וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבֵית־אָבִיךָ אִתָּךְ תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־עֲוֹן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ   18:1

תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־עֲוֹן כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם

Numb. 18:1  And the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and the house of your fathers with you shall have to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall have to bear the iniquity of your priesthood.”

Is the Lord saying here that the sanctuary will be subject to iniquity?  Will it come from the Levites who are now being called into service in the tent of meeting?  Or is Aaron being told that unintentional sin will happen, even in the tent of meeting?  And the priests will have to bear that iniquity as well as their own iniquity.

וְגַם אֶת־אַחֶיךָ מַטֵּה לֵוִי שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ הַקְרֵב אִתָּךְ וְיִלָּווּ עָלֶיךָ וִישָׁרְתוּךָ וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ לִפְנֵי   18:2

אֹהֶל הָעֵדֻת

Numb. 18:2  “And also bring near you your brothers of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so they are joined onto you and shall be your ministers, as you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.”

There is no way of knowing when the events of this chapter transpire.  It must be somehow related in time to Numbers 8, because in that chapter the Levites were dedicated to the service of the tent of meeting (Numb. 8:16).

וְשָׁמְרוּ מִשְׁמַרְתְּךָ וּמִשְׁמֶרֶת כָּל־הָאֹהֶל אַךְ אֶל־כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא יִקְרָבוּ וְלֹא־יָמֻתוּ   18:3

גַם־הֵם גַּם־אַתֶּם

Numb. 18:3  “And they shall attend to your office and the function of the whole tent, but they shall not come near to the holy furniture or to the altar, so they will not die, not them or you.”

וְנִלְווּ עָלֶיךָ וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֹהֶל מֹועֵד לְכֹל עֲבֹדַת הָאֹהֶל וְזָר לֹא־יִקְרַב אֲלֵיכֶם  18:4

Numb. 18:4  “So they shall be joined onto you and protect the function of the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, so a stranger can not come near to you.”

This appears to be a temporary commandment while in the wilderness, so it does not produce a new commandment.

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֵת מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֵת מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה עֹוד קֶצֶף עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל   18:5

Numb. 18:5  “And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar.  Then there will be no more wrath on the children of Israel.”

וַאֲנִי הִנֵּה לָקַחְתִּי אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם הַלְוִיִּם מִתֹּוךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָכֶם מַתָּנָה נְתֻנִים לַיהוָה לַעֲבֹד אֶת־עֲבֹדַת   18:6

אֹהֶל מֹועֵד

Numb. 18:6  “And behold, I have taken your brothers, the Levites, from among the children of Israel for you, a gift of the Lord’s giving to do the service of the tent of meeting.”

וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתְּךָ תִּשְׁמְרוּ אֶת־כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם לְכָל־דְּבַר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּלְמִבֵּית לַפָּרֹכֶת וַעֲבַדְתֶּם עֲבֹדַת מַתָּנָה   18:7

אֶתֵּן אֶת־כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם וְהַזָּר הַקָּרֵב יוּמָת

Numb. 18:7  “And you and your sons with you shall preserve your priesthood for every matter of the altar, and for what is inside of the veil, and you shall serve.  I shall give your priesthood the gift of service.  And any stranger coming near shall die.”

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וַאֲנִי הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לְךָ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת תְּרוּמֹתָי לְכָל־קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ נְתַתִּים   18:8

לְמָשְׁחָה וּלְבָנֶיךָ לְחָק־עֹולָם

Numb. 18:8  And the Lord spoke to Aaron:  “And behold, I give the charge of My heave offerings to you, for all the holy things of the children of Israel.  I have given them for a consecrated portion to you and to your sons for an everlasting due.”

זֶה־יִהְיֶה לְךָ מִקֹּדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים מִן־הָאֵשׁ כָּל־קָרְבָּנָם לְכָל־מִנְחָתָם וּלְכָל־חַטָּאתָם וּלְכָל־אֲשָׁםָם אֲשֶׁר   18:9

יָשִׁיבוּ לִי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים לְךָ הוּא וּלְבָנֶיךָ

Numb. 18:9  “This shall be for you from the holiest of the holy things, from the fire, of all their offering:  Every meal offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs that they may return to Me, it shall be most holy of the holy things for you and for your sons.”

בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים תֹּאכֲלֶנּוּ כָּל־זָכָר יֹאכַל אֹתֹו קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ   18:10

Numb. 18:10   “In a Holy of Holy Places you shall eat it; every male may eat it.  It shall be holy to you.”

At first, this appears remarkable.  Is the Lord saying here that Aaron’s sons (and later other male priests) may eat in the Holiest of Holy Places?  I am fairly certain that it doesn’t mean that.  I believe that Aaron (and later high priests) must eat of the burnt offering in the sanctuary.  The pronoun you in the word translated as you shall eat it is singular, so it might only refer to Aaron.  The other males among the priests may eat of the burnt offering also, but not in the same place as the high priest.

