Números 18

ARC · Chapter 18/36

1Então disse o Senhor a Aarão: Tu, e teus filhos, e a casa de teu pae comtigo, levareis sobre vós a iniquidade do sanctuario: e tu e teus filhos comtigo levareis sobre vós a iniquidade do vosso sacerdocio.

2E tambem farás chegar comtigo a teus irmãos, a tribu de Levi, a tribu de teu pae, para que se ajuntem a ti, e te sirvam; mas tu e teus filhos comtigo estareis perante a tenda do testemunho.

3E elles farão a tua guarda, a guarda de toda a tenda: mas não se chegarão aos vasos do sanctuario, e ao altar, para que não morram, tanto elles como vós

4Mas se ajuntarão a ti, e farão a guarda da tenda da congregação em todo o ministerio da tenda; e o estranho não se chegará a vós

5Vós pois fareis a guarda do sanctuario e a guarda do altar; para que não haja outra vez furor sobre os filhos d'Israel.

6E eu, eis-que eu tenho tomado vossos irmãos, os levitas, do meio dos filhos d'Israel: a vós são dados em dadiva pelo Senhor, para administrar o ministerio da tenda da congregação.

7Mas tu e teus filhos comtigo guardareis o vosso sacerdocio em todo o negocio do altar, e no que estiver dentro do véu, isto administrareis: eu vos tenho dado o vosso sacerdocio em dadiva ministerial, e o estranho que se chegar morrerá.

8Disse mais o Senhor a Aarão: E eu, eis-que te tenho dado a guarda das minhas offertas alçadas, com todas as coisas sanctas dos filhos d'Israel; por causa da uncção as tenho dado a ti e a teus filhos por estatuto perpetuo.

9Isto terás das coisas sanctissimas do fogo: todas as suas offertas com todas as suas offertas de manjares, e com todas as suas expiações do peccado, e com todas as suas expiações da culpa, que me restituirão; será coisa sanctissima para ti e para teus filhos

10No logar sanctissimo o comerás: todo o macho o comerá; sanctidade será para ti

11Tambem isto será teu: a offerta alçada dos seus dons com todas as offertas movidas dos filhos d'Israel; a ti, a teus filhos, e a tuas filhas comtigo, as tenho dado por estatuto perpetuo; todo o que estiver limpo na tua casa as comerá.

12Tudo o melhor do azeite, e tudo o melhor do mosto e do grão, as suas primicias que derem ao Senhor, as tenho dado a ti.

13Os primeiros fructos de tudo que houver na terra, que trouxerem ao Senhor, serão teus: todo o que estiver limpo na tua casa os comerá.

14Toda a coisa consagrada em Israel será tua.

15Tudo o que abrir a madre, de toda a carne que trouxerem ao Senhor, tanto d'homens como d'animaes, será teu; porém os primogenitos dos homens resgatarás; tambem os primogenitos dos animaes immundos resgatarás.

16Os que pois d'elles se houverem de resgatar resgatarás, da edade d'um mez, segundo a tua avaliação, por cinco siclos de dinheiro, segundo o siclo do sanctuario, que é de vinte geras.

17Mas o primogenito de vacca, ou primogenito d'ovelha, ou primogenito de cabra, não resgatarás, sanctos são: o seu sangue espargirás sobre o altar, e a sua gordura queimarás em offerta queimada de cheiro suave ao Senhor.

18E a carne d'elles será tua: assim como o peito do movimento, e como o hombro direito, tua será.

19Todas as offertas alçadas das sanctidades, que os filhos de Israel offerecerem ao Senhor, tenho dado a ti, e a teus filhos e a tuas filhas comtigo, por estatuto perpetuo: concerto perpetuo de sal perante o Senhor é, para ti e para a tua semente comtigo.

20Disse tambem o Senhor a Aarão: Na sua terra possessão nenhuma terás, e no meio d'elles, nenhuma parte terás: eu sou a tua parte e a tua herança no meio dos filhos d'Israel.

