How does Numbers 18 divide tabernacle service and provide for the priests and Levites?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

God gives Aaron and his sons the priestly work at the altar and within the veil, while the Levites assist without approaching the sanctuary vessels or altar. The priests receive the stated holy offerings and firstfruits; the Levites receive Israel’s tithes for their service and must give the best tenth of those tithes to Aaron.

Chapter breakdown

The Lord tells Aaron that he, his sons and his father’s house with him must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. Aaron and his sons must also bear the sins of their priesthood. The two charges are stated separately.

Challoner explains the sanctuary charge as punishment if the appointed ministers make errors in their sacred duties through negligence or lack of proper attention. This explanation belongs to the note.

Aaron is to take his brothers from Levi and his father’s line—the source calls it his father’s ‘sceptre’—to stand ready and serve him. Aaron and his sons must minister in the tabernacle of the testimony. The Levites must follow Aaron’s commands and attend to all the tabernacle’s work, but must not approach the sanctuary vessels or the altar, lest they die and Aaron and his sons perish with them. They are to remain with Aaron, keeping charge of the tabernacle and all its ceremonies; no stranger may join them. Aaron and his sons must guard the sanctuary and altar service lest anger rise against Israel. God says he has given the Levites from among Israel as a gift to the Lord for tabernacle service. Aaron and his sons must attend to the priesthood: priests are to perform all work at the altar and within the veil. Any stranger who approaches must be slain.

God gives Aaron charge of his firstfruits. Everything Israel sanctifies is given to Aaron and his sons for the priestly office under everlasting ordinances. Every offering and sacrifice, and everything given for sin and trespass that becomes most holy, belongs to Aaron and his sons. They must eat it in the sanctuary; only males may eat it, because it is consecrated to Aaron. The firstfruits Israel vows and offers belong to Aaron, his sons and his daughters under a perpetual law; anyone clean in his house may eat them. The gifts include the best oil, wine and grain, and the first ripe fruits of the ground brought to the Lord. Clean members of the household may eat those fruits. Everything Israel gives by vow also belongs to Aaron.

The firstborn of all flesh offered to the Lord, whether human or animal, belongs to Aaron. He must take a price for the firstborn of man and require every unclean animal to be redeemed. The redemption is after one month for five silver sicles by the sanctuary weight; one sicle has twenty obols. The firstborn of a cow, sheep or goat must not be redeemed, because they are sanctified to the Lord. Their blood only is to be poured on the altar, and their fat burned for a most sweet smell to the Lord. The flesh belongs to Aaron for his use, as does the consecrated breast; the right shoulder is his. All the sanctuary firstfruits Israel offers are given to Aaron, his sons and daughters by a perpetual ordinance. God calls it a covenant of salt forever before the Lord, for Aaron and his sons.

Challoner explains ‘a covenant of salt’ as a familiar expression for a covenant that is not to be changed or corrupted, just as salt keeps things from corruption. He calls it perpetual, like the rule requiring salt in every sacrifice, and cites Leviticus 2.

The Lord tells Aaron that he will possess nothing in Israel’s land and have no portion among the people: the Lord himself is Aaron’s portion and inheritance among the children of Israel. God gives all Israel’s tithes to the sons of Levi as their possession for the ministry by which they serve him in the tabernacle of the covenant. The stated purpose is that the children of Israel may no longer approach the tabernacle or commit deadly sin.

Challoner explains ‘deadly sin’ here as sin that will bring death after it.

Only the sons of Levi may serve the Lord in the tabernacle and bear the people’s sins. This is an everlasting ordinance through their generations. They are to possess no other thing, but be content with the offerings or tithes God has set apart for their use and needs.

The Lord tells Moses to command the Levites that, when they receive Israel’s tithes as God’s gift, they must offer the firstfruits of those tithes to the Lord: a tenth part of the tenth. This will count for them as an offering of firstfruits from the threshing floors and winepresses. From everything they receive as tithes, they must offer the firstfruits to the Lord and give them to Aaron the priest. Whatever they set apart from the tithes as gifts to the Lord must be the best and choicest. If they offer the good and better portions, it will count as though they had given the firstfruits of the threshing floor and winepress. They and their families may eat the tithes in all their places, because this is their reward for service in the tabernacle of the testimony. They must not sin by keeping the choicest and fat portions for themselves, lest they profane Israel’s offerings and die.

The story inside

The laws join assigned work to assigned support. The Levites are given to assist, but assistance does not give them permission to approach the vessels or altar. Priestly work belongs to Aaron and his sons, with a warning that violating the boundary puts both groups in danger.

The chapter then distinguishes what each group receives. Most holy offerings have a sanctuary and male-only eating rule; other firstfruits can be eaten by clean members of Aaron’s household, including daughters. Human firstborn and unclean animals are redeemed, while the firstborn cow, sheep and goat are not. These distinctions keep ‘support for the priests’ from becoming one broad rule that hides the exceptions.

The Levites receive tithes for their service, yet must offer the best tenth of that tenth to Aaron. Their support therefore carries an obligation as well as permission to eat with their families. All this is given as law and stated purpose. The chapter does not narrate the ministers carrying it out or a successfully protected nation.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Service has boundaries. Levites must assist and watch, but must not approach the sanctuary vessels or altar. The warning includes both them and the priests, so the division of work is tied to responsibility.
2
The gifts have different rules. The most holy offerings are eaten by males in the sanctuary, while clean household members may share other firstfruits. The firstborn redemption rule also has named animal exceptions.
3
Receiving a tithe does not end the obligation to give. The Levites must set apart the best tenth of what they receive and give it to Aaron; keeping those portions would profane Israel’s offerings.

