Numbers 18

God sheweth Aaron and his sons their office, appointing them the Levites for their service, verse 1. etc. settleth the maintenance of Aaron, and his sons, 8. As also the Levites, 21. Who were to pay Tenths of their Tenths, to the High-Priests, 25.

1. Then the LORD said to Aaron; [viz. to dispossess the people of the fear that was upon them, mentioned in the two last verses of the foregoing Chapter; and to prompt them with the means of preventing the like mischief hereafter] thou and thy sons, and thy Fathers house ith thee, shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary: [id est, the punishment of what is done amiss in the Sanctuary, and the Ceremonies thereof; therefore ye ought to look well to it, that every one remain within the Verge and limits of his function: otherwise, you must undergo the punishment. See Leviticus, 5. on verse 1.] and thou and thy sons with thee shalt bear the iniquity of your priestly Office. [i.e. the punishment of what is done amiss in the Priestly Office; when ye shall not carry your selves in it as ye ought, or suffer a stranger to meddle and transgress therein.]

2. And also thy brethren, the Tribe of Levi, the Tribe of thy father, shalt thou cause to approach with thee, that they may be joined to thee, and serve thee: but thou and thy sonnes with thee, shall be for the Tent of the Testimony. [See above, Chapter 7. on verse 4.]

3. And they shall observe thy Guard, and the Guard of all the Tent; yet to the furniture of the Sanctuary, and to the Altar, they shall not approach, that they die not; as well they, as your selves. [Hebrew. also they, also yourselves; viz. when you prevent it not, or suffer it to be done through carelessness, or connivance.]

4. But they shall be joined unto thee, and observe the Guard of the Tent of the Congregation, in all the service of the Tent: and a stranger shall not approach unto thee. [i.e. he that is not of the Tribe of Levi, shall not be admitted to serve and minister unto thee.]

5. Ye now shall observe the Guard of the Sanctuary, and the Guard of the Altar: that there may be no indignation [viz. of the LORD] more, over of the children of Israel. [i.e. no such Plague or judgement, as formerly befell Korah and his accomplices.]

6. For, I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites, out of the midst of the children of Israel: they are a gift unto you, given to the LORD, [Others, given unto you for your service, and thereby given up and dedicated to the service of the LORD] for to administer the service of the Tent of the Congregation.

7. But thou and thy sons with thee shall observe your priestly Office, in all matters of the Altar, and in that which is within the Vail, [Whereby the Holy place is divided from the Court] that ye shall administer: your priests office I give (unto you) for a ministrie of a gift, [i.e. this that you and your posterity are made choice of the priestly Office before others, and are appointed to administer the same, is a meer gift and grace of own; as also I have given to the Levites their Office: neither you, nor they, deserved it at my hands. And thus likewise is the spiritual estate, betokened and typified hereby, to wit, our communion ith our High Priest Jesus Christ, together with his merits and saving mercies, a meer gift of the grace and favour of the LORD, Isa.9.5. Rom.3.24. and 8.32. and 11.35. Eph.2.7,8,9. And 2Tim.1.9. 1 Pet.2.9,10. 1 John 4:10. Rev.1.5.6.] and the stranger that approacheth, [not being of Aarons line, and going about to Intermeddle with the priestly Office. See above, chapter 16.40. and 2 Chronicles 26:19.] shall be put to death.

8. Moreover, the LORD spake to Aaron; and I, behold, I, have given thee the Guard of my heave-offerings, [See above, chapter 5, on verse 9.] with all holy things [Hebrew. Holinesses. See Leviticus 5. On verse 15.] of the children of Israel, have I given you them, for the anointing sake, [i.e. for that thou art anointed to this Holy Office. See Leviticus 8:11.etc.] and to thy sons for an everlasting Institution. [viz. until the coming of the Messiah, see Genesis 13. On verse 15. And 17.7.]

9. This thou salt have of the Holiness of Holiness. [See Levit.2.on v.3.] out of the fire: [i.e. that which is no burnt-offering, or appointed to be wholly burnt with fire upon the Altar, but is remaining over of the fire-offerings, &c.] all their sacrifices, with all their meat-offering, and with all their sin-offering, and with all their guilt-offering that they shall render unto me; it shall be a holiness of Holiness, to thee, and to thy sons. [i.e. thou and thy sons ought to account of it as a very Holy thing; others, an Holiness of Holinesses, it shall be thine and thy sons; i.e. therefore, because it is a very holy thing, shalt thou and thy sons have it.]

10. At the most Holy place shalt thou eat the same: [Either within the Holy place it self, or without by the Altar of burnt-offerings, which also it self is called an Holiness of Holinesses, Exodus 29:37. See further, Leviticus 6:16.26, and chapter 7. Verse 6. And chapter 8. 31. And 14.13. this place is called, The Holy of Holies; or most or very holy place, in comparison of all the Court, where all the Congregation assembled. God would have the Priests to eat all these things in this place, to shew the Holiness of these sacrifices, and with all, to refrain the Priest thereby from all gluttony and distemper; eating there as in the presence of God, and guests at his Table: of what they might otherwise in their private houses eat, and who, see verse 11.13,19.] all the male shall eat that; it shall be an Holiness unto you.

11. Also this shall be yours; the heave-offering of their gift, with all them wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, for an everlasting Institution: every one that is clean in thy House, shall eat the same.

