Thursday, April 1, 2021

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 comments: Levites without an inheritance in territory

 

Deuteronomy 18:1 ¶  The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. 2  Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. 3  And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. 4  The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 5  For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever. 6  And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose; 7  Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD. 8  They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

 

Again it is stated that the Levites will not inherit territory as the other tribes did but their inheritance is the LORD God and their mission is to wait upon Him and minister to the people.

 

Numbers 1:47 ¶  But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48  For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying, 49  Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel: 50  But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 51  And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 52  And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. 53  But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. 54  And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

 

Numbers 18:20 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 21  And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

 

Deuteronomy 10:9 Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.

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