Numbers 18:15

_EVERY THING THAT OPENETH 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._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

15._Every thing that openeth the matrix. _The same thing is now ordained as to the first-born, viz., that the priests should have them also for themselves; though at the same time a distinction is inserted, that the first-born of man should be redeemed. With regard to unclean beasts, the owners were free either to redeem or to kill them. But, since this matter is not professedly treated of here, God only briefly declares that He gives to the priests whatever profit may be made of the first-born. The command that the first-born should be redeemed according to the estimation of the priests, does not mean that the priests should themselves prescribe the value, as if they had the authority to do so; but that estimation is referred to by which they were bound according to God’s command, as we saw elsewhere; and this may be readily gathered from the context, because the price is presently adde...

8-19 All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take care of them. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And from the provision here made for the priests, the apostle shows that it is the duty of christian churches to maintain their ministers. Scandalous maintenance makes scandalous ministers. The priests were to be wholly devoted to their ministry, not diverted from it, or disturbed in it, by worldly care or business. Also, that they might be examples of living by faith, not only in God's providence, but in his ordinances. The best should be offered for the first-fruits unto the Lord. Those who think to save, by putting God off with the refuse, deceive themselves, for God is not mocked....

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_....

SURELY REDEEM ... REDEEM - A stronger expression is intentionally used in reference to the redemption of the first-born of man than in reference to that of unclean beasts. For the rule as to the former admitted of no exception: the owner of the latter, if unwilling to redeem, might destroy the beasts. Compare the marginal references....

EXPOSITION STATUS AND REVENUES OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES (Numbers 18:1). NUMBERS 18:1 THE LORD SPAKE UNTO AARON. This clear and comprehensive instruction as to the position and support of the sons of Aaron on the one hand, and of the Levites on the other, may very naturally have been given in connection with the events just narrated. There is, however, no direct reference to those events, and it is quite possible that the only connection was one of subject-matter in the mind of the writer. That the regulations which follow were addressed to Aaron directly is a thing unusual, and indeed unexampled. The ever-recurring statement elsewher

EVERY THING THAT OPENETH THE MATRIX IN ALL FLESH,.... The firstborn of every creature: WHICH THEY BRING UNTO THE LORD; as they were obliged, he claiming it as his own, Exodus 13:2; [WHETHER IT BE] OF MEN OR BEASTS, SHALL BE THINE; every firstborn of either, being the Lord's, became the priest's by his gift: NEVERTHELESS, THE FIRSTBORN OF MAN SHALT THOU SURELY REDEEM; that is, take the redemption price for it, which was five shekels, as in Numbers 18:16; for the original proprietor was, strictly speaking, the redeemer, and paid the money, and the priest was the receiver, to whom it was paid; see Exodus 13:13; and the firstlings of unclean b

8. PRIESTHOOD AND INIQUITY AND THE RECOMPENSE OF THE PRIESTHOOD CHAPTER 18 _ 1. The iniquity borne by the priesthood (Numbers 18:1)_ 2. The recompense of the priests (Numbers 18:8) 3. The inheritance of the priests (Numbers 18:20) “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 iniquity of your priesthood.” This is evidently in answer to the question, “Shall we be consumed with dying?” (Numbers 17:13) The ministry of the priests and the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle and the charge of

THE DUES TO BE RECEIVED BY THE PRIESTS FROM THE PEOPLE. These embrace all those portions of the things offered unto the Lord which are not required to be burnt; and in detail are (_a)_ the meal offerings, less a handful or other small quantity (Leviticus 2:2 f., Leviticus 2:9 f., Leviticus 6:15 f.); (_b_) the sin offerings (except those for the high priest and the congregation), less the fat (Leviticus 4:26; Leviticus 4:31; Leviticus 4:35); (_c_) th

THE MATRIX. See Numbers 3:13.Exodus 13:2; Exodus 34:19; Leviticus 27:26. MEN... MAN. Hebrew. _'adam_. App-14. REDEEM. Hebrew. _padah._ See note on Exodus 6:6,...