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Numbers Chapter
Eighteen
Numbers 18
Chapter Contents
The charge of the priests and Levites. (1-7) The priests'
portion. (8-19) The Levites' portion. (20-32)
Commentary on Numbers 18:1-7
The people complained of their difficulty and peril in
drawing near to God. God here gives them to understand
that the priests should
come near for them. Aaron would see reason not to be proud of his preferment
when he considered the great care and charge upon him. Be not high-minded
but
fear. The greater the trust of work and power that is committed to us
the
greater danger there is of betraying that trust. This is a good reason why we should
neither envy others' honours
nor desire high places.
Commentary on Numbers 18:8-19
All believers are spiritual priests
and God has promised
to take care of them. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And
from the provision here made for the priests
the apostle shows that it is the
duty of christian churches to maintain their ministers. Scandalous maintenance
makes scandalous ministers. The priests were to be wholly devoted to their
ministry
not diverted from it
or disturbed in it
by worldly care or
business. Also
that they might be examples of living by faith
not only in
God's providence
but in his ordinances. The best should be offered for the
first-fruits unto the Lord. Those who think to save
by putting God off with
the refuse
deceive themselves
for God is not mocked.
Commentary on Numbers 18:20-32
As Israel was a people not to be numbered among the
nations
so Levi was a tribe to be distinguished from the rest. Those who have
God for their Inheritance and their Portion for ever
ought to look with holy
contempt and indifference upon the possessions of this world. The Levites were
to give God his dues out of their tithes
as well as the Israelites out of
their increase. See
in verse 31
the way to have comfort in all our
worldly possessions
so as to bear no sin by reason of them. 1. We must be sure
that what we have is got honestly and in the service of God. That meat is best
eaten which is first earned; but if any will not work
neither shall he eat
2 Thessalonians 3:10. 2. We must be sure that
God has his dues out of it. We have the comfort of our substance
when we have
honoured the Lord with it. Ye shall bear no sin by reason of it
when ye have
heaved the best from it. We should give alms of such things as we have
that
all may be holy and comfortable to us.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on
Numbers》
Numbers 18
Verse 1
[1] And
the LORD said unto Aaron
Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee
shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall
bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary — Shall suffer the punishment of all the usurpations
or pollutions of the
sanctuary
or the holy things
by the Levites
or any of the people
because
you have power from me to keep them all within their bounds. Thus the people
are in good measure secured against their fears. Also they are informed that
Aaron's high dignity was attended with great burdens
having not only his own
but the people's sins to answer for; and therefore they had no such reason to
envy him
if the benefits and dangers were equally considered.
The iniquity of your priesthood — That is
Of all the errors committed by yourselves
or by you permitted
in others in things
belonging to your priesthood.
Verse 2
[2] And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi
the tribe of thy father
bring
thou with thee
that they may be joined unto thee
and minister unto thee: but
thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Unto thee —
About sacrifices and offerings and other things
according to the rules I have
prescribed them. The Levites are said to minister to Aaron here
to the church
Numbers 16:9
and to God
Deuteronomy 10:8. They shall not contend with
thee for superiority
as they have done
but shall be subordinate to thee.
Thy sons with thee —
Or
both to thee
and to thy sons with thee: Which translation may seem to be
favoured by the following words
before the tabernacle
which was the proper
place where the Levites ministered. Besides
both the foregoing words
and the
two following verses
entirely speak of the ministry of the Levites
and the
ministry of the priests is distinctly spoken of
Numbers 18:5.
Verse 3
[3] And
they shall keep thy charge
and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they
shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar
that neither
they
nor ye also
die.
They charge —
That is
that which thou shalt command them and commit unto them.
Verse 5
[5] And
ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary
and the charge of the altar: that
there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
The sanctuary — Of
the holy
and of the most holy place.
Verse 6
[6] And I
behold
I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the
children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD
to do the
service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
To you they are given as a gift — We are to value it as a great gift of the divine bounty
to have those
joined to us
that will be helpful and serviceable to us
in the service of
God.
Verse 7
[7]
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every
thing of the altar
and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your
priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh
nigh shall be put to death.
The altar — Of
burnt-offering.
