📖 Numbers — Chapter 18 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Numbers 18:1 And the LORD said unto RAaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Numbers 18:2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be Rjoined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Numbers 18:3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: Ronly they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
Numbers 18:4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and Ra stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Numbers 18:5 RAnd ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
Numbers 18:6 RAnd I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 18:7 RTherefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Numbers 18:8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee Rthe charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.
Numbers 18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, Revery meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
Numbers 18:10 RIn the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
Numbers 18:11 And this is thine; Rthe heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
Numbers 18:12 All the Tbest of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
Numbers 18:13 And Rwhatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
Numbers 18:14 REvery thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.
Numbers 18:15 Every thing that Ropeneth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
Numbers 18:16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, Raccording to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
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; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Numbers 18:18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
Numbers 18:19 All Rthe heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
Numbers 18:20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have Rno inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
Numbers 18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all Rthe tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 18:22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth Rcome nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, Tand die.
Numbers 18:23 But the Levites shall Rdo the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
Numbers 18:24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Numbers 18:25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 18:26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even Ra tenth part of the tithe.
Numbers 18:27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, Ras though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
Numbers 18:28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; Rand ye shall give thereof the LORD’s heave offering to Aaron the priest.
Numbers 18:29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the Tbest thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
Numbers 18:30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved Rthe Tbest thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
Numbers 18:31 And ye shall eat it Rin every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 18:32 And ye shall Rbear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Numbers 18:1–7 — Priests and Levites
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Aaron and his sons bear the stated responsibility for sanctuary and priesthood. The Levites are joined to assist them, with limits on approaching the holy vessels and altar. The LORD describes the Levites and the priestly service as gifts, and sets the charge of each.
Key Truth: The LORD distinguishes priestly responsibilities from the Levites' assistance.
Check What You Remember
1. Who and his sons had the priestly responsibility? (Numbers 18:1)
Find it in Numbers 18:1 (KJV).
2. Which tribe assisted them? (Numbers 18:2)
Find it in Numbers 18:2 (KJV).
3. How does the LORD describe the Levites given to Aaron? (Numbers 18:6)
Find it in Numbers 18:6 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Numbers 18:8–24 — Holy Portions and Tithes
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The priests receive appointed portions of offerings, firstfruits, and redemption money. The LORD tells Aaron that he is his part and inheritance, rather than a land inheritance among Israel. The Levites receive the tithes for their tabernacle service.
Key Truth: The LORD appoints provision for those serving in the sanctuary.
Check What You Remember
1. How many shekels were the firstborn redemption payment? (Numbers 18:16)
Find it in Numbers 18:16 (KJV).
2. Who says he is Aaron's part and inheritance? (Numbers 18:20)
Find it in Numbers 18:20 (KJV).
3. Which tribe received Israel's tithes for its service? (Numbers 18:21)
Find it in Numbers 18:21 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Numbers 18:25–32 — The Levites' Own Offering
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The Levites offer a tenth of the tithe they receive, giving the LORD's heave offering to Aaron. They are to set apart its best portion. The remainder is their household provision and reward for service, handled without polluting Israel's holy things.
Key Truth: Those receiving tithes also present the appointed portion to the LORD.
Check What You Remember
1. What portion of the tithe did the Levites offer? (Numbers 18:26)
Find it in Numbers 18:26 (KJV).
2. To which priest was that offering given? (Numbers 18:28)
Find it in Numbers 18:28 (KJV).
3. Which quality of portion was to be set apart? (Numbers 18:30)
Find it in Numbers 18:30 (KJV).
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How are Levite assistance and priestly boundaries joined?
2. How do firstborn redemption rules distinguish the named clean animals?
3. How does Aaron’s inheritance differ from a land portion?
4. How do Israel’s tithes relate to Levite work and land status?
5. How do the Levites’ received tithes lead to their own offering and household provision?
Notes
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