Numbers 18
18
Responsibilities of the Priests
1#sn This chapter and the next may have been inserted here to explain how the priests are to function because in the preceding chapter Aaron’s position was affirmed. The chapter seems to fall into four units: responsibilities of priests (vv. 1-7), their portions (vv. 8-19), responsibilities of Levites (vv. 20-24), and instructions for Levites (vv. 25-32). The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your tribe#tn Heb “your father’s house.” with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary,#sn The responsibility for the sanctuary included obligations relating to any violation of the sanctuary. This was stated to forestall any further violations of the sanctuary. The priests were to pay for any ritual errors, primarily if any came too near. Since the priests and Levites come near all the time, they risk violating ritual laws more than any. So, with the great privileges come great responsibilities. The bottom line is that they were responsible for the sanctuary. and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
2 “Bring with you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may join#sn The verb forms a wordplay on the name Levi, and makes an allusion to the naming of the tribe Levi by Leah in the book of Genesis. There Leah hoped that with the birth of Levi her husband would be attached to her. Here, with the selection of the tribe to serve in the sanctuary, there is the wordplay again showing that the Levites will be attached to Aaron and the priests. The verb is יִלָּווּ (yillavu), which forms a nice wordplay with Levi (לֵוִי). The tribe will now be attached to the sanctuary. The verb is the imperfect with a vav (ו) that shows volitive sequence after the imperative, here indicating a purpose clause. with you and minister to you while#tn The clause is a circumstantial clause because the disjunctive vav (ו) is on a nonverb to start the clause. you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They must be responsible to care for you and to care for the entire tabernacle. However, they must not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die. 4 They must join#tn Now the sentence uses the Niphal perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive from the same root לָוָה (lavah). with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person#tn The word is “stranger, alien,” but it can also mean Israelites here. may approach you. 5 You will be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the care of the altar, so that there will be#tn The clause is a purpose clause, and the imperfect tense a final imperfect. no more wrath on the Israelites. 6 I myself have chosen#tn Heb “taken.” your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They are given to you as a gift from the Lord, to perform the duties#tn The infinitive construct in this sentence is from עָבַד (’avad), and so is the noun that serves as its object: to serve the service. of the tent of meeting. 7 But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties, for everything at the altar and within the curtain. And you must serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift for service; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death.”
The Portion of the Priests
8 The Lord spoke to Aaron, “See, I have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings; I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as your priestly portion#tn This is an uncommon root. It may be connected to the word “anoint” as here (see RSV). But it may also be seen as an intended parallel to “perpetual due” (see Gen 47:22; Exod 29:28; Lev 6:11 [HT]). and to your sons as a perpetual ordinance. 9 Of all the most holy offerings reserved#tn Heb “from the fire.” It probably refers to those parts that were not burned. from the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs, whether from every grain offering or from every purification offering or from every reparation offering which they bring to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons. 10 You are to eat it as a most holy offering; every male may eat it. It will be holy to you.
11 “And this is yours: the raised offering of their gift, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.
12 “All the best of the olive oil and all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the first fruits of these things that they give to the Lord, I have given to you.#tn This form may be classified as a perfect of resolve – he has decided to give them to them, even though this is a listing of what they will receive. 13 And whatever first ripe fruit in their land they bring to the Lord will be yours; everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.
14 “Everything devoted#tn The “ban” (חֵרֶם, kherem) in Hebrew describes that which is exclusively the Lord’s, either for his sanctuary use, or for his destruction. It seems to refer to an individual’s devoting something freely to God. in Israel will be yours. 15 The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you must redeem,#tn The construction uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of the verb “to redeem” in order to stress the point – they were to be redeemed. N. H. Snaith suggests that the verb means to get by payment what was not originally yours, whereas the other root גָאַל (ga’al) means to get back what was originally yours (Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 268). and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem. 16 And those that must be redeemed you are to redeem when they are a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of silver according to the sanctuary shekel (which is twenty gerahs). 17 But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat; they are holy. You must splash#tn Or “throw, toss.” their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 18 And their meat will be yours, just as the breast and the right hip of the raised offering is yours. 19 All the raised offerings of the holy things that the Israelites offer to the Lord, I have given to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt#sn Salt was used in all the offerings; its importance as a preservative made it a natural symbol for the covenant which was established by sacrifice. Even general agreements were attested by sacrifice, and the phrase “covenant of salt” speaks of such agreements as binding and irrevocable. Note the expression in Ezra 4:14, “we have been salted with the salt of the palace.” See further J. F. Ross, IDB 4:167. forever before the Lord for you and for your descendants with you.”
Duties of the Levites
20 The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion of property#tn The phrase “of property” is supplied as a clarification. among them – I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites. 21 See, I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they perform – the service of the tent of meeting. 22 No longer may the Israelites approach the tent of meeting, or else they will bear their sin#tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive construct of the verb “to bear” with the lamed (ל) preposition to express the result of such an action. “To bear their sin” would mean that they would have to suffer the consequences of their sin. and die. 23 But the Levites must perform the service#tn The verse begins with the perfect tense of עָבַד (’avad) with vav (ו) consecutive, making the form equal to the instructions preceding it. As its object the verb has the cognate accusative “service.” of the tent of meeting, and they must bear their iniquity.#sn The Levites have the care of the tent of meeting, and so they are responsible for any transgressions against it. It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Levites) has been supplied in the translation for clarity. have no inheritance.#tn The Hebrew text uses both the verb and the object from the same root to stress the point: They will not inherit an inheritance. The inheritance refers to land. 24 But I have given#tn The classification of the perfect tense here too could be the perfect of resolve, since this law is declaring what will be their portion – “I have decided to give.” to the Levites for an inheritance the tithes of the Israelites that are offered#tn In the Hebrew text the verb has no expressed subject (although the “Israelites” is certainly intended), and so it can be rendered as a passive. to the Lord as a raised offering. That is why I said to them that among the Israelites they are to have no inheritance.”