12. All the best [Hebrew. fat, and so in the sequel, and below, verse 29,30.32. See Genesis.45. on v18.] of the oil, and all the best of the Must and of Corn, their firstlings, which they shall give unto the LORD, to thee have I given them.

13. The first-fruits of all that is in their Land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine: every one that is clean in thy house, shall eat the same.

14. Every banned (thing) [See Levit.27.28.] in Israel shall be thine.

15. All that openeth the womb, [Hebrew. All, or every opening of the womb, see Exodus 13:2, 12,13,15. and Numbers 3. Verse 12.] of all flesh, which they shall bring unto the LORD, among men, and among beasts, shall be thine: but the first-born of men thou shalt wholly redeem: [Hebrew. redeeming redeem; i.e. cause to be altogether redeemed; and thus the redeeming is like wise to be understood in the following verses, for causing, or, letting, permitting to be redeemed] also, thou shalt redeem the first-borne of the unclean beasts.

16. Those now among them which are to be redeemed, thou shalt redeem from a monthly old, [Hebrew, from a son of a month] according to thine estimation, [which thou art to square according to my precept, as appeareth in the sequel] for the money, [or silver] of five shekels, according to the shekel of the Sanctuary; [See Genesis 20. on v.16. and chapter 23. On. Verse 15. The same is twenty Gerabs; see Leviticus 27. On verse 25.]

17. But the first-born of a cow, or the first-born of a sheep, or the first-born of a Goat, thou salt not redeem; they are Holy: [Hebrew Holiness, i.e. an Holy thing] their blood salt thou sprinkle upon the Altar, and their fat shalt thou kindle for a fire-offering of a pleasing smell to the LORD.

18. And their flesh shall be thine: as the wave-breast, [See Lev.7.34.] and as the right shoulder, [or, Leg] shall it be thine.

19. All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall offer unto the LORD, have I given unto thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee; for an everlasting Institution: [With these and the following words, God would prevent and refrain all further murmurings, exceptions, and disputes among the Israelites] It shall be an everlasting Covenant of Salt, [i.e. a lasting and constant one; as we see the things which are salted, endure longer, and are preserved from rotting and corruption. See Leviticus 2. On verse 13. And 2 Chronicles 13:5.] before the face of the LORD, for thee, and for thy seed with thee.

20. Also the LORD said unto Aaron; Thou shalt not inherit in their Land, and thou shalt have no portion in the midst of them; I am thy Portion, and thine inheritance: [Compare, Deuteronomy 10. On verse 9.] in the middest of the children of Israel.

21. And behold unto the children of Levi, [or, as for the children of Levi, behold, etc.] have I given all the Tenths in Israel for an Inheritance: [See Leviticus 27. On verse 30.] for their service which they administer, for the service of the Tent of the Congregation.

22. and the children of Israel shall no more approach to the Tent of the Congregation, to bear sin, [i.e. to draw guilt upon themselves, and incurre punishment; See above on verse 1. and below, v.32.] (and) to die. [as happened unto Korah, and his followers, see above, chapter 16.]

23. But the Levites, [Hebrew Levi] They shall administer the service of the Tent of the Congregation; and they shall bear their iniquity: [i.e. they shall bear the punishment themselves, if they transgress in their Ministry; see above, verse 1.] it shall be an everlasting Institution for your Generations; and they shall inherit no Inheritance in the middest of the children of Israel.

24. For the tenths of the children of Israel, which they shall offer unto the LORD for a heave-offering, have I given unto the Levites for an Inheritance; therefore, have I told them; They shall inherit no Inheritance in the middest of the children of Israel.

25. And the LORD spake unto Moseh, saying;

26. Thou shalt likewise speak unto the Levites, and say unto them; when ye shall have received the Tithes of the children of Israel, which I have given you of them for your Inheritance; then shall ye offer thereof an heave-offering of the LORD, the tenths of these tenths.

27. And it shall be imputed unto you, for your heave-offering, as corn of the threshing floor; [i.e. it shall be accounted, and be as acceptable, as if ye had Land of your own, and did offer the Tenths or Tithes thereof like unto the rest of the Tribes] an as the fullness of the press. [understand the Wine-press, and Oil-press; see Joel 2:24.]

28. So also shall ye offer an heave-offering of the LORD, of all your Tithes, which ye shall have received of the children of Israel: and ye shall give the LORDS heave-offering thereof unto the Priest Aaron.

29. Of all your gifts, [i.e. of all the Tithes which are given you] shall ye offer every [i.e. all manner of] heave offering of the LORD; of all the best [Hebrew fat above, verse 12. And in the next verse] thereof, its hallowing thereof. [i.e. that portion thereof whereby your Tinthes are hallowed, so that ye my use and enjoy the same with a good Conscience. See below v.32. others, its holy part thereof.]

30. Thou then shalt say unto them: when ye offer the best thereof, then shall it be imputed to the Levites, as an in come (or revenue) of the threshing floor, and as an in-come of the press: [See above on verse 27.]

31. And ye shall eat the same in all places, ye and your house: for it is a reward unto you, for your service in the Tent of the Congregation.

32. So shall ye bear no sin over it, [See above, verse 1. And 22.] when ye offer the best of it: [Hebrew, the fat, as above, verse 12. See the Note there] and yee shall not unhallow (or prophane) the holy things of the children of Israel, that ye die not.