Within the veil —
This phrase here comprehends both the holy and the most holy place. As a gift
which I have freely conferred upon you
and upon you alone; and therefore let
no man henceforth dare either to charge you with arrogance in appropriating
this to yourselves
or to invade your office.
Verse 8
[8] And
the LORD spake unto Aaron
Behold
I also have given thee the charge of mine
heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee
have I given them by reason of the anointing
and to thy sons
by an ordinance
for ever.
I have given them —
Not only the charge
but the use of them for thyself and family.
By reason of the anointing — That is
because thou art priest
and art to devote thyself wholly to my
service.
Verse 9
[9] This
shall be thine of the most holy things
reserved from the fire: every oblation
of theirs
every meat offering of theirs
and every sin offering of theirs
and
every trespass offering of theirs
which they shall render unto me
shall be
most holy for thee and for thy sons.
Most holy —
Such as were to be eaten only by the priests
and that in the sanctuary.
Reserved —
That is
such sacrifices or parts of sacrifices as were not burnt in the fire.
Render unto me — By
way of compensation for a trespass committed against me
in which case a ram
was to be offered
which was a most holy thing
and may be particularly
designed here.
Verse 10
[10] In
the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be
holy unto thee.
In the most holy place — In the court of the priests
where there were places for this use
which
is called the most holy place
not simply and absolutely
but in respect of the
thing he speaks of because this was the most holy of all the places appointed
for eating holy things
whereof some might be eaten in any clean place in the
camp
or in their own house.
Verse 13
[13] And
whatsoever is first ripe in the land
which they shall bring unto the LORD
shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
Whatsoever is first ripe — Not only the first-fruits of the oil and wine
and wheat now mentioned
but all other first-fruits of all other grains
and all fruit trees.
Clean —
And none else
because these were first offered to God
and by consequence
given to priests; but for those which were immediately given to the priests
the clean and unclean might eat of them.
Verse 14
[14]
Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Devoted —
Dedicated to God by vow or otherwise
provided it be such a thing as might be
eaten: for the vessels or treasures of gold and silver which were dedicated by
Joshua
David
or others
were not the priests
but appropriated to the uses of
the temple.
Verse 15
[15]
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh
which they bring unto the
LORD
whether it be of men or beasts
shall be thine: nevertheless the
firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem
and the firstling of unclean beasts
shalt thou redeem.
Of men —
Which were offered to God in his temple
and to his service and disposal.
Verse 16
[16] And
those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem
according to
thine estimation
for the money of five shekels
after the shekel of the
sanctuary
which is twenty gerahs.
Those that are to be redeemed — Namely
of men only
not of unclean beasts
as is manifest from the time
and price of redemption here mentioned
both which agree to men; the time
Numbers 18:16
the price
Numbers 3:46
47
but neither agree to unclean
beasts
which were to be redeemed with a sheep
Exodus 13:13
and that after it was eight days
old.
Verse 17
[17] But
the firstling of a cow
or the firstling of a sheep
or the firstling of a
goat
thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood
upon the altar
and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire
for a
sweet savour unto the LORD.
Holy —
Namely
in a peculiar manner
consecrated to an holy use
even to be sacrificed
to God. Deuteronomy 15:19.
Verse 18
[18] And
the flesh of them shall be thine
as the wave breast and as the right shoulder
are thine.
The flesh —
All the flesh of them
and not only some parts
as in other sacrifices.
Verse 19
[19] All
the heave offerings of the holy things
which the children of Israel offer unto
the LORD
have I given thee
and thy sons and thy daughters with thee
by a
statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee
and to thy seed with thee.
A covenant of salt — A
durable and perpetual covenant; so called here and 2 Chronicles 13:5
either
because salt is a
sign of incorruption
as being of singular use to preserve things from
corruption: or
because it is ratified on their part by salt
which is
therefore called the salt of the covenant
for which the priests were obliged
to take care
that it should never be lacking from any meat-offering
Leviticus 2:13. And this privilege conferred
upon the priests is called a covenant because it is given them conditionally
upon condition of their service
and care about the worship of God.
Verse 20
[20] And
the LORD spake unto Aaron
Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land
neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine
inheritance among the children of Israel.
