Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Numbers
Chapter 18: The Charge and Portion of the Priests
After Israel cried, 'Who can come near and not die?', God answers by defining the priesthood that stands between the people and the sanctuary. The priests and Levites are to bear the responsibility for holy things and guard the altar, 'that there be no wrath.' Because they carry this burden, God provides for them from the offerings, and gives the Levites the tithe. And to the priests who have no land of their own, God gives the greatest portion of all: 'I am thy part and thine inheritance.'
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Numbers chapter 18. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter gives the charge of the priests and Levites, their portion from the offerings, and the LORD as their inheritance. It teaches the weight of spiritual responsibility, God's provision for those who serve Him, and the truth that God Himself is the believer's greatest portion. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Bear the Iniquity
The priests were to bear responsibility for the sanctuary and guard its holiness, "that there be no wrath."
Live of the Altar
Because they served the holy things, God gave the priests their food from the offerings, a covenant of salt.
Given to the Levites
The Levites, who had no land, were given the tithe of Israel as their inheritance for their service.
I Am Thy Part
To the priests with no land of their own, God gave the greatest portion: Himself.
Bear the Iniquity, Keep the Charge (Numbers 18:1-7)
The priests and Levites were charged to bear responsibility for the sanctuary and guard the altar, standing as a buffer between the people and the holiness of God.
That There Be No Wrath
"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 sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee. And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine."
Hebrew Study
God tells Aaron, "thou... shalt bear the iniquity of the sanctuary" — nasa avon, to carry the responsibility for its holiness, so that "there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel." Answering the people's terrified cry at the end of chapter 17, God gives the priesthood as a shield: the priests absorb the danger of the holy so the people can live near it. And the office is called "a service of gift" — priesthood is a grace bestowed, never a right seized, a mercy that lets sinners dwell beside their God.
Explanation
Israel's terrified cry in the last chapter, "who can come near and not perish?", is answered here. God appoints the priesthood to stand between the people and His holiness. To Aaron He says, "thou and thy sons... shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary... and the iniquity of your priesthood." The priests would carry the responsibility for keeping holy things holy, and the Levites were given "as a gift" to assist them. Their task was to "keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel." The priesthood was a shield: by guarding the boundaries of holiness, they kept the people from provoking the wrath that had just fallen. The ordinary Israelite could not safely handle the holy things, but the appointed priests could, bearing the weight so the nation could live near God without being consumed.
Gospel Focus
The priests bearing "the iniquity of the sanctuary" so "there be no wrath" points to Christ, our great High Priest, who did not merely guard against iniquity but bore it entirely. Of Him Isaiah wrote, "he shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11). Jesus took upon Himself the very iniquity we could not carry and turned away the wrath we had earned, so that we may draw near to a holy God and live. The whole priestly system, standing between the people and wrath, was a shadow of the One who would stand in our place forever. And there is a word here for all who serve God's people. Spiritual responsibility is weighty; those who lead "watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13:17). To keep the charge of holy things is a solemn trust, not a light honor, the very thing Korah had coveted without counting its weight. Christ has borne the iniquity that would have destroyed us; those who serve Him bear a real and reverent responsibility for the holy things committed to them.
They Live of the Altar (Numbers 18:8-19)
Because the priests gave themselves wholly to the service of the sanctuary, God gave them their living from the offerings, a portion sealed by a covenant of salt.
A Covenant of Salt
"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."
Hebrew Study
"covenant of salt," berith melach (בְּרִית מֶלַח). Salt preserves and does not decay; a "covenant of salt" was a bond meant to last, unbreakable and incorruptible. God's provision for the priests was not a passing arrangement but a permanent, enduring covenant, as lasting and pure as salt itself.
Explanation
Since the priests served full-time at the altar, God provided their living from what the people brought to Him. "I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings," God says, "unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing." The best of the offerings became their food: "the most holy things, reserved from the fire," and "all the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits." Everything devoted to God, and the redemption money of the firstborn, was theirs. This provision was "a covenant of salt for ever." The priests did not farm or trade; they served, and God fed them from His own offerings. What was given to God became, in turn, the sustenance of those who ministered before Him, a settled and enduring arrangement of His own making.
Gospel Focus
God's provision for the priests is the Old Testament root of a New Testament principle: those who give themselves to the ministry of the gospel should be supported by the people they serve. Paul draws the line directly: "do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple?... Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:13-14). It is God's own design that His servants be provided for, not as charity but as a just and holy arrangement, and a "covenant of salt," an enduring one. Supporting those who labor in the word is not optional generosity but obedience to the Lord's ordinance. And there is comfort for every servant of God: the One who called you to His service will provide for you in it. The priests trusted God to feed them from His altar, and He did. Give yourself to the work God has given, support those who labor before the Lord, and trust the God whose covenant of provision is as lasting as salt.
