Numbers 18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:16

And those that are to be redeemed ,.... Which is to be understood not of unclean beasts last mentioned, for they were redeemed with lambs and not with money; and after they were eight days and not a month old, as follows, Exodus 13:13 ; but of the firstborn of men: from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation : that is, take the redemption money next mentioned; and though both time and price are fixed, yet said to be according to the estimation of the priest; see ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:17

But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem ,.... That is, shalt not take the redemption price for them, but the creatures themselves; which they, the priests, were to take for their own use: they are holy ; separated to the Lord, and therefore not to be used in common by men, but were sacred to the Lord, or became the property of his priests; see Deuteronomy 15:19 ; how they were to be made use of follows: thou shalt... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:18

And the flesh of them shall be thine ,.... For him and his family to eat of, whether blemished or perfect the Jews say F12 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Becorot, c. 4. sect. 2. & 5. 2. : as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine : which were his part of the peace offerings, for him and his sons to eat of, Leviticus 7:34 ; and the Jews observe F13 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Zebachim, c. 5. sect. 8. , that as the wave breast and heave shoulder of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:19

All the heave offerings of the holy things ,.... All before mentioned, and whatsoever comes under that name: which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord ; either by his commandment, or of their own freewill: have I given thee, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever : so providing for their maintenance by an irrepealable law as long as their priesthood lasted, even until the Messiah should come: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:20

And the Lord spake unto Aaron ,.... What is said, being what concerned the tribe of Levi, at the head of which Aaron was, even concerning the maintenance of the Levites: thou shalt have no inheritance in their land ; in the land of Israel when they come to possess it, as the rest of the tribes had: neither shalt thou have any part among them ; any part of the land when it is divided by lot, as it was in the times of Joshua, when taken from the Canaanites; no tract of land was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:21

And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance ,.... The tenth part of the produce of the land; of the wheat, barley, oil, and wine; the tenth part of their harvest and vintage; so that though they were the least of the tribes, they had the greatest share of the increase of the land, and that without any labour or expense; the other having but nine parts among them all, and at the charge and labour of manuring, cultivating, &c.; and this they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:22

Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation ,.... To do any part of the priest's office, as to burn incense, as Korah and his company had done; or to do any part of the work of the Levites, by watching in the tabernacle, by taking it down and setting it up, and bearing the vessels of it; otherwise they might come to it, to bring their sacrifices, to pay their vows, and for their purification when necessary, and such like things: lest they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:23

But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation ,.... In guarding the tabernacle, that no unclean persons enter into it, or any others take anything out of it, and in assisting the priests in their service, and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary when required: and they shall bear their iniquity : that is, when they fail in the duty of their office, are not careful in their service and work, and business appointed them; if either they did not do their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:24

But the tithe of the children of Israel ,.... The tenth of the produce of their land, as before: which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord : by way of gratitude to him for giving them the land, and for making it so fruitful to them, and as an acknowledgment of his being the sovereign Lord and proprietor of it: I have given to the Levites to inherit ; so that the Levites had the tithe not immediately from the Israelites, nor were they dependent on them for them; but they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 18:25

And the Lord spake unto Moses ,.... And not unto Aaron, because a tithe out of the tithe was to be given to Aaron, as Aben Ezra observes, and it was not so proper that he should have this order to deliver to the Levites, in which he and his sons were so much concerned, and therefore it was given to Moses to acquaint them of it: saying ; as follows. read more

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