Numbers 18 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Numbers 18 meaning explained in AI Summary

Duties and Support of the Priests and Levites

Priestly Responsibilities and Benefits: This chapter reiterates the specific duties and responsibilities of the priests and the Levites in the tabernacle service. The priests receive specific portions of the sacrifices and offerings for their sustenance.
Levites without Land Inheritance: The Levites are not allocated any land inheritance but are designated to assist the priests and receive their support from the tithes and offerings brought by the people.

This chapter outlines the responsibilities and provisions for the priests (from the tribe of Levi) and the Levites, emphasizing their sacred duties and their dependence on God for sustenance.

Responsibilities:

Aaron and his sons (the priests): They are responsible for the service of the sanctuary and the altar, acting as mediators between God and the Israelites. They are held accountable for any negligence in their duties.
The Levites: They are assigned to assist the priests in the tabernacle service, taking care of its maintenance and transportation. They are forbidden from performing priestly duties.

Provisions:

For the Priests:
- They receive no land inheritance, as the Lord is their inheritance.
- They receive a portion of various offerings made to God, including grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, and the redemption price for firstborn sons and animals.
- They receive the firstfruits of the Israelites' produce (grain, wine, oil, etc.) and the firstborn of their flocks.
For the Levites:
- They receive cities to live in and pasturelands for their animals.
- They receive a tithe (10%) of all the Israelites' produce as their inheritance, in return for their service in the tabernacle.

Key Themes:

Holiness and Separation: The priests and Levites are set apart for God's service and are held to a higher standard of holiness.
God's Provision: God provides for the priests and Levites through the offerings and tithes of the Israelites, demonstrating that those who serve Him will not lack.
Dependence on God: The lack of land inheritance for the priests emphasizes their complete dependence on God for their livelihood, reinforcing the idea that He is their ultimate provider.

Overall: Numbers 18 establishes the divinely ordained system of worship and support for the priests and Levites, highlighting their crucial role in mediating God's presence and blessings to the Israelites.

Numbers 18 bible study ai commentary

Following the rebellion of Korah, which challenged the Aaronic priesthood, Numbers 18 establishes a clear, divinely mandated order for the sanctuary. It definitively outlines the distinct roles, solemn responsibilities, and specific provisions for the priests and the Levites. The chapter serves as a constitution for the ministry, demarcating sacred duties to protect the holiness of God from the encroachment of the people, and in turn, protecting the people from the lethal consequences of profaning the holy. It establishes a unique economic system where the ministers of the sanctuary are landless, making God Himself and the offerings of His people their sole inheritance, thus ensuring their total dependence on Him.

Numbers 18 context

This chapter is a direct divine response to the terror expressed by the Israelites in Numbers 17:12-13: "Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone! Everyone who comes near... to the tabernacle of the LORD shall die." After Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16) and the supernatural confirmation of Aaron's staff (Numbers 17), the people were terrified of the sanctuary's holiness. Numbers 18 provides the solution: a structured, guarded system. Culturally, this was radical. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, priests were often a powerful and wealthy landed aristocracy. Israel's model of a landless priestly tribe, sustained solely by divinely legislated offerings, was a polemic against such systems. It prevented the priesthood from becoming a political power base and focused their dependency entirely on God and their sacred function.

Numbers 18:1

And the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity connected with your priesthood.”

In-depth-analysis

You... shall bear the iniquity: The Hebrew nasa' 'avon means to carry or bear guilt/consequence. This is not about their personal sin, but their official liability. They are the buffer zone.
Responsibility as Protection: Aaron's family acts as a spiritual guard. They are responsible for any desecration of the sanctuary or its rites, whether accidental or intentional, by themselves or an outsider. This holy responsibility protects the congregation from the lethal consequences of profaning what is holy.
Two Spheres of Liability:
1. Iniquity of the Sanctuary: Broader responsibility shared with the Levites for the physical precincts.
2. Iniquity of the Priesthood: A deeper liability for the holy functions, exclusive to the priests (Aaron's sons).