In their land — In
the land of the children of Israel. You shall not have a distinct portion of
land
as the other tribes shall. The reason of this law
was
partly because
God would have them wholly devoted to his service
and therefore free from
worldly incumbrances; partly
because God had abundantly provided for them
otherwise
by tithes and first-fruits and oblations; and partly that by this
means being dispersed among the several tribes
they might have the better
opportunity for teaching and watching over the people.
I am thy part — I
have appointed thee a liberal maintenance out of my oblations.
Verse 21
[21] And
behold
I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an
inheritance
for their service which they serve
even the service of the
tabernacle of the congregation.
The tenth —
For the tithes were all given to the Levites
and out of their tithes the tenth
was given to the priests.
Verse 22
[22]
Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the
congregation
lest they bear sin
and die.
Nigh — So
nigh as to do any proper act to the priests or Levites.
Verse 23
[23] 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.
Their iniquity —
The punishment due not only for their own
but also for the people's
miscarriage
if it be committed through their connivance or negligence. And
this was the reason why the priests withstood King Uzziah
when he would have
burnt incense to the Lord.
Verse 24
[24] But
the tithes of the children of Israel
which they offer as an heave offering
unto the LORD
I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said
unto them
Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
An heave-offering — An
acknowledgment that they have all their land and the fruits of it from God's
bounty. Note the word heave-offering
which is for the most part understood of
a particular kind of offerings heaved or lifted up to the Lord
is here used
for any offering.
Verse 26
[26] Thus
speak unto the Levites
and say unto them
When ye take of the children of
Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance
then
ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD
even a tenth part of
the tithe.
Ye shall offer up an heave-offering — They who are employed in assisting the devotions of others
must be sure
to pay their own as an heave-offering. Prayers and praises
or rather the heart
lifted up in them
are now our heave-offerings.
Verse 27
[27] 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.
As though it were the corn — It shall be accepted of you as much as if you offered it out of your own
lands and labours.
Verse 28
[28] Thus
ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes
which
ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD's
heave offering to Aaron the priest.
To Aaron —
And to his children
who were all to have their share herein.
Verse 29
[29] Out
of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD
of all the
best thereof
even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
Your gifts —
Not only out of your tithes
but out of the other gifts which you receive from
the people
and out of those fields which shall belong to your cities.
Offer — To
the priest. As many gifts
so many heave-offerings; you shall reserve a part
out of each of them for the priest.
The hallowed part —
the tenth part
which was the part or proportion that God hallowed or
sanctified to himself as his proper portion.
Verse 31
[31] And
ye shall eat it in every place
ye and your households: for it is your reward
for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Every place — In
every clean place
and not in the holy place only.
Verse 32
[32] And
ye shall bear no sin by reason of it
when ye have heaved from it the best of
it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel
lest ye
die.
Neither shall ye pollute the holy things — As you will do
if you abuse their holy offerings
by reserving that entirely
to yourselves
which they offer to God to be disposed as he hath appointed
namely
part to you
and part to the priests.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Numbers》
18 Chapter 18
Verse 20
Thou Shalt have no inheritance in their land.
Are ministers debarred from owning property
No
this was a legal ceremony
and bindeth not now more
than that prohibition to drink wine (Leviticus 10:9)
with such like. The yoke
of the law is taken from us
and not to be reduced again. In the twenty-first
chapter of Joshua
see what provision for cities and grounds for them and their
cattle. The like in this Book of Numbers (chap. 35.; Jeremiah 32:8). A purchase and land and
title
descent and right
by kindred and blood. Origen mentioneth rents and
revenues of the Church. Sabellicus writeth that Lucina
a noble and rich
gentlewoman of Rome
made the Church her heir. Sozomen
how Constantine out of
the tribute of every city gave a portion to the Churches for maintenance of
their ministers. Ambrose saith that the Church’s lands paid tribute
therefore
the Church had lands. Basil saith that bishops were rich and able to give to
Churches. Nicephorus telleth how the worthy Empress Theodosius’s wife adorned
the bishop’s house with all goodly furniture
and gave a yearly revenue. Thus
have not all ages and persons dealt sparingly or grudgingly with their clergy; but
both thought them worthy respect
and most worthily respected them in their
maintenance and otherwise. (Bp. Babington.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》