Numbers 18:23

But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Levites	הַלֵּוִ֜י ha.le.Vi	H3881	a Levite or descendant of Levi · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine singular absolute
do	וְעָבַ֨ד ve.'a.Vad	H5647	to work (in any sense) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
service	עֲבֹדַת֙ 'a.vo.Dat	H5656	work of any kind · noun, common feminine singular construct
tabernacle	אֹ֣הֶל 'O.hel	H168	a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance) · noun, common masculine singular construct
congregation	מוֹעֵ֔ד mo.'Ed	H4150	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
bear	יִשְׂא֣וּ yis.'U	H5375	to lift · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
iniquity	עֲוֹנָ֑ם 'a.vo.Nam	H5771	perversity · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
statute	חֻקַּ֤ת chu.Kat	H2708	an enactment · noun, common feminine singular construct
ever	עוֹלָם֙ o.Lam	H5769	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
generations	לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם le.do.Ro.tei.Khem	H1755	properly · preposition + noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine plural
among	וּבְתוֹךְ֙ u.ve.toKh	H8432	a bisection · conjunction + preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
children	בְּנֵ֣י be.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
have	יִנְחֲל֖וּ yin.cha.Lu	H5157	to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
inheritance	נַחֲלָֽה na.cha.Lah	H5159	properly · noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Numbers 3:7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the…
Numbers 18:1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy…
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…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 18:20–end

Here is a further account of the provision that was made both for the Levites and for the priests, out of the country. I. They must have no inheritance in the land; only cities to dwell in were afterwards allowed them, but no ground to occupy: Thou shalt not have any part among them, Num 18:20. It is repeated again Num 18:23, and again Num 18:24, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance, either by purchase or descent. God would have them comfortably provided for, but would not have their families over-rich, lest they should think themselves above that work which their wages supposed and obliged them constantly to attend upon. As Israel was a peculiar people, and not to be…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:23

But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: they shall bear their iniquity--They were to be responsible for the right discharge of those duties that were assigned to them, and consequently to bear the penalty that was due to negligence or carelessness in the guardianship of the holy things.

John Gill on Numbers 18:23

But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation,.... In guarding the tabernacle, that no unclean persons enter into it, or any others take anything out of it, and in assisting the priests in their service, and carrying the vessels of the sanctuary when required: and they shall bear their iniquity: that is, when they fail in the duty of their office, are not careful in their service and work, and business appointed them; if either they did not do their business themselves, or suffered others to do it, or such to come to the tabernacle who should not, they would be blameworthy and suffer for it: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that the c…

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John Calvin on Numbers 18:20-24

Numbers 18:20, 21, 23, 24 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. 20. Dixit autem Jehova ad Aharon, De terra eorum haereditatem non habebis, nec portio erit tibi in medio eorum: ego portio tua, et haereditas tua in medio filiorum 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. 21. Filiis autem Levi ecce dedi omnes decimas in Israele in haereditatem pro ministerio eorum quia ipsi exequuntur min…

Dictionary and topics

Law of Moses — Is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply “the Law” (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written…
Levite — A descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:25; Lev. 25:32; Num. 35:2; Josh. 21:3, 41). This name is, however, generally used as the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the…
Tithe — A tenth of the produce of the earth consecrated and set apart for special purposes. The dedication of a tenth to God was recognized as a duty before the time of Moses. Abraham paid tithes to…
Tithe Or Tenth — the proportion of property devoted to religious uses from very early times. Instances of the use of tithes are found prior to the appointment of the Levitical tithes under the law. In biblical…
Tithe · Reasonableness of appointing, for the Levites — Reasonableness of appointing, for the Levites
Tithes · Mosaic laws instituting — Mosaic laws instituting

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Numbers 18:23

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 18:20–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:23

John Gill on Numbers 18:23

John Calvin on Numbers 18:20-24

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 18:23

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 18:20–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:23

John Gill on Numbers 18:23

John Calvin on Numbers 18:20-24

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 18:21-24

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 18:23-24

Rashi on Numbers 18:23