Numbers 18:27 kjv
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.
Numbers 18:27 nkjv
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.
Numbers 18:27 niv
Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.
Numbers 18:27 esv
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.
Numbers 18:27 nlt
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.
Numbers 18 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 18:21 | "I have given to the sons of Levi all the tithe in Israel... in return for their service." | Levites receive tithe. |
| Num 18:26 | "You shall speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you... then you shall present a heave offering from it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe." | Levites must tithe from their tithe. |
| Lev 27:30-32 | "Every tithe of the land... is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD." | Tithe is sacred to the Lord. |
| Deut 14:22-29 | Detailed instructions on tithing, including supporting the Levite within the gates. | Principles of tithing for support. |
| Mal 3:8-10 | "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me in tithes and contributions... Bring the full tithe into the storehouse." | Warning against neglecting tithes. |
| Neh 10:37-38 | Priests and Levites bringing in tithes, including the "tithe of the tithes" into the storehouse. | Practice of the Levites' tithe. |
| Gen 15:6 | "And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness." | God "reckons" or "imputes" righteousness. |
| Rom 4:3-5 | Paul quoting Gen 15:6, explaining faith is counted as righteousness, not works. | Faith is imputed, not earned. |
| Rom 4:22-24 | This statement, "It was counted to him," was not written for his sake alone, but for ours also, to whom God will count it—us who believe. | Principle of imputation for believers. |
| Deut 18:1-5 | Priests and Levites "shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the LORD’s offerings." | Support for priestly ministry. |
| 1 Cor 9:7-14 | Arguments for ministers receiving support, referencing those who serve at the altar get their living from the temple. | Support for spiritual laborers. |
| 1 Tim 5:18 | "For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’" | Laborer worthy of his hire. |
| Prov 3:9-10 | "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty." | Honoring God with firstfruits. |
| Heb 7:5-10 | Discusses how Levi paid tithes through Abraham to Melchizedek, highlighting the supremacy of the Melchizedekian priesthood over the Levitical. | The Levites subject to a higher tithing. |
| Matt 23:23 | Jesus rebukes Pharisees for tithing meticulously yet neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. | Heart behind the offering matters. |
| 2 Cor 9:6-7 | "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." | God values generous and cheerful giving. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." | Obedience is preferred over mere ritual. |
| Ps 50:7-15 | God states He doesn't need sacrifices, but desires thank offerings and keeping of vows. | God desires true worship and obedience. |
| Rom 12:1 | "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." | Self-dedication as an offering. |
| Phil 4:18 | Paul describes the Philippians' gift as "a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God." | Financial gifts as acceptable offerings. |
Numbers 18 verses
Numbers 18 27 Meaning
Numbers 18:27 states that the Levites' special "heave offering" (their tenth of the tithes they received from the Israelites) would be regarded by God as though it were direct firstfruit produce from their own land, like grain from the threshing floor or new wine from the winepress. It signifies that God accepts and values their secondary offering with the same esteem and divine recognition as the primary agricultural offerings brought by other Israelites. This verse validates their unique priestly support system and dignifies their service by ensuring their obedient offering is fully credited to them by the Lord.
Numbers 18 27 Context
Numbers chapter 18 defines the specific roles, responsibilities, and provisions for the Kohathites, Gershonites, Merarites, and the priests descended from Aaron. It establishes a sacred division of labor within the Tabernacle, emphasizing that the priests and Levites are distinct and holy to the Lord, dedicated to their unique duties in serving God and mediating for the people.
The immediate context is about the sustenance of the Levitical tribe. Because Levites were given no tribal land inheritance (Num 18:20, 23), their livelihood was divinely appointed: they were to receive the tithes from the other tribes of Israel (Num 18:21-24) as their wages for their service in the Tabernacle. In turn, these Levites were themselves required to bring a "heave offering" to the Lord from their portion—a "tenth of the tithe" (Num 18:26) which was then given to the high priest Aaron. Verse 27 ensures that this "secondary" offering by the Levites (a tithe from a tithe) is considered by God with the same honor and validity as the "primary" tithes and firstfruits brought directly from the land by the common Israelite. It protects the dignity and sacredness of the Levites' service and their offering, despite its indirect origin.
