Numbers 18 - Introduction
_The duties and the dues of priests and Levites_... [ Continue Reading ]
_The duties and the dues of priests and Levites_... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy sons_ i.e. the priests. The expression was due to the post-exilic practice of all priests of tracing their descent genealogically to Aaron. _thy fathers" house_ Here it means the whole tribe of Levi, exclusive of Aaron and the priests. _bear the iniquity of the sanctuary … of your priesthood_... [ Continue Reading ]
The duties of priests and Levites. The priests are to have charge of the sanctuary, and the Levites are to help them; the latter, however, may not come into contact with the sacred utensils or the altar. No layman may approach on pain of death. The subject has already been treated in Numbers 1:50-53... [ Continue Reading ]
_that they may be joined_ This is a play on words, similar to that in Genesis 29:34, the verb _lâwâh_(לוה) being employed to explain the word _Lçwî_-Levite," so that the latter is understood to denote -one who is _joined_to the priests as a servant." Whether this was the _original_meaning and deriva... [ Continue Reading ]
_keep thy charge_, &c. see on Numbers 3:7. _the vessels_ The Heb. word is capable of wider use than the Engl. -vessel"; it includes all the sacred utensils and furniture. For the prohibition to come into contact with the sacred things cf. Numbers 4:15. _neither they, nor ye they_, for breaking th... [ Continue Reading ]
_a stranger_ Heb. _zâr_; anyone who is not a priest. See on Numbers 1:51.... [ Continue Reading ]
_ye shall keep the charge_&c. It _ye_includes both priests and Levites, then -the sanctuary" is used in its widest sense to include the tent and the court and everything contained in them, which are to be guarded from the approach of laymen. But on the other hand _ye_may denote the priests only, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_a gift, given unto_ JEHOVAH] See on Numbers 3:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall keep your priesthood_ i.e. perform its distinctive duties. _within the veil_ viz. the first hanging, at the entrance to the Holy Place. The Levites were debarred from entering any part of the tent, and from contact with the altar of burnt-offering in the court. _as a service of gift_ The ex... [ Continue Reading ]
A general statement that all the holy things of Israel are the property of the priests. This is afterwards limited by the regulations in the following verses. _the charge of_ MY CONTRIBUTIONS] i.e. the contributions made to me. See on Numbers 18:9. If -the charge" (the ordinary rendering of the Heb... [ Continue Reading ]
_The priests" dues_. These are as follows: (_a_) All meal-, sin-, and guilt-offerings, with the exception of those parts which are burnt on the altar, i.e. given to God. These may be eaten by any _male_member of the priestly families -in a very holy place" (Numbers 18:9). (_b_) Those portions of a -... [ Continue Reading ]
The portions -[reserved] from the fire" on the altar were a -handful" or a small undefined quantity of the meal-offerings (Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 2:9; Leviticus 2:16; Leviticus 5:12; Leviticus 6:15), and in the case of animal offerings certain portions of the fat (described in Leviticus 3:3-5; Lev... [ Continue Reading ]
_As the most holy things_ An improbable rendering, since the sacrifices in question have just been described (Numbers 18:9) by the term -the most holy things." Render: IN A MOST HOLY PLACE. This evidently denotes the court of the tabernacle (cf. Leviticus 6:16; Leviticus 6:26; Leviticus 7:6), though... [ Continue Reading ]
_the_ CONTRIBUTION FROM _their gift_ The portions of the peace-offering which were contributed to the priest, i.e. the breast and the right thigh. AND _all the wave-offerings_ i.e. _including_that part of the contribution the breast which was waved. For the ceremony of waving see on Numbers 18:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the best_ lit. -the fat" (as marg.). Cf. Deuteronomy 32:14; Psalms 81:16. This vague expression is explained by the more technical term _the firstfruits, or the_ FIRST (Heb. _rêshîth_); cf. Deuteronomy 18:4. The amount which the priest is to receive is not stated; but in later times fixed proportio... [ Continue Reading ]
_The firstripe fruits … which they bring unto_ JEHOVAH] The latter clause shews that only a part of the firstfruits was offered; but the proportions, as in the case of the _rêshîth_, are not stated. For a full discussion of the subject reference may be made to Gray, _Numbers_, pp. 224 9.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Every thing devoted_ Heb. _ḥçrem_. An object placed under a _ḥçrem_or ban was wholly given up to God and could not be redeemed. Gold and silver or other valuable articles might be captured in war, and similarly animals and human beings. The last are obviously excluded in the present regulation. Pos... [ Continue Reading ]
_of all flesh which they offer_ i.e. clean animals, for they alone could be offered.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_ AS TO HIS REDEMPTION MONEY, _from a month_, &c. The pronoun -his" refers to the firstborn of men, who were redeemed from death by 5 shekels. The price for the firstborn of unclean animals varied according to the priests" valuation (Leviticus 27:11 f., Leviticus 27:27). _from a month old_ i.e.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the flesh of them shall be thine_ Aaron is to receive the _whole_of their flesh, as he had received the breast and thigh of the peace-offering.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a covenant of salt_ In primitive days the eating of salt, or of the smallest portion of food belonging to another man, constituted a sacred bond of friendship. So the expression denotes -a covenant which cannot be broken." On the Hebrew ideas of a covenant see the writer's _Exodus_, pp. 150 4.... [ Continue Reading ]
The reason why the priests are to receive all these dues is that they are to possess no landed property in Canaan. Cf. Numbers 26:62; Joshua 14:3. This ordinance, however, did not exclude the assignment of certain cities, with their surrounding land, to the priests and Levites (Numbers 35:1-8; Joshu... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Levites" dues_. These consisted in tithe levied on agricultural produce only (cf. Numbers 18:27_; Numbers 18:30_). This was similarly assigned to the Levitical priests in the earlier law contained in Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Deuteronomy 26:12-15. But the present regulation is in advance of that i... [ Continue Reading ]
_A further payment to the priests_. The tithe of the crops belongs so entirely to the Levites that it is considered a source of property from which they in turn must pay a tithe to the priests.... [ Continue Reading ]
_your heave-offering your_ CONTRIBUTION, which you must make to the priests. as _the corn of the threshing-floor_ In the same way that all Israel give to you a tithe of com and wine, so shall ye give a tithe of that tithe to the priests.... [ Continue Reading ]
The regulation may be paraphrased as follows: When ye shall have contributed [as a tithe] the best part from it [i.e. from the tithe which you have received], then it [the remaining nine-tenths] shall be for your own use, just as the rest of Israel use their corn and wine after contributing a tithe... [ Continue Reading ]
_in every place_ Not in a holy place, but anywhere, as ordinary food for your households.... [ Continue Reading ]
_profane the holy things_ i.e. the tithe of the tithe, which they would profane if they did not give it to the priests.... [ Continue Reading ]