21E eis-que aos filhos de Levi tenho dado todos os dizimos em Israel por herança, pelo seu ministerio que administra, o ministerio da tenda da congregação.

22E nunca mais os filhos de Israel se chegarão á tenda da congregação, para que não levem sobre si o peccado, e morram.

23Mas os levitas administrarão o ministerio da tenda da congregação, e elles levarão sobre si a sua iniquidade: pelas vossas gerações estatuto perpetuo será; e no meio dos filhos d'Israel nenhuma herança herdarão.

24Porque os dizimos dos filhos d'Israel, que offerecerem ao Senhor em offerta alçada, tenho dado por herança aos levitas: porquanto eu lhes disse: No meio dos filhos de Israel nenhuma herança herdarão.

25E fallou o Senhor a Moysés, dizendo:

26Tambem fallarás aos levitas, e dir-lhes-has: Quando receberdes os dizimos dos filhos de Israel, que eu d'elles vos tenho dado em vossa herança, d'elles offerecereis uma offerta alçada ao Senhor; os dizimos dos dizimos.

27E contar-se-vos-ha a vossa offerta alçada, como grão da eira, e como plenitude do lagar.

28Assim tambem offerecereis ao Senhor uma offerta alçada de todos os vossos dizimos, que receberdes dos filhos d'Israel, e d'elles dareis a offerta alçada do Senhor a Aarão, o sacerdote.

29De todos os vossos dons offerecereis toda a offerta alçada do Senhor: de tudo o melhor d'elles, a sua sancta parte.

30Dir-lhes-has pois: Quando offerecerdes o melhor d'elles, como novidade da eira, e como novidade do lagar, se contará aos levitas.

31E o comereis em todo o logar, vós e a vossa casa, porque vosso galardão é pelo vosso ministerio na tenda da congregação.

32Pelo que não levareis sobre vós o peccado, quando d'elles offerecerdes o melhor: e não profanareis as coisas sanctas dos filhos de Israel, para que não morraes.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God clearly establishes the responsibilities and provision for the priests and Levites: they receive portions of the people's offerings as their means of living, since they would have no inheritance of land like the other tribes, and the Levites in turn give a tithe of what they receive to the priests.

Explanation

This chapter practically organizes the support of those serving full-time in religious ministry: with no land of their own to farm, priests and Levites depended directly on the people's offerings, creating an interdependence that united the whole nation around worship of God. The statement that 'the LORD is your portion and your inheritance' (v. 20) to Aaron is one of the most beautiful affirmations in the Bible about finding identity and security in relationship with God rather than in material possessions. The principle of the 'tithe of the tithe' (Levites giving a portion of what they received to the priests) shows a chain of generosity at multiple levels within the religious structure itself. The application for today: supporting those who serve the faith community full-time is a consistent biblical principle, not merely a modern practice.