Bible references

Exodus 28:38: "It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things... that it may be accepted for them before the LORD." (Directly parallels the high priest's role in bearing guilt).
Hebrews 5:1-3: "For every high priest... can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness... he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people." (Explains the mediatorial role of a human priest).
Leviticus 10:1-2: "Now Nadab and Abihu... offered unauthorized fire before the LORD... and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them." (A stark example of the consequences of violating priestly duties).

Cross references

Lev 22:9 (priests bearing sin for mishandling holy things); Num 1:53 (Levites encamp around tabernacle to prevent wrath); Ezek 44:10-16 (delineates future priestly responsibilities).

Numbers 18:2-4

“And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined to you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar, lest they, and you, die. They shall be joined to you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you.”

In-depth-analysis

Joined to you: The Hebrew word for "joined" is yalvu, which is a wordplay on the name "Levi" (Levi means "joined"). Their name reflects their function: to be attached to the priests as assistants.
Minister to you: Their primary role is one of service (sharat) and support to the priests. This establishes a clear hierarchy: Priests minister to God; Levites minister to the priests.
Clear Boundaries: The Levites' sphere is the Tabernacle's general service and security. The priests' sphere is the holy vessels and the altar. This line cannot be crossed, on pain of death for both the Levite who trespasses and the priest who allows it. This directly addresses the error of Korah (a Levite) who sought the priesthood.
No Outsider: An zar (outsider, stranger) refers to any non-Levite, reinforcing the exclusive calling of this tribe for sanctuary service.

Bible references

Numbers 3:9: "And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel." (The Levites as a divine gift to the priesthood).
1 Chronicles 23:28-32: "For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD... and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening." (Details the specific helping roles of the Levites in the Temple).
Ephesians 4:11-12: "And he gave the apostles, the prophets... to equip the saints for the work of ministry..." (Parallels the principle of different roles working together to serve a higher purpose).

Cross references

Num 8:19 (Levites as substitutes for firstborn); Deut 33:10 (Levites' role in teaching the law).

Numbers 18:5-7

“And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may be no more wrath on the people of Israel. And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. But you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift of service, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

In-depth-analysis

No more wrath: Explicitly links this command back to the incident of Korah and the subsequent plague. Order prevents divine judgment.
Gift to you, given to the LORD: The Levites are first given to God, who then gives them as a gift (mattanah) to the priests. This elevates the nature of their service—they are not mere servants but a divine provision.
Priesthood as a Gift of Service: The Hebrew is avodat mattanah, "a service of gift." The priesthood is not a right to be seized (as Korah attempted) but a gracious gift from God. It confers high honor but also demands humble service (avodah, the same word used for labor/slavery).
Within the veil: Refers to the Holy of Holies, the most restricted and sacred space, accessible only to the High Priest once a year. This emphasizes the pinnacle of priestly access.

Bible references

1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation... so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you..." (All believers are given the gift of a priestly status and service in the New Covenant).
Romans 12:1: "...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (The believer's service (latreia) as their priestly duty).
Hebrews 9:6-7: "These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section... but into the second only the high priest goes..." (Details the priestly duties within the Tabernacle, distinguishing access).

Cross references

Num 3:12 (Levites taken instead of firstborn); Rom 15:16 (Paul viewing his ministry in priestly terms).

Numbers 18:8-19

Then the LORD spoke to Aaron... I have given you charge of the contributions made to me... All the best of the oil and all the best of the new wine and of the grain... they shall be yours... All the holy contributions... I have given to you... It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you.

In-depth-analysis

Priests' Portion: This section meticulously lists the priests' "salary." They receive portions from nearly every category of offering: grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, wave offerings, firstfruits, and firstborn animals.
The Best: The priests receive the reshit, the first and the best, signifying the honor due to God's ministers. The choicest parts are for them.
Hierarchy of Holiness: The "most holy" portions (from sacrifices) must be eaten by male priests in the sacred court. The "holy" portions (firstfruits, etc.) could be eaten by their entire "clean" family in any clean place.
Covenant of Salt: Hebrew is berit melach. Salt was a preservative and symbolized permanence, incorruptibility, and loyalty. A "covenant of salt" is an unbreakable, eternally binding agreement. God is guaranteeing their provision in the most solemn way. This isn't a suggestion; it's a divine, permanent contract.

Bible references

Leviticus 2:13: "You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering." (Connects salt directly to covenantal offerings).
1 Corinthians 9:13-14: "Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple...? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel." (Paul applies the principle of priestly provision to New Testament ministry).
2 Chronicles 13:5: "Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David... by a covenant of salt?" (The only other biblical use of this phrase, signifying the permanence of the Davidic dynasty).

Cross references

Lev 6-7 (detailed priestly portions); Deut 18:3-5 (rules for priestly provision); Neh 10:35-39 (post-exilic reaffirmation of these tithes/offerings); Mal 3:10 (blessings for bringing the full tithe).

Numbers 18:20

And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.”

In-depth-analysis

Radical Detachment: In an agrarian society, land was everything—the source of wealth, status, security, and identity. Denying priests land was a radical act.
Divine Substitution: The lack of physical inheritance is replaced by a far greater spiritual one: God Himself. Their well-being is not tied to soil, but to the sovereign Lord. Their "portion" (cheleq) and "inheritance" (nachalah) are not a piece of Canaan, but Yahweh.
Polemic: This directly opposes the practice of other ANE religions where priestly classes accumulated vast estates and political power. It kept Israel's priesthood from becoming a self-serving aristocracy and forced a life of faith and dependence.

Bible references

Psalm 16:5: "The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot." (The Psalmist, likely David, takes this priestly identity upon himself personally).
Ezekiel 44:28: "This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. And you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession." (The principle is re-established for the ideal future temple).
2 Corinthians 6:16: "For we are the temple of the living God... I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (The intimacy of God's presence as the inheritance for the New Covenant believer).
Colossians 1:12: "...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." (The believer's inheritance is spiritual, not earthly).

Cross references

Deut 10:9 (no inheritance for Levi); Josh 13:33 (confirming this during the conquest); Ps 73:26 (my flesh may fail, but God is my portion forever).

Numbers 18:21-24

“To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting... But the tithes of the people of Israel... I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.”

In-depth-analysis

The Levites' Salary: The Levites' "inheritance" is the tithe (ma'aser, a tenth) from the entire nation's agricultural produce. This is their payment for the sacred "work" (avodah) they perform.
System of Delegation: God owns the tithe (Lev 27:30), and He assigns it to the Levites. The Israelites don't pay the Levites; they give to God, and God provides for His ministers.
The Same Restriction: Like the priests, the Levites are landless, reinforcing their special status and dependence on the system of worship for their livelihood. This unified the tribe around the sanctuary.

Bible references

Leviticus 27:30, 32: "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD." (The tithe belongs to God before it is given to the Levites).
Nehemiah 10:37: "...and that we should bring the tithes of our ground to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor." (Shows the system in practice after the exile).
Hebrews 7:5: "And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people..." (Used as part of the argument for Christ's superior Melchizedekian priesthood).

Cross references

Gen 14:20 (precedent of tithing from Abraham to Melchizedek); Mal 3:8-10 (rebuke for withholding tithes); Matt 23:23 (Jesus affirms the principle of tithing).

Numbers 18:25-32

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe’... and from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest... You shall not bear sin because of it, when you have contributed the best of it.”

In-depth-analysis

Tithe of the Tithe: Hebrew ma'aser min ha-ma'aser. The Levites, as recipients of God's provision, are also required to give. They take their income (the tithe) and present a tenth of that to the priests.
The Best Part: This offering, called a terumah (contribution), must be from the "best of it" (khelbo, its fat/best). This demonstrates a core principle: everyone, even full-time ministers, must honor God with their first and best. No one is exempt from the principle of giving.
Equal Standing: This act "shall be credited to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor." God esteems the Levites' tithe from their income just as He does the farmer's tithe from his produce.
Not Bear Sin: By properly handling these sacred provisions—giving the priests their due and not profaning the rest—the Levites avoid the guilt associated with mishandling holy things.

