Deuteronomium 18:8 Kommentar

In this chapter, I. The rights and revenues of the church are settled, and rules given concerning the Levites' ministration and maintenance (Deu 18:1-8). II. The caution against the idolatrous abominable customs of the heathen is repeated (Deu 18:9-14). III. A promise is given them of the spirit of prophecy to continue among them, and to centre at last in Christ the great prophet (Deu 18:15-18). IV. Wrath threatened against those that despise prophecy (Deu 18:19) or counterfeit it (Deu 18:20), and a rule given for the trial of it (Deu 18:21, Deu 18:22).

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 18 This chapter gives an account of the provision made for the priests and Levites, with the reason of it, Deu 18:1, of allowance of a country Levite to minister at Jerusalem, and take his portion with the rest, Deu 18:6, and of several persons of bad practices not to be suffered among the people of Israel, Deu 18:9, and of an extraordinary prophet that should be raised up among them, to whom they should hearken, or it would be the worse for them, Deu 18:15, but a false prophet was to be put to death, of whom a sign is given by which he might be known, Deu 18:20.

They shall have like portions to eat,.... Equal parts of the sacrifices with the priests that usually ministered there; hence we learn, says Jarchi, that they divided the skins and flesh of the sin offerings; perhaps even such as did not come by virtue of the feast, as the daily sacrifices, and the additions of the sabbath, and the vows, and the freewill offerings: beside that which cometh by the sale of his patrimony: for though the priests and Levites had no inheritance divided to them in the land, yet they might buy houses and fields, and leave them to their children, and this may be called their patrimony; now it was not reasonable that they should wholly live upon this, or spend what their fathers left them; but, besides the income of that, were to have their part and portion with their brethren in the sacrifices of the sanctuary. But some interpret these words in a different way, as if they had respect to the gifts and oblations in the several wards in which the priests ministered, as they were ordered by their fathers, Eleazar, Ithamar, Samuel, David, and Solomon; so the Targums of Onkelos, Jonathan, and Jarchi. In the times of Eleazar and Ithamar, there were only eight wards or courses, which ministered in their turns, but in the days of David they were divided into twenty four; See Gill on Luk 1:8; now the ordering and fixing these in their turns is called a vendition or sale; and these country priests might partake of all sacrifices at the feast, excepting those which belonged to him whose course it was that week.

THE LORD IS THE PRIESTS' AND THE LEVITES' INHERITANCE. (Deu 18:1-8) The priests the Levites . . . shall eat the offerings--As the tribe of Levi had no inheritance allotted them like the other tribes but were wholly consecrated to the priestly office, their maintenance was to arise from tithes, first-fruits, and certain portions of the oblations presented on the altar, which God having by express appointment reserved to Himself made over, after being offered, to His ministers.

Laws Concerning the Cities of Refuge, the Sacredness of Landmarks,and the Punishment of False Witnesses - Deuteronomy 19 After laying down the most important features in the national constitution, Moses glances at the manifold circumstances of civil and family life, and notices in this and the two following chapters the different ways in which the lives of individuals might be endangered, for the purpose of awakening in the minds of the people a holy reverence for human life.