Numbers 18:14 Kommentar

Aaron being now fully established in the priesthood abundantly to his own satisfaction, and to the satisfaction of the people (which was the good that God brought out of the evil opposition made to him), in this chapter God gives him full instructions concerning his office or rather repeats those which he had before given him. He tells him, I. What must be his work and the care and charge committed to him, and what assistance he should have the Levites in that work (Num 18:1-7). II. What should be his and the Levites' wages for this work. 1. The perquisites or fees peculiar to the priests (Num 18:8-19). 2. The settled maintenance of the Levites (Num 18:20-24). III. The portion which must be paid to the priests out of the Levites' maintenance (Num 18:25-32). Thus every one knew what he had to do, and what he had to live upon.

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 18 This chapter gives an account of the distinct work and service of the priests and Levites, Num 18:1; and of several things given to the priests for their maintenance, Num 18:8; and of the tithes the Levites should have to live upon, since they were to have no inheritance in the land of Israel, Num 18:20; and of the tenth out of those tithes they were to give to the high priest, Num 18:25.

Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Fields, houses, cattle, &c. if absolutely devoted to the Lord, they were the priest's; but if devoted to certain uses, they were appropriated to those uses, as the repairs of the temple, &c. see Lev 27:1. . Numbers 18:15 num 18:15 num 18:15 num 18:15Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh,.... The firstborn of every creature: which they bring unto the Lord; as they were obliged, he claiming it as his own, Exo 13:2, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine; every firstborn of either, being the Lord's, became the priest's by his gift: nevertheless, the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem; that is, take the redemption price for it, which was five shekels, as in Num 18:16; for the original proprietor was, strictly speaking, the redeemer, and paid the money, and the priest was the receiver, to whom it was paid; see Exo 13:13, and the firstlings of unclean beasts shall thou redeem; with lambs, as an ass, which is put for unclean beasts, is ordered to be redeemed with a lamb, or its neck to be broken, Exo 13:13; the Africans, the shepherds among them, as Herodotus relates (k), of their firstlings they cut off the ear of the beast and throw it over a house, and then turn its neck back, for they worship only the sun and moon; which seems to be an imitation of this law. (k) Melpomene, sive, l. 4. c. 188.

The priests and Levites to have no inheritance, Deu 18:1, Deu 18:2. What is the priest's due, Deu 18:3-5. Of the Levites that come from any of the other cities, Deu 18:6-8. The Israelites must not copy the abominations of the former inhabitants, Deu 18:9. None to cause his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or use any kind of divination or enchantment, as the former inhabitants did, Deu 18:10-14. The great prophet which God promised to raise up, Deu 18:15-19. Of false prophets, Deu 18:20; and how to discern them, Deu 18:21, Deu 18:22.

THE CHARGE OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES. (Num 18:1-7) the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary--Security is here given to the people from the fears expressed (Num 17:12), by the responsibility of attending to all sacred things being devolved upon the priesthood, together with the penalties incurred through neglect; and thus the solemn responsibilities annexed to their high dignity, of having to answer not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of the people, were calculated in a great measure to remove all feeling of envy at the elevation of Aaron's family, when the honor was weighed in the balance with its burdens and dangers.

Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine--provided it was adapted for food or consumable by use; for the gold and silver vessels that were dedicated as the spoils of victory were not given to the priests, but for the use and adornment of the sacred edifice.

Service and Revenues of the Priests and Levites - Numbers 18 The practical confirmation of the priesthood of Aaron and his family, on the part of God, is very appropriately followed by the legal regulations concerning the official duties of the priest and Levites (Num 18:1-7), and the revenues to be assigned them for their services (vv. 8-32), as the laws hitherto given upon this subject, although they contain many isolated stipulations, have not laid down any complete and comprehensive arrangement. The instructions relating to this subject were addressed by Jehovah directly to Aaron (see Num 18:1 and Num 18:8), up to the law, that out of the tenths which the Levites were to collect from the people, they were to pay a tenth again to the priests; and this was addressed to Moses (Num 18:25), as the head of all Israel.