Numbers 35:8 kjv
And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
Numbers 35:8 nkjv
And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives."
Numbers 35:8 niv
The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few."
Numbers 35:8 esv
And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites."
Numbers 35:8 nlt
These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land."
Numbers 35 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 18:21-24 | “Behold, I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance to the Levites... they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.” | Levites received no tribal land; their inheritance was the Lord's provisions. |
| Num 35:2-3 | “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in... with their pasturelands for their livestock.” | Specifies giving cities and pasturelands for Levite sustenance. |
| Num 35:6 | “You shall give six cities of refuge, to which the manslayer may flee, and in addition to them forty-two other cities.” | Establishes the total of 48 cities, including cities of refuge, which Num 35:8 proportionally allocates. |
| Num 26:54 | “To the larger tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance.” | Principle of land division based on tribal size, underpinning proportional giving in Num 35:8. |
| Num 33:54 | “You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance.” | Confirms the proportional division of the promised land by lot and clan size. |
| Josh 13-19 | (Chapters detailing the allocation of land to each tribe by lot). | Illustrates the practical division of land based on earlier divine instruction, including varying sizes for tribes. |
| Dt 12:18-19 | “And you shall rejoice... you and your son... and the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.” | Instruction not to forsake the Levite, recognizing their landless state. |
| Dt 16:17 | “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.” | New Testament principle of giving according to one's blessing and ability. |
| Lk 12:48 | “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” | New Testament principle of accountability proportional to gifts or entrusted resources. |
| 2 Cor 8:12 | “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” | New Testament principle of giving based on present ability, not beyond it. |
| Exod 16:18 | “He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack.” | Illustrates God's principle of equitable provision, where disparity is balanced (manna). |
| Lev 27:30-32 | “Every tithe of the land... and of the herd... shall be holy to the Lord.” | Israel's contributions (tithes) were also proportional to what they possessed, echoing the principle. |
| Mal 3:10 | “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” | Emphasis on supporting the priesthood and temple, implying regular provision. |
| 1 Cor 9:13-14 | “Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” | New Testament affirmation of supporting those in spiritual ministry, a parallel to supporting the Levites. |
| Neh 13:10-14 | (Describes the people's failure to provide for Levites and Nehemiah's reforms). | Shows the importance of properly sustaining Levites and the consequences of neglecting the divine command. |
| Ps 24:1 | “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” | Reminds Israel that all land and possessions ultimately belong to God, fostering proper stewardship. |
| 1 Chron 29:14 | “For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.” | Reinforces the theological basis for giving: it is giving back to God from what He has already given. |
| Rom 11:36 | “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” | Emphasizes God as the source, means, and end of all things, including material provisions and laws. |
| Exod 30:15 | “The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half-shekel...” | Shows that divine law includes principles of equal contribution in some contexts (e.g., temple tax for atonement), highlighting the specificity and purpose of proportionality in Num 35:8. |
| Dt 4:2 | “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it.” | Highlights the divine authority and unalterable nature of commands like that in Num 35:8. |
| Dt 5:32 | “You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you.” | Underscores the necessity of obedience to the specific details of the Law, including these proportional allocations. |
| Prov 11:1 | “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.” | Illustrates God's love for justice and fairness in all dealings, reflected in the equitable principle of Num 35:8. |
| Col 3:23-24 | “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance.” | Applies the principle of stewardship and reward; implicitly supporting the system that allows Levites to serve fully for the Lord. |
Numbers 35 verses
Numbers 35 8 Meaning
Numbers 35:8 prescribes a proportional system for the tribes of Israel to provide cities and their common lands to the Levites. Tribes receiving a larger land inheritance were to contribute more cities, while those with smaller inheritances were to contribute fewer. This ensured an equitable distribution of the burden, reflecting each tribe's capacity and wealth, and guaranteeing sustenance and dwelling places for the landless Levites.
Numbers 35 8 Context
Numbers chapter 35, beginning with verse 1, outlines specific instructions for the allocation of cities and pasturelands to the Levites from the inherited territories of the other Israelite tribes, as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Prior verses (Num 33:50-56; 34) detailed the command to dispossess the inhabitants of Canaan and establish the boundaries for tribal inheritances. The Levites, unique among the tribes, did not receive an exclusive territorial inheritance because their "inheritance" was the Lord Himself and their service in the Tabernacle (Num 18:20). To ensure their sustenance and to enable them to carry out their religious duties across Israel, God commanded that they be given cities to dwell in with their surrounding pasturelands. This chapter details the number of these cities (48 total, 6 of which were also to serve as Cities of Refuge) and then, in verse 8, provides the critical principle for their distribution among the donor tribes: proportionality based on the size of their tribal land inheritance. Historically, this ensured the functionality of the theocratic system by providing for the priests and ministers without overburdening any single tribe, reflecting God's equitable wisdom.