Fun facts

  • The phrase 'I am your portion and your inheritance' (v. 20), spoken to Aaron, is echoed almost literally by the psalmist in Psalms 16:5 and 73:26, showing how this idea became a lasting spiritual expression of trusting in God above material possessions.
  • This system of priestly support through tithes and offerings is cited by Paul in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 9:13-14) as a precedent for supporting those who work in gospel ministry.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Números 18:1Answering directly the people’s fear at the end of the previous chapter, God explains to Aaron that responsibility for any wrong related to the sanctuary falls on him and his priestly family, not on the common people.
  2. Números 18:2Aaron was to bring his own relatives, the tribe of Levi, near to help him, while he and his sons remained directly responsible for the tent of the testimony.
  3. Números 18:3The Levites would take care of the tent in general, but could not come near the sacred objects or the altar, under penalty of death both for them and for the priests.
  4. Números 18:4They would join Aaron in caring for all the service of the tent of the congregation, but no outsider, from outside the tribe of Levi, could come near.
  5. Números 18:5It fell specifically to Aaron and his sons to care for the sanctuary and the altar, precisely so that a tragedy like Korah’s would never happen again.
  6. Números 18:6God reinforces that the Levites were taken from among the people as a gift to Aaron, given to serve in the work of the tent of the congregation.
  7. Números 18:7The priesthood itself, everything related to the altar and the innermost space of the tent, was exclusive to Aaron and his sons; any outsider who came near would die.
  8. Números 18:8God also explains to Aaron that he would receive a portion of the heave offerings and the holy things brought by the people, as a permanent provision tied to his anointing as priest.
  9. Números 18:9Of the most holy things, everything left over from the offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings, would be food reserved only for Aaron and his sons.
  10. Números 18:10This portion was to be eaten in a most holy place, and only the men of the priestly family could eat it, since it was considered sacred.
  11. Números 18:11Besides that, the heave portion of the people’s offerings also belonged to Aaron’s family, including his daughters, as long as they were ritually clean to eat it.
  12. Números 18:12The best of the oil, the new wine, and the wheat, the firstfruits offered to the Lord, were also given to Aaron.
  13. Números 18:13The first ripe fruits of everything the land produced, brought to the Lord, belonged to Aaron, and anyone clean in his household could eat of them.
  14. Números 18:14Everything formally devoted to God in Israel also belonged to Aaron.
  15. Números 18:15Every firstborn, whether of humans or animals, belonged to God, but this did not mean human sacrifice: firstborn sons had to be redeemed with money, and unclean animals, which could not be offered, were also redeemed this way. Only the firstborn of clean animals were actually offered up.
  16. Números 18:16Whoever needed to redeem a firstborn from a month old paid five shekels of silver, calculated by the official weight of the sanctuary shekel.
  17. Números 18:17But the firstborn of a cow, sheep, or goat could not be redeemed: they were considered holy and were to be sacrificed, with the blood sprinkled on the altar and the fat burned as an offering.
  18. Números 18:18The meat of these sacrificed animals went to Aaron, the same way the breast and the right thigh of other wave offerings did.
  19. Números 18:19The phrase “a covenant of salt for ever” was an ancient way of saying that agreement was permanent and reliable, because salt was used as a preservative and a symbol of something that does not spoil or change. It is an image that appears a few times in the Bible to reinforce that a promise was final.
  20. Números 18:20God tells Aaron that he would have no land of his own as an inheritance among the tribes, because the Lord Himself would be his inheritance and his portion.
  21. Números 18:21Since the Levites received no land of their own in Canaan, God determines that they would live off the tithes given by the rest of the people. It was their system of support: in exchange for the work of managing worship at the tabernacle, they received a fixed share of what the other tribes produced.
  22. Números 18:22After all this was arranged, ordinary Israelites were no longer to come near the tent of the congregation, so as not to risk dying because of it.
  23. Números 18:23It fell exclusively to the Levites to perform this service, and they would bear any responsibility tied to it, without receiving land of their own as an inheritance.
  24. Números 18:24The practical reason the Levites had no land is that they received the tithes of the people as their own form of support and inheritance.
  25. Números 18:25The Lord speaks once more to Moses, now to explain a specific rule about what the Levites themselves were to do with the tithes they received.
  26. Números 18:26The Levites also had to set apart a portion of what they received: a tithe of the tithe, offered to the Lord.
  27. Números 18:27This offering from the Levites would count as if it were produce of the harvest, equivalent to grain from the threshing floor or wine from the winepress.
  28. Números 18:28So the Levites also presented their portion to the Lord, handing over this specific offering to Aaron the priest.
  29. Números 18:29Of everything they received, the Levites were to set apart the best as the holy portion belonging to the Lord.
  30. Números 18:30Once that best portion was set apart, the rest counted normally as belonging to the Levites, as the produce of their own harvest.
  31. Números 18:31The Levites could eat the rest anywhere, together with their families, since that was payment for their work at the tent of the congregation.
  32. Números 18:32As long as they correctly set apart the best portion for the Lord, the Levites committed no sin in eating the rest, avoiding profaning the holy things of the people.

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