Bible references

Nehemiah 10:38: "And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when they receive the tithes; and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the store-rooms of the treasury." (The explicit historical outworking of this command).
Proverbs 3:9: "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." (The universal principle of giving the first and best to God).
2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (The New Covenant principle of giving, which maintains the spirit of honoring God from one's substance).

Cross references

Heb 7:9 (Levi metaphorically paid tithes to Melchizedek).

Numbers chapter 18 analysis

A Theocratic Economic System: The entire system is built on a God-centered economy. The ministers are landless, forcing them to live by faith. The people are commanded to give, forcing them to acknowledge God as the source of all their produce. This system structurally bound the nation's spiritual life with its economic life.
Concentric Circles of Holiness: The chapter creates a map of holiness with God at the center. The altar/Holy of Holies is most holy (priests only). The rest of the sanctuary is holy (priests and Levites). The camp of Israel is the outer ring. The regulations in Numbers 18 are the "guardrails" between these circles.
The Priest as a Type of Christ: The priest's role in "bearing the iniquity" of the sanctuary is a powerful foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. While the priest bore responsibility for ritual error, Christ bore the actual iniquity of all humanity (Isaiah 53:6, 1 Peter 2:24). While the priest was a gift of service, Christ is the ultimate gift and servant (Mark 10:45). God was the priest's inheritance, and in Christ, God is our inheritance (Eph 1:11-14).
The Tithe Principle: The chapter establishes a comprehensive system of giving. The tithe isn't "charity" for the poor but the Lord's sacred provision, which He then directs to His ministers for their service. This principle, that ministers should be sustained by the people they serve, is carried into the New Testament (1 Cor 9:14, 1 Tim 5:17-18).

Numbers 18 summary

In response to the people's fear of the holy sanctuary, God provides a framework of order. He assigns priests the sole duty of ministering at the altar and holds them liable for any ritual error, thus protecting the people. He assigns the Levites to assist the priests. Instead of land, the priests receive the firstfruits and choice portions of the offerings, and the Levites receive the national tithe. The Levites in turn must tithe from their portion to the priests. This system establishes that God Himself is their inheritance and provision, ensuring sacred order and dependence on Him alone.

Numbers 17 AI Numbers 19 AI

Numbers 18 AI Image Audio and Video

Numbers chapter 18 kjv

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.
² And 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.
³ And 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.
⁴ And 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.
⁵ And 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.
⁶ And 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.
⁷ Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for everything 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.
⁹ This 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.
¹⁰ In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
¹¹ And 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.
¹² All 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.
¹⁴ Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
¹⁵ Every 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.
¹⁶ And 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.
¹⁷ But 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 savor unto the LORD.
¹⁸ And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
¹⁹ All 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.
²¹ And, 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.
²² Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
²³ But 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.
²⁴ But 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.
²⁵ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
²⁶ Thus 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.
²⁷ And 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.
²⁸ Thus 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.
²⁹ Out 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.
³⁰ Therefore 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.
³¹ And 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.
³² And 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.

Numbers chapter 18 nkjv

¹ Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.
² Also bring with you your brethren of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of witness.
³ They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die?they and you also.
⁴ They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; but an outsider shall not come near you.
⁵ And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there may be no more wrath on the children of Israel.
⁶ Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
⁷ Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
⁸ And the LORD spoke to Aaron: "Here, I Myself have also given you charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever.
⁹ This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons.
¹⁰ In a most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
¹¹ "This also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
¹² "All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits which they offer to the LORD, I have given them to you.
¹³ Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
¹⁴ "Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
¹⁵ "Everything that first opens the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.
¹⁶ And those redeemed of the devoted things you shall redeem when one month old, according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
¹⁷ But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.
¹⁸ And their flesh shall be yours, just as the wave breast and the right thigh are yours.
¹⁹ "All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you."
²⁰ Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
²¹ "Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
²² Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.
²³ But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
²⁴ For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, 'Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.' "
²⁵ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
²⁶ "Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: 'When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe.
²⁷ 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.
²⁸ Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the LORD's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them.'
³⁰ Therefore you shall say to them: 'When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress.
³¹ You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting.
³² And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.' "