Instructions for the Levites
25 The Lord spoke to Moses: 26 “You are to speak to the Levites, and you must tell them, ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you are to offer up#tn The verb in this clause is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it has the same force as an imperfect of instruction: “when…then you are to offer up.” from it as a raised offering to the Lord a tenth of the tithe. 27 And your raised offering will be credited#tn The verb is חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon; to count; to think”); it is the same verb used for “crediting” Abram with righteousness. Here the tithe of the priests will be counted as if it were a regular tithe. to you as though it were grain from the threshing floor or as new wine#tn Heb “fullness,” meaning the fullness of the harvest, i.e., a full harvest. from the winepress. 28 Thus you are to offer up a raised offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you receive from the Israelites; and you must give the Lord’s raised offering from it to Aaron the priest. 29 From all your gifts you must offer up every raised offering due#tn The construction is “every raised offering of the Lord”; the genitive here is probably to be taken as a genitive of worth – the offering that is due the Lord. the Lord, from all the best of it, and the holiest part of it.’#tn Or “its hallowed thing.”
30 “Therefore you will say to them,#tn The wording of this verse is confusing; it may be that it is addressed to the priests, telling them how to deal with the offerings of the Levites. ‘When you offer up#tn The clause begins with the infinitive construct with its preposition and suffixed subject serving to indicate the temporal clause. the best of it, then it will be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor and as the product of the winepress. 31 And you may#tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it functions as the equivalent of the imperfect of permission. eat it in any place, you and your household, because it is your wages for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 And you will bear no sin concerning it when you offer up the best of it. And you must not profane the holy things of the Israelites, or else you will die.’”#tn The final clause could also be rendered “in order that you do not die.” The larger section can also be interpreted differently; rather than take it as a warning, it could be taken as an assurance that when they do all of this they will not be profaning it and so will not die (R. K. Harrison, Numbers [WEC], 253).
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1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Numbers 18
18
The Duties of the Priests and Levities
1Yahweh said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your family with you will bear the guilt of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will bear the guilt of your priesthood. 2Moreover, bring your brothers with you, the tribe of Levi the tribe of your father, that they may be joined to you and minister to you, you and your sons with you before the tent of testimony. 3They will keep your responsibility and the responsibility of all the tent, only they may not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, so both you and they will not die. 4They will be joined to you, and they will keep the responsibility of the tent of assembly for the entire service of the tent; a stranger may not come near you. 5You will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary and the responsibility of the altar, and there will no longer be wrath on the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel” 6Look, I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from the midst of the children. They are a gift to you given from Yahweh to perform the work of the tent of assembly. 7But you with your sons will keep your priesthood to perform your priestly duties for everything at the altar#Or “for all the things of the altar” and for the area behind the curtain.#Literally “the house of the curtain” I give you the priesthood as a gift, but the stranger who approaches will be put to death.”
Portions for the Priests
8Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given to you the responsibility of my contributions for all the holy objects of the Israelites;#Literally “sons/children of Israel” I have given them as a portion to you and your sons as an eternal decree. 9This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me is a most holy thing#Literally “a holy object of holiness” for you and your sons. 10You will eat it in the most holy place;#Alternatively “as a holy object of holiness” every male will eat it. It will be a holy object to you. 11This is also for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever is clean in your house may eat it. 12All the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you. 13The firstfruits of all that is in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever is clean in your house may eat it. 14All consecrated possessions#Hebrew “possession” in Israel will be for you. 15All the first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal. 16As to their price of redemption, from a one-month-old#Literally “a son of a month” you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerah. 17Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they are holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. 18But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh. 19All the contributions of holiness that the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” offer to Yahweh I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; it is an eternal covenant of salt before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh to you and your offspring with you.” 20Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “You will not receive an inheritance in their land, and there will not be a plot of ground for you in the midst of the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel”
21“Behold, I have given to the descendants#Or “sons” of Levi every tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service, which they are doing, the work of the tent of assembly. 22The Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” will not come near again to the tent of assembly, or they will bear sin#The NRSV translates “they will incur guilt” and die. 23The Levites#Hebrew “Levite” will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” 24because the tithes#Hebrew “tithe” of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” that are offered#Hebrew “raised up” to Yahweh as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them, ‘They will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the Israelites.’ ”#Literally “sons/children of Israel”
25Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 26“You will speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you receive the tithe from the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, you will present#Literally “you will raise up” a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe. 27Your contribution will be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor and like the produce from the press. 28So you will present#Literally “you will raise up” your own contribution to Yahweh from all your tithes that you receive from the Israelites;#Literally “sons/children of Israel” from it you will give the contribution of Yahweh to Aaron the priest. 29From all your gifts you will present#Literally “you will raise up” every contribution of Yahweh, from all its fat, the part that is sacred.’ 30You will say to them, ‘When you are presenting#Literally “you are raising up” its fat, the rest will be credited to the Levites like a yield of the threshing floor and like a yield from the press. 31You may eat it anywhere, you and your household, because it is a wage in return for your service in the tent of assembly. 32You will not bear any sin because you have presented#Literally “you have raised up” its fat; you will not defile the holy objects of the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” or you will die.’ ”
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