New International Version
Numbers 18:19
19Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”
Numbers 18:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
- English Standard Version (ESV)All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the Lord I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your offspring with you."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the Lord. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant between the Lord and you, and it also applies to your descendants.”
Context of Numbers 18:19
17“But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 18Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours. Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.” 20The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. 21“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.
Read all of Numbers 18Numbers 18:19 word by word
כֹּ֣ל׀ תְּרוּמֹ֣ת הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרִ֥ימוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לַֽיהוָה֒ נָתַ֣תִּֽי לְךָ֗ וּלְבָנֶ֧יךָ וְלִבְנֹתֶ֛יךָ אִתְּךָ֖ לְחָק־עוֹלָ֑ם בְּרִית֩ מֶ֨לַח עוֹלָ֥ם הִוא֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אִתָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- All the heave offeringsתְּרוּמָהterûmâh terûmâh · contributionH8641
- of the holy thingsקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- which the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- offerרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- have I givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- thee, and thy sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and thy daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- with thee, by a statuteחֹקchôq · statute: portionH2706
- for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- of saltמֶ֫לַחmelach · saltH4417
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- unto thee and to thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
Cross-references for Numbers 18:19
- Numbers 18:8Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion, your perpetual share.
- Numbers 15:19and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the Lord.
- Numbers 31:29Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part.
- Leviticus 7:14They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar.
- Deuteronomy 12:6there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
- 2 Chronicles 31:4He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.
- Leviticus 2:13Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
- 2 Chronicles 13:5Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?
Commentaries on Numbers 18:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19It 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 covenant of salt signified an everlasting covenant. We have already seen that, among the Asiatics, eating together was deemed a bond of perpetual friendship; and as salt was a common…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19A covenant of salt - Compare the marginal reference. covenants were ordinarily cemented in the East by the rites of hospitality; of which salt was the obvious token, entering as it does into every article of diet. It indicates perpetuity: compare Leviticus 2:13 note.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-19Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19a covenant of salt: These arrangements were part of an eternal and unbreakable covenant (see 2 Chronicles 13:5). The agreement was meant to be permanent because salt, a preservative, symbolized permanence (Leviticus 2:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. it is a covenant of salt--that is, a perpetual ordinance. This figurative form of expression was evidently founded on the conservative property of salt, which keeps meat from corruption; and hence it became an emblem of inviolability and permanence. It is a common phrase among Oriental people, who consider the eating of salt a pledge of fidelity, binding them in a covenant of friendship. Hence the partaking of the altar meats, which were appropriated…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 18:19
In the dictionaries
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
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