Numbers chapter 18 niv

¹ The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.
² Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.
³ They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.
⁴ They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting?all the work at the tent?and no one else may come near where you are.
⁵ "You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again.
⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the tent of meeting.
⁷ But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death."
⁸ Then the LORD said to Aaron, "I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion, your perpetual share.
⁹ You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.
¹⁰ Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.
¹¹ "This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.
¹² "I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest.
¹³ All the land's firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.
¹⁴ "Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours.
¹⁵ The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.
¹⁶ When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.
¹⁷ "But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
¹⁸ Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours.
¹⁹ Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for both you and your offspring."
²⁰ The LORD said to Aaron, "You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.
²¹ "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.
²² From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.
²³ It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites.
²⁴ Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: 'They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.'?"
²⁵ The LORD said to Moses,
²⁶ "Speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD's offering.
²⁷ Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.
²⁸ In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD's portion to Aaron the priest.
²⁹ You must present as the LORD's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.'
³⁰ "Say to the Levites: 'When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.
³¹ You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.
³² By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.'?"

Numbers chapter 18 esv

¹ So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.
² And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
³ They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die.
⁴ They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you.
⁵ And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel.
⁶ And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
⁷ And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
⁸ Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due.
⁹ This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me, shall be most holy to you and to your sons.
¹⁰ In a most holy place shall you eat it. Every male may eat it; it is holy to you.
¹¹ This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, all the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
¹² All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you.
¹³ The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
¹⁴ Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
¹⁵ Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.
¹⁶ And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
¹⁷ But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
¹⁸ But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours.
¹⁹ All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you."
²⁰ And the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.
²¹ "To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
²² so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.
²³ But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
²⁴ For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel."
²⁵ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
²⁶ "Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, 'When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe.
²⁷ And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.
²⁸ So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.'
³⁰ Therefore you shall say to them, 'When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress.
³¹ And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.
³² And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.'"

Numbers chapter 18 nlt

¹ Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood.
² "Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi ? your ancestral tribe ? to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.
³ But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die.
⁴ The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.
⁵ "You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the LORD's anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel.
⁶ I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD for service in the Tabernacle.
⁷ But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death."
⁸ The LORD gave these further instructions to Aaron: "I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share.
⁹ You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the most holy offerings ? including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings ? will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons.
¹⁰ You must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it as most holy.
¹¹ "All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings.
¹² "I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the LORD ? the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain.
¹³ All the first crops of their land that the people present to the LORD belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.
¹⁴ "Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the LORD also belongs to you.
¹⁵ "The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the LORD will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals.
¹⁶ Redeem them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces of silver (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).
¹⁷ "However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the LORD. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
¹⁸ The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before the altar.
¹⁹ Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the LORD. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant between the LORD and you, and it also applies to your descendants."
²⁰ And the LORD said to Aaron, "You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.
²¹ As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.
²² "From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die.
²³ Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites,
²⁴ because I have given them the Israelites' tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the LORD. This will be the Levites' share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites."
²⁵ The LORD also told Moses,
²⁶ "Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive ? a tithe of the tithe ? to the LORD as a sacred offering.
²⁷ The LORD will consider this offering to be your harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing floor or wine from your own winepress.
²⁸ You must present one-tenth of the tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the LORD. This is the LORD's sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest.
²⁹ Be sure to give to the LORD the best portions of the gifts given to you.
³⁰ "Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress.
³¹ You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle.
³² You will not be considered guilty for accepting the LORD's tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die."