Test your recall

How are the Levites’ assigned service and their tithes connected, and what must they set apart before using that support?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 16223–16230
Numbers Chapter 18 The charge of the priests and of the Levites, and their portion. 18:1. And the Lord said to Aaron: 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 sins of your priesthood.
Lines 16231–16235
Thou, and thy father’s house with thee, shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary.... That is, you shall be punished if, through negligence or want of due attention, you err in the discharge of the sacred functions for which you were ordained.
Lines 16236–16261
18:2. And take with thee thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, and the sceptre of thy father, and let them be ready in hand, and minister to thee: but thou and thy sons shall minister in the tabernacle of the testimony. 18:3. And the Levites shall watch to do thy commands, and about all the works of the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary nor the altar, lest both they die, and you also perish with them. 18:4. But let them be with thee, and watch in the charge of the tabernacle, and in all the ceremonies thereof. A stranger shall not join himself with you. 18:5. Watch ye in the charge of the sanctuary, and in the ministry of the altar: lest indignation rise upon the children of Israel. 18:6. I have given you your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel, and have delivered them for a gift to the Lord, to serve in the ministries of the tabernacle. 18:7. But thou and thy sons look ye to the priesthood: and all things that pertain to the service of the altar, and that are within the veil, shall be executed by the priests. If any stranger shall approach, he shall be slain.
Lines 16262–16289
18:8. And the Lord said to Aaron: Behold I have given thee the charge of my firstfruits. All things that are sanctified by the children of Israel, I have delivered to thee and to thy sons for the priestly office, by everlasting ordinances. 18:9. These therefore shalt thou take of the things that are sanctified, and are offered to the Lord. Every offering, and sacrifice, and whatsoever is rendered to me for sin and for trespass, and becometh holy of holies, shall be for thee and thy sons. 18:10. Thou shalt eat it in the sanctuary: the males only shall eat thereof, because it is a consecrated thing to thee. 18:11. But the firstfruits, which the children of Israel shall vow and offer, I have given to thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters, by a perpetual law. He that is clean in thy house, shall eat them. 18:12. All the best of the oil, and of the wine, and of the corn, whatsoever firstfruits they offer to the Lord, I have given them to thee. 18:13. All the firstripe of the fruits, that the ground bringeth forth, and which are brought to the Lord, shall be for thy use: he that is clean in thy house, shall eat them. 18:14. Every thing that the children of Israel shall give by vow, shall be thine.
Lines 16290–16311
18:15. Whatsoever is firstborn of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether it be of men, or of beasts, shall belong to thee: only for the firstborn of man thou shalt take a price, and every beast that is unclean thou shalt cause to be redeemed, 18:16. And the redemption of it shall be after one month, for five sicles of silver, by the weight of the sanctuary. A sicle hath twenty obols. 18:17. But the firstling of a cow, and of a sheep and of a goat thou shalt not cause to be redeemed, because they are sanctified to the Lord. Their blood only thou shalt pour upon the altar, and their fat thou shalt burn for a most sweet odour to the Lord. 18:18. But the flesh shall fall to thy use, as the consecrated breast, and the right shoulder shall be thine. 18:19. All the firstfruits of the sanctuary which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to thee and to thy sons and daughters, by a perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord, to thee and to thy sons.
Lines 16312–16316
A covenant of salt.... It is a proverbial expression, signifying a covenant not to be altered or corrupted; as salt is used to keep things from corruption; a covenant perpetual, like that by which it was appointed, that salt should be used in every sacrifice. Lev. 2.
Lines 16317–16327
18:20. And the Lord said to Aaron: You shall possess nothing in their land, neither shall you have a portion among them: I am thy portion and inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel. 18:21. And I have given to the sons of Levi all the tithes of Israel for a possession, for the ministry wherewith they serve me in the tabernacle of the covenant: 18:22. That the children of Israel may not approach any more to the tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin,
Lines 16328–16329
Deadly sin.... That is, sin which will bring death after it.
Lines 16330–16336
18:23. But only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle, and bear the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall not possess any other thing, 18:24. But be content with the oblation or tithes, which I have separated for their uses and necessities.
Lines 16337–16366
18:25. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18:26. Command the Levites, and declare unto them: When you shall receive of the children of Israel the tithes, which I have given you, offer the firstfruits of them to the Lord, that is to say, the tenth part of the tenth: 18:27. That it may be reckoned to you as an oblation of firstfruits, as well of the barnfloors as of the winepresses: 18:28. And of all the things of which you receive tithes, offer the firstfruits to the Lord, and give them to Aaron the priest. 18:29. All the things that you shall offer of the tithes, and shall separate for the gifts of the Lord, shall be the best and choicest things. 18:30. And thou shalt say to them: If you offer all the goodly and the better things of the tithes, it shall be reckoned to you as if you had given the firstfruits of the barnfloor and the winepress: 18:31. And you shall eat them in all your places, both you and your families: because it is your reward for the ministry, wherewith you serve in the tabernacle of the testimony. 18:32. And you shall not sin in this point, by reserving the choicest and fat things to yourselves, lest you profane the oblations of the children of Israel, and die.