Numbers
Chapter 18
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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall carry the guilt of the A holy place set aside for God., and you and your sons with you shall carry the guilt of your priesthood.
2Your brothers, too, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you. They shall be joined to you and shall serve you, and you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the The stone tablets of God’s agreement, kept in the chest..
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Yillavu, “they shall be joined,” uses the same consonants as Levi. The wordplay is in the Hebrew. The English keeps “joined” and the name Levi.
3They shall keep your watch, and the watch of the whole tent, but they shall not come near the furnishings of the holy place or the altar, so that they do not die, both they and you.
4They shall be joined to you and keep the watch of the tent of meeting, for all the work of the tent. An outsider shall not come near you.
5You shall keep the watch of the holy place and the watch of the altar, so there will be no more wrath on the sons of Israel.
6I, look, have taken your brothers the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., to do the work of the tent of meeting.
7You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for every matter of the altar and for what is inside the curtain. I give your priesthood as a gifted service. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
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Parokhet is the curtain. Avodat mattanah is a service that is a gift. Zar is an outsider.
8God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke to Aaron, I, look, have given you the watch of my contributions. All the holy things of the sons of Israel I give to you as an Set apart for God by having oil poured on. share, and to your sons, as a lasting due.
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Lemoshchah is the anointed share, the portion assigned with the priesthood. Choq olam is a lasting due.
9This shall be yours from the most holy things, from the fire: every A gift brought close to God. of theirs, for every grain gift of theirs, and for every offense offering of theirs, and for every guilt offering of theirs which they return to me. It is a most holy thing for you and for your sons.
10In the most holy place you shall eat it. Every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
11This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, every raised offering of the sons of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a lasting due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.
12All the best of fresh oil, and all the best of new wine and grain, their first, which they give to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., I have given them to you.
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Chelev here is the best part of the oil, the new wine, and the grain. It is not the animal fat of the altar. Yitzhar is fresh oil. Tirosh is new wine. Dagan is grain.
13The first fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat them.
14Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
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Cherem is a devoted thing, set apart so that it is not bought back, as in Leviticus.
15Every opener of a womb, of all flesh, which they bring near to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., among humans and among animals, shall be yours. But you shall To buy a person, an animal, or land back., To buy a person, an animal, or land back. the firstborn of the human, and the firstborn of an unclean animal you shall To buy a person, an animal, or land back..
16Those who are to be Bought back., from one month old you shall To buy a person, an animal, or land back., by your valuation, five Weights of silver used as money. of silver, by the A weight of silver used as money. of the holy place. It is twenty Very small weights. Twenty gerahs make one shekel..
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The five shekels and the twenty gerahs are the weights as written. They are not converted.
17But the firstborn of an ox, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not To buy a person, an animal, or land back.. They are holy. You shall dash their blood on the altar, and their fat you shall turn into smoke, a food gift for a soothing scent for God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary..
18Their flesh shall be yours, like the breast of the raised offering and like the right thigh. It shall be yours.
19All the contributions of the holy things, which the sons of Israel raise to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., I have given to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a lasting due. It is a lasting A solemn agreement that binds God and people. of salt before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., for you and for your seed with you.
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Berit melach is a covenant of salt, a bond that salt marks as lasting. Berit is covenant. See the glossary.
20God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to Aaron, In their land you shall have no inheritance, and there shall be no share for you in their midst. I am your share and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel.
21To the sons of Levi, look, I have given every tenth in Israel as an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, the service of the tent of meeting.
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Ma’aser is a tenth. The portion is not renamed a tax, and the amount is not converted.
22The sons of Israel shall not again come near the tent of meeting, to carry offense, to die.
23The Levite, he shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall carry their guilt. It is a lasting A rule that is meant to last. through your generations. In the midst of the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
24For the tenth of the sons of Israel, which they raise to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, In the midst of the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke to Moses, saying,
26To the Levites you shall speak, and you shall say to them, When you take from the sons of Israel the tenth that I have given you from them as your inheritance, you shall raise from it a contribution of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., a tenth of the tenth.
27Your contribution shall be reckoned to you as grain from the Beating cut grain so the seeds fall loose. floor and as the fullness from the wine vat.
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Mele’ah is the fullness, what fills the vat. Goren is the threshing floor. Yeqev is the wine vat.
28So you also shall raise a contribution of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. from all your tenths which you take from the sons of Israel, and from it you shall give the contribution of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. to Aaron the priest.
29From all your gifts you shall raise every contribution of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., from all its best, its holy part from it.
30You shall say to them, When you raise its best from it, it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the produce of the Beating cut grain so the seeds fall loose. floor and as the produce of the wine vat.
31You may eat it in any place, you and your house, for it is a wage for you, in return for your service in the tent of meeting.
32You shall not carry offense because of it, when you have raised its best from it. You shall not treat the holy things of the sons of Israel as ordinary, and you shall not die.
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Techallelu is to make the holy things ordinary. Chol is ordinary, as in Leviticus.