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

19I have given all the gifts that the Israelites offer to the Lord to you, your sons and your daughters. That is a rule for all time. That is the Lord's special promise to you and to your descendants for all time.’ 20Then the Lord said to Aaron, ‘You priests and your descendants will have no land, like the other tribes do. You will not share in the things that they receive. I myself am the gift that you receive. The Israelites give to me one tenth of everything that they receive. I will give it to the Levites because they serve me in the Tent of Meeting. 22The other Israelites must not come near the Tent of Meeting again. If they do come near it, they will be guilty and then they will die. 23Only the Levites must do the work in the Tent of Meeting. And if they do anything wrong there, they will be guilty. That will be a rule for you and for all your descendants. The Levites will not receive any land like the other Israelites do.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And, behold, I have givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• all the tenthמַעֲשֵׂרma‛ăώêr ma‛ăώar ma‛aώrâh · titheH4643
• in Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• for an inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• forחֵ֫לֶףchêleph · forH2500
• their serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: ministryH5656
• which they serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• of the tabernacleאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• of the congregationמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meetingH4150

Cross-references for Numbers 18:21

• Numbers 18:24That is because I have given to the Levites the tithes that the Israelites offer to the Lord. I have told them, “You will not receive any land, like the other Israelites do.” I have given the tithes to them instead.’
• Leviticus 27:30One tenth of everything that comes from the land is holy to the Lord. It may be grain or fruit. It belongs to the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 12:17Do not eat any of your offerings to the Lord in the places where you live. Do not eat the tithes that you have taken from your grain, your new wine or your olive oil. Do not eat at home the firstborn animals from your cows, sheep or goats. Do not eat the gifts that you have promised, the gifts that you choose to give or any other special gifts.
• Deuteronomy 14:22You must keep safe a tenth part of all the crops that grow in your fields. You must be careful to do this every year.
• 2 Chronicles 31:5As soon as the Israelite people received Hezekiah's message, they brought their gifts to the temple. They brought the first part of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey and all the crops that grew in their fields. They brought one tenth part of all the food that they grew, so there was a lot of it.
• Nehemiah 10:37We will also bring the first of everything that is ready for us to eat. That includes flour, fruit, wine, olive oil and other special offerings. We will bring them all to the priests and they will store them in the rooms of the temple. We will give tithes of the crops that grow on our land to the Levites. They receive the tithes that belong to them in each of the towns where we work.
• Nehemiah 12:44On the same day, we chose men to take care of the rooms where they stored the people's gifts. Those gifts to God were the first fruits from the harvest and the tithes. They had to bring these gifts from the fields near each city. They read this in the law. They were gifts for the Levites and the priests, as God's Law commanded. The people of Judah were happy to help the priests and Levites who served God.
• Nehemiah 13:12After that, all the people in Judah brought their tithes of grain and wine and olive oil to store in the temple rooms.
• Numbers 18:6I have chosen your family, the Levites, from among the other Israelite tribes. They are the Lord's gift to you, to help you take care of the Tent of Meeting.
• Numbers 3:7They must serve him and all the Israelites. They must work at the Tent of Meeting and take care of it.
• 1 Corinthians 9:13Think about this: The people who work in the temple get their food from that place. The priests who offer sacrifices on the altar receive part of the animals for themselves.
• Galatians 6:6Everyone who is learning about God's message from a teacher should help his teacher. The student should share all the good things that he has with his teacher.

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