Numbers 18 27 Word analysis
- Your offering (תְּרוּמַתְכֶ֖ם - tərumaṯkem): Refers specifically to the "heave offering" (from the root rum meaning "to lift, elevate") that the Levites were mandated to give from the tithes they received. It is the best of their portion, "lifted up" as a dedication to the Lord for the priests.
- shall be reckoned (וְנֶחְשַׁב֙ - wəneḥšaḇ): This is the key term. From the Hebrew root ḥāšaḇ (חשב), meaning to count, account, think, compute, impute, or regard. Here it is in the Niphal (passive) form, meaning "it shall be accounted" or "it shall be credited." This carries significant theological weight, similar to Genesis 15:6 where Abram’s faith was "reckoned" as righteousness. It indicates God's divine calculation and acceptance, valuing something as equivalent to another. God attributes the same value to the Levites' unique offering.
- to you (לָכֶ֑ם - lāḵem): Emphasizes that this crediting or accounting is for the Levites. God formally recognizes their specific act of obedience and sacrificial giving as valid and esteemed in His sight.
- as (כִּתְבוּאַת - kiṯvuat): A comparative particle, signifying "as" or "like." It draws a direct parallel in terms of quality and divine acceptance.
- the increase of the threshing floor (גֹּ֤רֶן - gōren): Refers to the main product of the grain harvest, processed on the threshing floor where wheat or barley would be separated from the straw and chaff. It represents the prime, full yield directly from agricultural labor. It signifies substance and principal harvest.
- and as the increase of the winepress (יֶּ֤קֶב - yeqeḇ): Refers to the wine or grape juice produced at the winepress. Similar to the threshing floor, it represents the fresh, prime product of the vineyard, symbolic of abundance and newness.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Your offering shall be reckoned to you": This phrase highlights God's active role in recognizing and validating the Levites' contribution. It's not just a practical transaction; it's a divine act of accreditation, showing divine approval and satisfaction with their unique mode of giving. God treats their derived offering as if it were a direct primary offering from their own produce, affirming their standing before Him despite their landless status.
- "as the increase of the threshing floor and as the increase of the winepress": This emphasizes the quality and acceptance of the Levites' offering. By comparing it to the two most fundamental and representative types of firstfruits (grain and wine/oil), the Lord elevates their tithe of the tithe to the highest standard of acceptability. It's not a lesser offering because of its source; it's equal in divine sight to the first and best of all harvests from the land. This ensures the Levites feel valued and understood within the divine economy, acknowledging that their "income" derived differently but their responsibility to offer remained.
Numbers 18 27 Bonus section
- This verse ensures that the Levites felt equal to the other tribes in their contribution to the Tabernacle system, even though their "increase" came from a unique source (the tithes of others) rather than land they tilled themselves. It guards against any potential shame or sense of inferiority in their role.
- The use of ḥāšaḇ (reckoned/imputed) here shows a recurring theological principle in the Bible: God's gracious accounting where He credits value or righteousness. This echoes the concept applied to Abraham's faith in Genesis 15:6.
- This establishes the principle that those who minister and receive support for their full-time service are also obligated to be generous and give from what they receive, demonstrating their own faith and commitment to the Lord.
- It highlights God's fairness and understanding of different modes of provision. He respects the practical realities of the Levites' livelihood and graciously adjusts His divine accounting to fit their circumstances while still expecting their obedience and sacrifice.
Numbers 18 27 Commentary
Numbers 18:27 profoundly illustrates God's grace and just consideration for His servants. The Levites, without land, depended solely on the tithes of the Israelites for their sustenance as remuneration for their full-time service to God. This verse underscores that their obligatory "tithe of the tithe" was not seen by God as a mere deduction from their wages, or an inferior offering because its origin was secondary. Instead, God's promise that it "shall be reckoned to you as the increase of the threshing floor and as the increase of the winepress" bestows immense dignity and value upon their obedience. It signals divine imputation—God imputes to their offering the same spiritual and practical worth as the finest and most direct produce from the land. This validates their stewardship of the sacred tithe and reinforces that all, even those receiving for service, have a responsibility to offer back to the Lord from what they receive, and such an offering, if given obediently, is wholly acceptable and cherished by God. It assures the Levites, and by extension, all who faithfully serve the Lord today, that their dedicated contribution, even if unconventional in its source, is precious and fully acknowledged by Him.