Numbers 18:9
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A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Service and Revenues of the Priests and Levites - Numbers 18 The practical confirmation of the priesthood of Aaron and his family, on the part of God, is very appropriately followed by the legal regulations concerning the official duties of the priest and Levites (Num 18:1-7), and the revenues to be assigned them for their services (vv. 8-32), as the laws hitherto given upon this subject, although they contain many isolated stipulations, have not laid down any complete and comprehensive arrangement. The instructions relating to this subject were addressed by Jehovah directly to Aaron (see Num 18:1 and Num 18:8), up to the law, that out of the tenths which the Levites were to collect from the people, they were to pay a tenth again to the priests; and this was addressed to Moses (Num 18:25), as the head of all Israel.
Open source ↗Aaron being now fully established in the priesthood abundantly to his own satisfaction, and to the satisfaction of the people (which was the good that God brought out of the evil opposition made to him), in this chapter God gives him full instructions concerning his office or rather repeats those which he had before given him. He tells him, I. What must be his work and the care and charge committed to him, and what assistance he should have the Levites in that work (Num 18:1-7). II. What should be his and the Levites' wages for this work. 1. The perquisites or fees peculiar to the priests (Num 18:8-19). 2. The settled maintenance of the Levites (Num 18:20-24). III. The portion which must be paid to the priests out of the Levites' maintenance (Num 18:25-32). Thus every one knew what he had to do, and what he had to live upon.
Open source ↗18:9-11 The most holy offerings were consumed only by Aaron and his sons, the priests set apart to serve in God’s presence (Exod 28:1; 29:44-46). • This portion was a holy offering presented to God, and the priests had to respect it as such (Num 18:10). Other categories of offerings provided food for the priests and their families (18:11-12), but only if they were ceremonially clean.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law applies to both. It belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.
Then he is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.
When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt.
And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt.
“If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity.
and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.
“Now this is the law of the guilt offering, which is most holy:
“Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the congregation by making atonement for them before the LORD.