be an heave offering H8641 from the children H1121 of Israel H3478 of the sacrifice H2077 of their peace offerings, H8002 even their heave offering H8641 unto the LORD. H3068
And the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 the fat H2459 upon the altar: H4196 but the breast H2373 shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons'. H1121 And the right H3225 shoulder H7785 shall ye give H5414 unto the priest H3548 for an heave offering H8641 of the sacrifices H2077 of your peace offerings. H8002 He among the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 that offereth H7126 the blood H1818 of the peace offerings, H8002 and the fat, H2459 shall have the right H3225 shoulder H7785 for his part. H4490 For the wave H8573 breast H2373 and the heave H8641 shoulder H7785 have I taken H3947 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from off the sacrifices H2077 of their peace offerings, H8002 and have given H5414 them unto Aaron H175 the priest H3548 and unto his sons H1121 by a statute H2706 for ever H5769 from among the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 18
Commentary on Numbers 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 18
Nu 18:1-7. The Charge of the Priests and Levites.
1. the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary—Security is here given to the people from the fears expressed (Nu 17:12), by the responsibility of attending to all sacred things being devolved upon the priesthood, together with the penalties incurred through neglect; and thus the solemn responsibilities annexed to their high dignity, of having to answer not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of the people, were calculated in a great measure to remove all feeling of envy at the elevation of Aaron's family, when the honor was weighed in the balance with its burdens and dangers.
2-7. thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi—The departments of the sacred office, to be filled respectively by the priests and Levites, are here assigned to each. To the priests was committed the charge of the sanctuary and the altar, while the Levites were to take care of everything else about the tabernacle. The Levites were to attend the priests as servants—bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle—while the high and dignified office of the priesthood was a "service of gift." "A stranger," that is, one, neither a priest nor a Levite, who should intrude into any departments of the sacred office, should incur the penalty of death.
Nu 18:8-20. The Priests' Portion.
8-13. the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of my heave offerings—A recapitulation is made in this passage of certain perquisites specially appropriated to the maintenance of the priests. They were parts of the votive and freewill offerings, including both meat and bread, wine and oil, and the first-fruits, which formed a large and valuable item.
14. Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine—provided it was adapted for food or consumable by use; for the gold and silver vessels that were dedicated as the spoils of victory were not given to the priests, but for the use and adornment of the sacred edifice.
19. it is a covenant of salt—that is, a perpetual ordinance. This figurative form of expression was evidently founded on the conservative property of salt, which keeps meat from corruption; and hence it became an emblem of inviolability and permanence. It is a common phrase among Oriental people, who consider the eating of salt a pledge of fidelity, binding them in a covenant of friendship. Hence the partaking of the altar meats, which were appropriated to the priests on condition of their services and of which salt formed a necessary accompaniment, was naturally called "a covenant of salt" (Le 2:13).
Nu 18:21-32. The Levites' Portion.
21, 22. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve—Neither the priests nor the Levites were to possess any allotments of land but to depend entirely upon Him who liberally provided for them out of His own portion; and this law was subservient to many important purposes—such as that, being exempted from the cares and labors of worldly business, they might be exclusively devoted to His service; that a bond of mutual love and attachment might be formed between the people and the Levites, who, as performing religious services for the people, derived their subsistence from them; and further, that being the more easily dispersed among the different tribes, they might be more useful in instructing and directing the people.
23. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: they shall bear their iniquity—They were to be responsible for the right discharge of those duties that were assigned to them, and consequently to bear the penalty that was due to negligence or carelessness in the guardianship of the holy things.
26. the Levites … offer … a tenth of the tithe—Out of their own they were to pay tithes to the priests equally as the people gave to them. The best of their tithes was to be assigned to the priests, and afterwards they enjoyed the same liberty to make use of the remainder that other Israelites had of the produce of their threshing-floors and wine-presses.
32. ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, &c.—Neglect in having the best entailed sin in the use of such unhallowed food. And the holy things would be polluted by the reservation to themselves of what should be offered to God and the priests.