Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Numbers 18:25-32
The Priests to Receive a Tithe of the Tithes For Their Service at the Sanctuary and the Altar And The Remainder To Go To The Levites (Numbers 18:25).
The tithe was therefore to go to the Levites who were to ensure that one tenth of the tithe, and the very best of the tithe, went in turn to the priests.
Analysis.
a The Levites to set aside a tithe of their tithe for the priests (Numbers 18:25)
b The contribution to be reckoned as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor and the fullness of the winepress as provided by the Levites (Numbers 18:27).
c The contribution to be offered to Yahweh and given to Aaron the priest (Numbers 18:28).
c The contribution offered to Yahweh to be from the best, the most hallowed parts (Numbers 18:29).
b The remainder to be accounted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor and the increase of the winepress (Numbers 18:30).
a Once they have tithed it the Levites may eat their own tithe in every place which is clean (Numbers 18:31).
The Levites To Set Aside a Tithe of Their Tithe for the Priests (Numbers 18:25).
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,'
Again we have the emphasis that these were Yahweh's words to Moses. Note the change from Aaron in verses 1 and 8. It was not fitting that Aaron tell the Levites what he himself was to receive. Such niceties confirm that we are here dealing with the actual situation and not some later invention.
“ What is more you shall speak to the Levites, and say to them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a contribution offering (heave-offering) of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe.' ”
On receiving the tithes from the people the Levites were to offer one tenth of the tithe to Yahweh for the priests, as their contribution to the ministry of the priests. It would be a tithe of the tithe.
“ And your heave-offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing-floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.”
And as the Levites would not have much to offer that they grew themselves, this tithe to the priests would count as though it came from the grain of their threshing-floor and from the fullness of their winepresses, being their contribution to the ministry of the priests.
“ Thus you also shall offer a heave-offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of them you (ye) shall give Yahweh's heave-offering to Aaron the priest.”
In that way the Levites would be making a contribution offering to Yahweh of tithes, in the same way as the other tribes made a contribution offering to Yahweh of tithes. They would make it out of their own tithe inheritance that they received from Yahweh.
“ Out of all your gifts you shall offer every contribution offering (heave-offering) of Yahweh, of all the best of it, even the hallowed part of it out of it.”
Out of all the gifts that they received they were to make their contribution offering to Yahweh, and for this purpose they were to choose the choicest and the best. That was to form the ‘hallowed part'. That which was made holy to Yahweh and set apart for the priests.
“ Therefore you shall say to them, When you make a contribution of (heave) the best of it from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the winepress.”
And that is why Moses could tell the Levites that when they did give the best to Yahweh from their tithes it would be treated as though they had grown it themselves, as though they had grown the grain and threshed it, as though they had grown the grapes and pressed them.
“ And you (ye) shall eat it in every place, you (ye) and your households. For it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.”
But the remainder of the tithe they could eat ‘in every place'. That did not have to be brought before Yahweh nor eaten in the precincts of the Tent of meeting. It would need to be in a clean place, but it could be in any of their tents, and later their towns. It was their reward for their service in the Tent of meeting.
“ And you (ye) shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it. And you (ye) shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you die not.”
Thus once they had given to the priests the tithe of the tithe, as their contribution offering to Yahweh, they would be free from blame for their use of the remainder of them. By partaking of them and utilising them as they wished they would not be profaning them. This provision was very necessary. Otherwise it could have been argued that as the Levites' share of the tithe was ‘given to Yahweh' it had to be treated as ‘most holy' and therefore not to be eaten outside the Sanctuary precincts.