I Am Thy Part and Thine Inheritance (Numbers 18:20-32)
The priests received no land of their own, for God gave them a far greater portion: Himself, while the Levites lived from the tithe of Israel.
I Am Thy Part
"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. 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. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 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. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest. Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress. And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die."
Hebrew Study
"part," cheleq (חֵלֶק). A cheleq is one's assigned portion or share, the amount measured out to a man as his own. To the priests God Himself said, "I am thy part and thine inheritance." Their portion was not acreage but the living God.
"inheritance," nachalah (נַחֲלָה). A nachalah is an inheritance handed down, especially land. Every other tribe received a nachalah of land; the priests received none. What the rest of Israel held in fields and boundaries, the sons of Aaron held in the LORD Himself.
Explanation
To Aaron God says something breathtaking: "thou shalt have no inheritance in their land... I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel." The priests would own no fields, plant no vineyards, hold no territory. Instead of land, they had the LORD Himself. In place of an earthly inheritance, they were given the greatest possession imaginable. The Levites likewise received no land, but were given "all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance," the tithe, in exchange for their service. And even the Levites were to give: from the tithe they received, they offered "a tenth part of the tithe" as a heave offering to the LORD, "the best thereof." The whole arrangement rested on one glorious exchange: those who served God gave up earthly inheritance and received God as their portion.
Gospel Focus
"I am thy part and thine inheritance" is one of the most precious promises in the Bible, and it belongs to every believer. The priests gave up land and gained God, and that exchange is the heart of the life of faith. The saints learned to say it for themselves: "the LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup" (Psalm 16:5); "God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever" (Psalm 73:26); "the LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him" (Lamentations 3:24). To have God is to have everything, even when we hold little else. We are called to hold this world's inheritance loosely, for we have "an inheritance incorruptible... reserved in heaven" (1 Peter 1:4), and better still, God Himself is our portion now. This is why the servant of God can lay down earthly gain without loss: he trades acreage for the Almighty. If the LORD is your portion, you are rich beyond measure, whatever your earthly circumstances. Say it over your soul: the LORD is my part and my inheritance, and in Him I have all things.
Chapter 18 in Review
Numbers 18 answers the fearful cry of the previous chapter by establishing the priesthood that stands between the people and God's holiness. The priests and Levites were to "bear the iniquity of the sanctuary" and "keep the charge... that there be no wrath." Because they gave themselves wholly to this service, God provided their living from the offerings, a "covenant of salt," and gave the Levites the tithe of Israel as their inheritance. And to the priests who received no land, God gave the greatest portion of all: "I am thy part and thine inheritance."
For the Apostolic reader, the chapter is full of Christ and rich instruction. The priests bearing iniquity to turn away wrath point to Jesus, who "shall bear their iniquities" and lets us draw near to God. God's provision for the priests grounds the principle that "they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel," an enduring covenant of provision. And the crowning promise, "I am thy part and thine inheritance," belongs to every believer: we give up the world's inheritance and receive God Himself, our portion for ever. Bear your charge faithfully, support those who serve the Lord, and count God as your greatest treasure, for the one who has the LORD as his portion has all things.
- The priests bore responsibility for holy things "that there be no wrath," pointing to Christ who bore our iniquity (18:5; Isaiah 53:11).
- Spiritual responsibility is weighty; leaders "watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (18:1; Hebrews 13:17).
- Those who serve God's people should be supported: "they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (18:8-19; 1 Corinthians 9:13-14).
- God's provision is a "covenant of salt," enduring and incorruptible (18:19).
- "I am thy part and thine inheritance": God Himself is the believer's greatest portion (18:20; Psalm 73:26; Lamentations 3:24).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you carry the responsibilities God has given you with reverence, knowing you serve holy things?
- Do you support those who give themselves to the ministry of the word, as God has ordained?
- Can you say with the saints, "the LORD is my portion," holding this world loosely because God Himself is your inheritance?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The priestly charge and bearing iniquity, pointing to Christ: Numbers 18:1-7; Isaiah 53:11; Hebrews 13:17.
- The priests' portion and supporting the ministry: Numbers 18:8-19; 1 Corinthians 9:13-14.
- God Himself as the priests' inheritance: Numbers 18:20-32; Psalm 16:5; Psalm 73:26; Lamentations 3:24; 1 Peter 1:4.