CHAPTER XVIII _The priests are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary_, 1. _The Levites to minister to the priests, and have charge of the_ _tabernacle_, 2-4. _The priests alone to have the charge of the sanctuary, c., no_ _stranger to come nigh on pain of death_, 5-7 _The portion allowed for t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:2. _THY BRETHREN ALSO OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI - MAY BE JOINED_ _UNTO THEE_] There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original. לוי _Levi_ comes from the root לוה _lavah, to join_ _to, couple, associate_: hence Moses says, the _Levites_, ילוו yillavu, shall be _joined_, o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:15. _THE FIRST-BORN OF MAN - AND THE FIRSTLING OF UNCLEAN_ _BEASTS_] Thus vain man is ranked with the beasts that perish; and with the _worst_ kinds of them too, those deemed _unclean_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:16. _SHALT THOU REDEEM - FOR THE MONEY OF FIVE SHEKELS_] Redemption of the first-born is one of the rites which is still practised among the Jews. According to Leo of Modena, it is performed in the following manner: - When the child is thirty days old, the father sends for one of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:19. _IT IS A COVENANT OF SALT_] That is, an incorruptible, everlasting covenant. As _salt_ was added to different kinds of viands, not only to give them a relish, but to preserve them from putrefaction and decay, it became the emblem of _incorruptibility_ and _permanence_. Hence, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:20. _I AM THY PART AND THINE INHERITANCE_] The principal part of what was offered to God was the portion of the priests, therefore they had no inheritance of _land_ in Israel; independently of that they had a very ample provision for their support. The rabbins say _twenty-four_ gift... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:21. _BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN THE CHILDREN OF LEVI ALL THE_ _TENTH_] First, the Levites had the tenth of all the productions of the land. 2. They had forty-eight cities, each forming a square of 4,000 cubits. 3. They had 2,000 cubits of ground round each city. Total of the land they... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Numbers 18:28. _THUS YE ALSO SHALL OFFER A HEAVE-OFFERING_] As the Levites had the tithe of the whole land, they themselves were obliged to give the _tithe_ of this _tithe_ to the priests, so that this considerably lessened their revenue. And this tithe or tenth they were obliged to select fro... [ Continue Reading ]