וְזֶה־לְּךָ תְּרוּמַת מַתָּנָם לְכָל־תְּנוּפֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ נְתַתִּים וּלְבָנֶיךָ וְלִבְנֹתֶיךָ אִתְּךָ לְחָק־עֹולָם    18:11

בְּבֵיתְךָ יֹאכַל אֹתֹו

Numb. 18:11   “And this shall be for you:   The heave offering of their gift, all the wave offerings of the children of Israel.  I have given them to you and to your sons and to your daughters with you, for an everlasting due.  Every one clean in your house may eat it.”

כֹּל חֵלֶב יִצְהָר וְכָל־חֵלֶב תִּירֹושׁ וְדָגָן רֵאשִׁיתָם אֲשֶׁר־יִתְּנוּ לַיהוָה לְךָ נְתַתִּים   18:12

Numb. 18:12   “All the finest of the oil and all the finest of the wine and corn, the first of them that they will give to the Lord, to you have I given them.”

בִּכּוּרֵי כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצָם אֲשֶׁר־יָבִיאוּ לַיהוָה לְךָ יִהְיֶה כָּל־טָהֹור בְּבֵיתְךָ יֹאכֲלֶנּוּ  18:13

Numb. 18:13   “The first fruits of everything that is in their land that they will bring to the Lord, for you it shall be.  Every one clean in your house may eat it.”

כָּל־חֵרֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ יִהְיֶה   18:14

Numb. 18:14   “Everything devoted in Israel, for you it shall be.”

כָּל־פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם לְכָל־בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ אַךְ פָּדֹה תִפְדֶּה אֵת   18:15

 בְּכֹור הָאָדָם וְאֵת בְּכֹור־הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּמֵאָה תִּפְדֶּה

Numb. 18:15   “Everything opening the womb of all flesh that they will bring near to the Lord, of man and of beast, shall be yours.  But surely you shall redeem the first born male of man, and you shall redeem the first born male of an unclean beast.”

וּפְדוּיָו מִבֶּן־חֹדֶשׁ תִּפְדֶּה בְּעֶרְךְּךָ כֶּסֶף חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה הוּא   18:16

Numb. 18:16   “And you shall redeem his ransom, from one month of age, according to your valuation of money, five shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary; it is twenty gerah.”

It’s not clear from the Hebrew whether this verse applies only to the human first born or also to the first born of an unclean beast.  As the ass is an unclean beast, and its first born is to be redeemed by a lamb, I am inclined to conclude that it applies only to the human.  And the beast would be redeemed by the lamb.  If that is correct, this verse therefore implies that a lamb was worth less than five shekels.

אַךְ בְּכֹור־שֹׁור אֹו־בְכֹור כֶּשֶׂב אֹו־בְכֹור עֵז לֹא תִפְדֶּה קֹדֶשׁ הֵם אֶת־דָּםָם תִּזְרֹק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת־   18:17

חֶלְבָּם תַּקְטִיר אִשֶּׁה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה

Numb. 18:17   “But the firstling of an ox or the firstling of a sheep or the firstling of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy.  You shall scatter their blood against the altar and you shall make their fat smoke, a fire offering for a sweet scent to the Lord.”

וּבְשָׂרָם יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ כַּחֲזֵה הַתְּנוּפָה וּכְשֹׁוק הַיָּמִין לְךָ יִהְיֶה   18:18

Numb. 18:18   “And their flesh shall be yours, as the breast of the wave offering and as the right thigh shall be yours.”

כֹּל תְּרוּמֹת הַקֳּדָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיהוָה נָתַתִּי לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ וְלִבְנֹתֶיךָ אִתְּךָ   18:19

 לְחָק־עֹולָם בְּרִית מֶלַח עֹולָם הִוא לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אִתָּךְ

Numb. 18:19   “Every heave offering of the holy things that the children of Israel will offer to the Lord I have given to you and to your sons and to your daughters with you for an everlasting due.  It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for you and for your seed with you.”

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן בְּאַרְצָם לֹא תִנְחָל וְחֵלֶק לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּתֹוכָם אֲנִי חֶלְקְךָ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ בְּתֹוךְ   18:20

 בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Numb. 18:20   And the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall not have an inheritance in their land, and there shall not be a portion for you in their midst.  I shall be your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.”

וְלִבְנֵי לֵוִי הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְנַחֲלָה חֵלֶף עֲבֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר־הֵם עֹבְדִים אֶת־עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל   18:21

מֹועֵד

Numb. 18:21   “And behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel to the children of Levi for an inheritance in return for their service that they will be performing, the service of the tent of meeting.”

וְלֹא־יִקְרְבוּ עֹוד בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־אֹהֶל מֹועֵד לָשֵׂאת חֵטְא לָמוּת   18:22

Numb. 18:22   “And the children of Israel shall not come near to the tent of meeting bearing sin any more, to die.”