Numbers 35 8 Word analysis
- From the more (Hebrew: מֵהָרֹב - mêhārōḇ): Literally "from the abundance" or "from the many." This emphasizes the larger land holdings, indicating a greater capacity or prosperity of a tribe. It highlights the divine expectation for those who are blessed with more to contribute a greater share.
- you shall give more (Hebrew: תַּרְבּוּ - tarbū): "you shall increase." This is a direct command, an imperative verb, emphasizing the active role of the tribes in increasing their contributions proportionate to their abundance.
- and from the less (Hebrew: וּמֵהַמְעַט - ūmēham‘aṭ): Literally "and from the few" or "from the scarcity." This signifies tribes with smaller land portions or lesser inheritances, acknowledging their more limited capacity.
- you shall give less (Hebrew: תַּמְעִיטוּ - tam‘īṭū): "you shall diminish." Also an imperative, commanding the tribes with less land to provide a proportionally smaller share, ensuring they are not unduly burdened.
- Each in proportion to the inheritance (Hebrew: אִישׁ לְפִי נַחֲלָתוֹ - ’îš ləp̄î naḥălātō): "Each man according to his inheritance." This phrase establishes the clear standard for proportionality. Naḥălāh (inheritance) refers specifically to the tribal land allotment given by God. It signifies a divine endowment.
- that he acquires (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר יִנְחַל - ’ăšer yinḥal): "which he will inherit/possess." This further clarifies that the land is not merely seized, but received as a heritage, emphasizing its divine origin and distribution by lot.
- shall give of his cities (Hebrew: תִּתְּנוּ מֵעָרֵיכֶם - tittnū mē‘ārêḵem): "you shall give from your cities." This is the direct action to be taken and the specific type of contribution: residential cities with their common lands.
- to the Levites (Hebrew: לַלְוִיִּם - lalləwiyyim): The beneficiaries of this system. This specifies the divinely ordained purpose: to provide for the Levites who were separated for service and did not receive a land inheritance like the other tribes.
- "From the more, you shall give more; and from the less, you shall give less": This central clause articulates the principle of proportional giving. It's a fundamental concept of equitable distribution based on capacity, not simply equality of output. It prevents both over-contribution from those with limited means and under-contribution from those with abundance, promoting justice and fairness within the community.
- "Each in proportion to the inheritance that he acquires shall give of his cities to the Levites": This segment clarifies the exact basis and nature of the contribution. The "inheritance" (land given by God) is the measure, ensuring that the burden is distributed fairly according to the tribe's God-given possessions. The specific contribution ("cities") confirms the practical aspect of housing and provision for the Levites for their service throughout the land.
Numbers 35 8 Bonus section
- The instruction in Numbers 35:8 underlines a significant theological principle that responsibility often aligns with capacity or divine provision. Those entrusted with more (larger inheritance) were expected to contribute more to the communal welfare, specifically for the support of God's appointed ministers.
- The system for allocating Levitical cities served to decentralize spiritual authority and instruction, placing Levites as a priestly presence and teachers of the Torah throughout the tribal territories, fostering religious uniformity and preventing regional deviations. This decentralized structure supported both the people's spiritual needs and the effective administration of the Mosaic Law.
- While the law specifies "cities," it implicitly includes the adjacent "pasturelands" (Num 35:3) which were crucial for the Levites' livelihoods (for livestock, not farming). The term "cities" encompasses the holistic dwelling and immediate support system for the Levites.
Numbers 35 8 Commentary
Numbers 35:8 lays out a foundational principle for social and economic equity in the Old Testament: contributions should be proportional to one's means or inheritance. This divine directive ensures fairness among the Israelite tribes concerning their support for the Levites. Since the Levites, who bore significant responsibilities in teaching, judging, and maintaining the Tabernacle worship, did not receive an agricultural land inheritance, their sustenance was dependent on the other tribes. This proportional system prevented resentment, as smaller or less prosperous tribes were not unduly burdened, while larger tribes fulfilled a responsibility commensurate with their blessings. It underscored the theological truth that all possessions came from God, and a portion was to be given back, not just as an equal share but as an equitable share. This system not only sustained the Levites but also ensured their strategic dispersion throughout the land, making them accessible to all tribes for spiritual instruction and legal administration, vital for maintaining fidelity to the covenant and avoiding idolatry. The principle of giving according to what one has, rather than equality of amount, is a recurring theme in divine instruction, promoting justice and responsible stewardship.