Numbers 18:21

Numbers 18:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

Context of Numbers 18:21

19All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto Jehovah, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before Jehovah unto thee and to thy seed with thee. 20And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any portion among them: I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And unto the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting. 22And henceforth the children of Israel shall not come nigh the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die. 23But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations; and among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

Numbers 18:21 word by word

וְלִבְנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י הִנֵּ֥ה נָתַ֛תִּי כָּל־מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְנַחֲלָ֑ה חֵ֤לֶף עֲבֹֽדָתָם֙ אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣ם עֹֽבְדִ֔ים אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֖ת אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃Read the interlinear

• Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• titheמַעֲשֵׂרma‛ăώêr ma‛ăώar ma‛aώrâh · titheH4643
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• returnחֵ֫לֶףchêleph · forH2500
• serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: ministryH5656
• serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• meetingמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meetingH4150

Cross-references for Numbers 18:21

• Numbers 18:24For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave-offering unto Jehovah, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
• Leviticus 27:30And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is Jehovah’s: it is holy unto Jehovah.
• Deuteronomy 12:17Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or of thy new wine, or of thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering of thy hand;
• Deuteronomy 14:22Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that which cometh forth from the field year by year.
• 2 Chronicles 31:5And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first-fruits of grain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
• Nehemiah 10:37and that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the new wine and the oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
• Nehemiah 12:44And on that day were men appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave-offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
• Nehemiah 13:12Then brought all Judah the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
• Numbers 18:6And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are a gift, given unto Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
• Numbers 3:7And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
• 1 Corinthians 9:13Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?
• Galatians 6:6But let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Commentaries on Numbers 18:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth - The Levites had the tenth of all the productions of the land. They had forty-eight cities, each forming a square of 4,000 cubits. They had 2,000 cubits of ground round each city. Total of the land they possessed, 53,000 acres. They had the first-fruits and certain parts of all the animals killed in the land. Canaan contained about 11,264,000 acres; therefore the portion possessed by the Levites was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek: Jacob had promised the tithe of all wherewith God blessed him if he should return in peace to his father‘s house. But now first the Lord‘s tithes are assigned to the Levites for their support (compare Leviticus 27:30). The payment of tithes to them is recognized in Nehemiah 10:37; Nehemiah 12:44; Tobit 1:7.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-32Verses 20-32 As Israel was a people not to be numbered among the nations, so Levi was a tribe to be distinguished from the rest. Those who have God for their Inheritance and their Portion for ever, ought to look with holy contempt and indifference upon the possessions of this world. The Levites were to give God his dues out of their tithes, as well as the Israelites out of their increase. See, in ver. #(31), the way to have comfort in all our worldly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21The priests and Levites did not have a tribal homeland. They lived scattered among Israel's other tribes (see 35:1–8; Deuteronomy 12:12; Joshua 21:1–42). I am your portion and your inheritance: Instead of land, Israel's priests had assurance that God himself would be their homeland. The tribe of Levi received tithes as payment for their holy service.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-3221-22. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve--Neither the priests nor the Levites were to possess any allotments of land but to depend entirely upon Him who liberally provided for them out of His own portion; and this law was subservient to many important purposes--such as that, being exempted from the cares and labors of worldly business, they might be exclusively devoted to His…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 18:21

• Tithes

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Levi
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Exodus
• Tithe
• Agrapha
• Atonement, Day of

Commentaries on Numbers 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings