Numbers 18 23

Numbers 18:23 kjv

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.

Numbers 18:23 nkjv

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.

Numbers 18:23 niv

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.

Numbers 18:23 esv

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.

Numbers 18:23 nlt

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,

Numbers 18 verses

Numbers 18 23 Meaning

Numbers 18:23 stipulates three perpetual decrees concerning the Levites: they are designated for continual service in the Tabernacle of meeting, they bear a unique accountability or consequence for their duties and any associated sacrilege, and unlike other tribes, they shall receive no territorial inheritance among the children of Israel. This establishes their exclusive role as servants of the sanctuary, dependent on God's provision through the nation's offerings, thereby emphasizing their full dedication to spiritual duties and the solemnity of their office.

Numbers 18 23 Context

Numbers chapter 18 defines the distinct roles, responsibilities, and provisions for the priests (Aaron's descendants) and the Levites (other descendants of Levi). This detailed legislation follows the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16-17), which challenged the divine appointment of the Aaronic priesthood and the unique role of the Levites. In response, God reiterates and clarifies the sacred boundaries and responsibilities to reinforce the legitimacy and sanctity of the established order. Verse 23 specifically addresses the non-priestly Levites, outlining their primary function (service), the severe implications of their sacred office (bearing iniquity), and their unique economic status (no land inheritance). This served to prevent future usurpations, underscore the seriousness of serving God, and ensure the Levites' undivided devotion to their tasks. Historically, during the wilderness wandering, these decrees shaped the nascent nation of Israel's tribal organization and religious life.

Numbers 18 23 Word analysis

• But (אַךְ - ʼAk): An emphatic conjunction indicating a contrast or a specific focus following a general statement, here distinguishing the Levites' role after priestly instructions.
• the Levites (הַלְוִיִּם - ha-Lewiyyim): The tribal descendants of Levi who were designated to assist the priests in the Tabernacle but were not of Aaron's priestly lineage. Their entire existence was dedicated to sanctuary service.
• shall do the service (יְשָׁרְתוּ - yesharetû): From the root sharath, meaning to minister, attend, serve. It implies active, diligent, and continuous devotion to their designated tasks within the Tabernacle, such as guarding, transporting, and maintaining the sanctuary.
• of the tabernacle of meeting (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד - ōhel mô‘ēd): The "tent of appointment" or "tent of meeting," the portable sanctuary where God communicated with Israel. This specifies the location and nature of their service—it was sacred work for God's presence.
• and they shall bear their iniquity (וְהֵמָּה יִשְׂאוּ עֲוֹנָם - wᵉheima yis’û ʻăwōnām): This profound phrase indicates their direct accountability.
  • yis’û (bear): To carry, lift, endure, or take upon oneself.
  • ʻăwōnām (their iniquity): Refers to guilt, punishment for sin, or the consequence of wrongdoing.
  • This implies they are held responsible for any defilement of the sacred things or dereliction of their specific duties, risking divine judgment if they act carelessly or irreverently (cf. Num 18:1 where priests bear the iniquity of sanctuary). It also underscores the weight and holiness of their task.
• it shall be a statute forever (חֻקַּת עוֹלָם - ḥoq ʻôlām): An enduring, perpetual, and unchanging ordinance. This phrase signifies the permanent nature of God's decree regarding their role, responsibilities, and status across all generations.
• throughout your generations (לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם - lᵉdōrōtêkem): Reinforces the perpetual nature of this command, extending its applicability to all future descendants of the Levites.
• and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance (וּבְתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם נַחֲלָה - ûḇetôḵ bᵉnē Yiśrā’ēl lō-yihyēh lāhem naḥălāh): This is a critical point of distinction.
  • naḥălāh (inheritance): Specifically refers to the tribal allocation of land in Canaan.
  • The Levites were unique in not receiving a land inheritance because the Lord Himself was declared to be their inheritance (Num 18:20, Deut 10:9, Josh 13:33). This meant they were completely reliant on God's provision through the tithes and offerings from the other tribes, ensuring their dedication remained singularly focused on spiritual duties, not worldly gain. This also prevented them from being tied to secular pursuits.

Numbers 18 23 Bonus section

The Levites' status as "no inheritance" tribesmen yet fully sustained by the offerings of the people underscores a divinely ordained interdependence between those who serve God exclusively and the broader community. The Levites served as an object lesson for all Israel, showing what it meant for God to be one's true "portion." This structure also ensured that the Levitical families were dispersed throughout the land (given specific Levitical cities among all tribes, as detailed in Joshua 21) rather than concentrated in one land-block, thus enabling them to effectively serve and teach God's law to all segments of the population. This design prevents both their economic vulnerability and their concentration of power, balancing dependence with pervasive spiritual influence.

Numbers 18 23 Commentary

Numbers 18:23 profoundly delineates the unique, consecrated existence of the Levites, an existence fundamentally distinct from the other tribes of Israel. Their life was entirely consecrated to the sacred "service of the Tabernacle of meeting," indicating their ongoing, meticulous devotion to the sanctuary's operations, guard, and transport. The injunction that "they shall bear their iniquity" is a stern reminder of the extreme sanctity and peril associated with their duties. This means they were directly accountable before God for their conduct within the holy domain, bearing the consequences of any negligence or defilement in their handling of divine things or failure in their duties. This concept underscores God's absolute holiness and the serious repercussions of mismanaging or disrespecting sacred trusts. The perpetual "statute forever throughout your generations" emphasizes the unchangeable, enduring nature of this divine ordination. Lastly, their "no inheritance" of land in Israel signified their complete dependence on the Lord as their portion, setting them apart from any worldly entanglement. Their sustenance came directly from the tithes and offerings of the other tribes, cementing their role as God's exclusive servants. This established a critical precedent for spiritual dedication: true servants of God find their inheritance and security in Him, freeing them to pursue His work without the distraction of worldly possessions. This dedication ensures the spiritual health and adherence to God's law for the whole community.