וְעָבַד הַלֵּוִי הוּא אֶת־עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מֹועֵד וְהֵם יִשְׂאוּ עֲוֹנָם חֻקַּת עֹולָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם וּבְתֹוךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל   18:23

לֹא יִנְחֲלוּ נַחֲלָה

Numb. 18:23   And the Levite, he shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall have to bear their iniquity, an everlasting statute for your generations.  And they shall not have an inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.”

כִּי אֶת־מַעְשַׂר בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לַיהוָה תְּרוּמָה נָתַתִּי לַלְוִיִּם לְנַחֲלָה עַל־כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם   18:24

בְּתֹוךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יִנְחֲלוּ נַחֲלָה

Numb. 18:24   “For I have given the tithe of the children of Israel, a gift that they will lift up to the Lord, to the Levites for an inheritance.  Therefore I have said to them they shall not have an inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.”

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   18:25

Numb. 18:25   And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

וְאֶל־הַלְוִיִּם תְּדַבֵּר וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי־תִקְחוּ מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֵׂר אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָכֶם   18:26

מֵאִתָּם בְּנַחֲלַתְכֶם וַהֲרֵמֹתֶם מִמֶּנּוּ תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה מַעֲשֵׂר מִן־הַמַּעֲשֵׂר

Numb. 18:26   “And you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you will take from the children of Israel the tithe that I have given to you as your inheritance from them, then you shall lift up a gift of the Lord from it, a tithe from the tithe.’

וְנֶחְשַׁב לָכֶם תְּרוּמַתְכֶם כַּדָּגָן מִן־הַגֹּרֶן וְכַמְלֵאָה מִן־הַיָּקֶב   18:27

Numb. 18:27   ‘And your gift shall be attributed to you as the corn from the threshing floor and as the ripe fruit from the wine press.’

כֵּן תָּרִימוּ גַם־אַתֶּם תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה מִכֹּל מַעְשְׂרֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּנְתַתֶּם מִמֶּנּוּ   18:28

אֶת־תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה לְאַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן

Numb. 18:28   ‘Thus you shall also lift up a gift of the Lord from all your tithes that you shall receive from the children of Israel, and from it you shall give the gift of the Lord to Aaron, the priest.’

מִכֹּל מַתְּנֹתֵיכֶם תָּרִימוּ אֵת כָּל־תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה מִכָּל־חֶלְבֹּו אֶת־מִקְדְּשֹׁו מִמֶּנּוּ   18:29

Numb. 18:29   ‘From all your gifts, you shall lift up every gift of the Lord, from all the best part of it, from the holiest of it from it.’”                                                              [Return to Deut. 12:21]

וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם בַּהֲרִיםְכֶם אֶת־חֶלְבֹּו מִמֶּנּוּ וְנֶחְשַׁב לַלְוִיִּם כִּתְבוּאַת גֹּרֶן וְכִתְבוּאַת יָקֶב   18:30

Numb. 18:30   “Then you shall say to them, ‘Because of your lifting up the best part of it from it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor and as the increase of the wine press.’

וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֹתֹו בְּכָל־מָקֹום אַתֶּם וּבֵיתְכֶם כִּי־שָׂכָר הוּא לָכֶם חֵלֶף עֲבֹדַתְכֶם בְּאֹהֶל מֹועֵד   18:31

Numb. 18:31   ‘And you may eat it in every place, you and your households, for it is compensation for you in exchange for your service in the tent of meeting.’

וְלֹא־תִשְׂאוּ עָלָיו חֵטְא בַּהֲרִיםְכֶם אֶת־חֶלְבֹּו מִמֶּנּוּ וְאֶת־קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תְחַלְּלוּ וְלֹא תָמוּתוּ   18:32

Numb. 18:32   ‘And you shall not have to bear sin because of it.  Because of your lifting up the best part of it from it, then you will not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, and you will not die.’”

Torah Commandments in this Chapter

367. The priests shall always bear the iniquity of the sanctuary.    V. 18:1

368. The priests shall always bear the iniquity of the priesthood.    V. 18:2

369. The Levites may not come close to the furnishings of the holy place

        or to the altar during their service.    V. 18:3

370. The dedicated portions of every sin offering, guilt offering, meal offering, wave

        offering, and the first fruits from the children of Israel shall belong to the priests.    V. 18:9

371. The wave offering may be eaten by all members of the high priest's

        households.    V. 18:11

372. You shall redeem the first born male of the children of Israel and the

        first born male of an unclean beast.    V. 18:15

373. You shall not redeem the first born of any of your clean farm animals.    V. 18:17

374. The priests shall have no inheritance in Israel.    V. 18:20

375. The tithe of the children of Israel shall be for the Levites.    V. 18:21

376. The Levites shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel.    V. 18:23

377. The Levites shall tithe from their tithe to the priests.    V. 18:26, 18:28

378. The Levites and their households may eat the tithe anywhere.    V. 18:31

[Return to Numbers Chapters]  [Prev:  Numb. 17]  [Next:  Numb. 19]