Numbers 18:10 - Offerings for Priests and Levites

Audio Bible

Context

Offerings for Priests and Levites
…9A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons. 10You are to eat it as a most holy offering, and every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy. 11And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.…

Cross References

Leviticus 6:16-18
Aaron and his sons are to eat the remainder. It must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. / It must not be baked with leaven; I have assigned it as their portion of My food offerings. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. / Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the food offerings to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will become holy.”Leviticus 7:6
Every male among the priests may eat of it. It must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.Deuteronomy 12:5-7
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go. / To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks. / There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.Deuteronomy 14:23
And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.Ezekiel 44:29
They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them.Leviticus 10:12-13
And Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that remains from the food offerings to the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the altar, because it is most holy. / You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings to the LORD; for this is what I have been commanded.Leviticus 22:10-13
No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired hand eat it. / But if a priest buys a slave with his own money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food. / If the priest’s daughter is married to a man other than a priest, she is not to eat of the sacred contributions. ...1 Corinthians 9:13
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?Hebrews 13:10
We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.Leviticus 2:3
The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.Leviticus 2:10
But the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.Leviticus 24:9
It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD—his portion forever.”Nehemiah 10:37-39
Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor. / A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God. / For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.”Matthew 12:4
He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.

Exodus 29:31,32
And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place…

Leviticus 6:16,26,29
And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it…

Leviticus 7:6
Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.

every male

Leviticus 6:18,29
All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy…

Leviticus 7:6
Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.

Leviticus 21:22
He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

Jump to Previous

Jump to Next

Numbers 18

You are to eat it as a most holy offering
This phrase refers to the consumption of offerings designated as "most holy" by the Levitical law. In the context of Numbers 18, God is instructing Aaron and his sons, the priests, on how to handle the offerings brought by the Israelites. The "most holy" offerings include the sin offerings, guilt offerings, and portions of the grain offerings. These were to be consumed in a sacred space, typically within the tabernacle precincts, emphasizing the sanctity and reverence required in handling what is dedicated to God. This reflects the broader biblical theme of holiness, where certain items, places, and actions are set apart for divine purposes. The consumption of these offerings by the priests symbolizes their role as mediators between God and the people, foreshadowing the ultimate mediation of Christ.

and every male may eat it
This specifies that the consumption of the most holy offerings is restricted to male members of the priestly family. This restriction underscores the patriarchal structure of ancient Israelite society and the specific roles assigned within the Levitical priesthood. The male priests were responsible for performing the sacrificial rituals and maintaining the sanctity of the tabernacle. This exclusivity highlights the seriousness of the priestly duties and the need for ritual purity. In the New Testament, the concept of priesthood is expanded to all believers, as seen in 1 Peter 2:9, where the church is described as a "royal priesthood," indicating a shift from the Old Covenant's restrictions.

You shall regard it as holy
This command emphasizes the need to treat the offerings with the utmost respect and reverence. The holiness of the offerings is not inherent but is derived from their dedication to God. This reflects the broader biblical principle that holiness is conferred by God's presence and purpose. The priests' responsibility to regard the offerings as holy serves as a reminder of their role in maintaining the covenant relationship between God and Israel. It also points to the necessity of approaching God with reverence and awe, a theme echoed throughout Scripture, including in Hebrews 12:28-29, which calls believers to worship God "with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Persons / Places / Events

1. Aaron and His Sons
The primary recipients of the instructions in Numbers 18, Aaron and his sons were appointed as priests to serve in the tabernacle, responsible for the sacred duties and offerings.

2. The Tabernacle
The central place of worship for the Israelites, where sacrifices and offerings were made. It was the dwelling place of God's presence among His people.

3. Holy Offerings
These were specific portions of sacrifices designated as "most holy" and were to be consumed by the priests in a state of ritual purity.

Teaching Points

Holiness in Service
The consumption of holy offerings by the priests underscores the importance of holiness in service to God. As believers, we are called to live lives set apart for His purposes.

Priestly Privileges and Responsibilities
Just as the priests had the privilege of partaking in the holy offerings, they also bore the responsibility of maintaining purity. Christians today are called to uphold the standards of holiness in their spiritual service.

Symbolism of Sacrifice
The offerings symbolize the need for atonement and the provision of God. In Christ, we see the ultimate fulfillment of these sacrifices, reminding us of the grace we receive through His atonement.

Community and Worship
The communal aspect of the priestly consumption of offerings points to the importance of community in worship. Believers are encouraged to partake in communal worship and fellowship, reflecting the unity of the body of Christ.

Lists and Questions

Top 10 Lessons from Numbers 18Joshua 13:33 - Does the unique inheritance of Levi (no land portion) imply internal contradictions with God's earlier covenant commands regarding tribal allocations?Why does Numbers 18:15-19 differ in certain details from parallel instructions in Deuteronomy regarding firstborn offerings, and how can these discrepancies be reconciled?How does the emphasis on burnt offerings in Leviticus 1 align with later scripture stressing mercy over sacrifice (Hosea 6:6)?If Exodus 20:4 forbids making graven images, why does Exodus 25:18 command crafting cherubim, appearing to contradict the earlier prohibition?

(10) In the most holy place . . . --These gifts were to be eaten, as most holy, in the court of the Tabernacle (see Leviticus 6:16; Leviticus 6:26; Leviticus 7:6), and only by the priests and the male members of their families.

Verse 10. - In the most holy place thou shalt eat it. בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַדָקֹּשִׁים. Septuagint, ἐν τῷ ἀγίῳ τῶν ἁγίων. This expression is somewhat perplexing, because it stands commonly for the holy of holies (Exodus 26:33). As it cannot possibly have that meaning here, two interpretations have been proposed.

1. That it means the court of the tabernacle, called "the holy place" in Leviticus 6:16, 26; Leviticus 7:6, and there specified as the only place in which the meat offerings, the sin offerings, and trespass offerings might be eaten. There is no reason why this court should not be called "must holy," as well as "holy;" if it was "holy" with respect to the camp, or the holy city, it was "most holy" with respect to all without the camp, or without the gate.

2. That the expression does not mean "in the most holy place," but "amongst the most holy things," as it does in Numbers 4:4, and above in verse 9. A distinction is clearly intended between the "most holy things," which only the priests and their sons might eat, and the "holy things," of which the rest of their families might partake also. It is difficult to decide between these renderings, although there can be no doubt that the "most holy" things were actually to be consumed within the tabernacle precincts. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

You are to eat
תֹּאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ (tō·ḵă·len·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

it as most holy.
בְּקֹ֥דֶשׁ (bə·qō·ḏeš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

Every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

male
זָכָר֙ (zā·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145: Remembered, a male

may eat it;
יֹאכַ֣ל (yō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

it shall be
יִֽהְיֶה־ (yih·yeh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

holy
קֹ֖דֶשׁ (qō·ḏeš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

to you.
לָּֽךְ׃ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

Links

Numbers 18:10 NIV
Numbers 18:10 NLT
Numbers 18:10 ESV
Numbers 18:10 NASB
Numbers 18:10 KJVNumbers 18:10 BibleApps.com
Numbers 18:10 Biblia Paralela
Numbers 18:10 Chinese Bible
Numbers 18:10 French Bible
Numbers 18:10 Catholic BibleOT Law: Numbers 18:10 You shall eat of it like (Nu Num.)