A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 18
CHAP▪ XVIII.
Verſ. 1. THou and thy ſonnes and thy fathers houſe with thee ſhall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary.]
Becauſe of the peoples aſtoniſhment, chap. 17. verſ. 12. Behold we die, we periſh, we all periſh, the Lord here tells Aaron, that he, the prieſts and Levites, muſt bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary, that is, that if any pollution came to it by the people they ſhould anſwer for it, and therefore it muſt be their charge to watch over it. Thus the Lord ſhews himſelf reconciled, and makes the prieſts watch a ground of appeaſing the peoples both fear and envy.
And thou and thy ſonnes with thee ſhall bear the iniquity of your prieſthood.]
That is, ſhall be puniſhed if the prieſthood be polluted either by your ſelves or the Levites intruding upon it, which your watch ſhould prevent.
Verſ. 3. OnelyOnly they ſhall not come nigh the veſſels of the Sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor you alſo die.]
To wit, for not preventing the errour of your brethren the Levites by your care.
Verſ. 7. Therefore thou and thy ſonnes with thee ſhall keep your prieſts office for every thing of the altar and within the vail.]
That is, for all things that concern the altar of burnt-offerings, and for all things that are to be done within the vail, that is, within the outer vail, either in the holy or moſt holy place.
Verſ. 8. Unto thee have I given them, by reaſon of the anointing, &c.]
That is, for the office ſake whereunto thou art anointed; becauſe I have ſeparated thee from worldly employments to attend upon mine holy things, therefore thou ſhalt have mine holy things to live upon.
Verſ. 9. Every oblation of theirs, every meat-offering of theirs, &c.]
The particulars are here mentioned of the moſt holy things reſerved from the fire, that is, the ſacrifices whereof part was burnt upon the altar, which were allotted to be the prieſts portion for their maintenance, to wit, oblations meat-offerings ſin-offerings & treſpaſſe-offerings; and this laſt is expreſſed thus, every treſpaſſe-offering of theirs which they ſhall render unto me, becauſe treſpaſſe-offerings were brought as by way of recompence for ſome treſpaſſe committed againſt the Lord. The greateſt difficulty in theſewords is, what is meant by the firſt clauſe, every oblation of theirs. But the moſt of Expoſitours agree, that this is mentioned as a generall comprehending all thoſe particulars after mentioned, as if it had been thus expreſſed, every oblation of theirs ſhall be thine, that is, every meat-offering, every ſinne-offering, and every treſpaſſeoffering of theirs; and indeed I ſee not of what particular ſort of ſacrifice it can be meant, becauſe they are all beſides expreſſed by name.
Verſ. 10. In the most holy place thou ſhalt eat it.]
That is, in the court of the tabernacle (or the tents or houſes round about it) which is called here the moſt holy place, to wit, in reſpect to the camp of Iſrael, and afterwards the citie Jeruſalem, which were holy places for the like holy things (as they were called) to be eaten in the Paſſeover, peace-offerings, &c. yea and in reſpect to the great court for the people, which was without the prieſts court, mentioned 2. Chron. 4. 9. and called therefore the outer court, Ezek. 42. 14.
Verſ. 11. And this is thine, the heave-offering of their gift, with all the wave-offerings, &c.]
That is, the right ſhoulder and the wave-breaſt of their peace-offerings, with all other gifts that they were heaved and waved, no part thereof being burnt upon the altar.
Verſ. 12. All the best of the oyl, and all the beſt of the wine, and of the wheat, the firſt-fruits of them, &c.]
Theſe things here mentioned were allotted for the prieſts ſuſtenance. Some of the firſt-fruits of their land were brought to the Lord at their three great feaſts, as a ſheaf of their barley, at the feaſt of Paſſeover or unleavened bread, chap. 23. 10. and two loaves of their new wheat, at the feaſt of Pentecoſt, ver. 17. and the firſt of their wine and oyl at the feaſt of tabernacles. But theſe were brought in the name of all the inhabitants of the land in generall. Beſides theſe there…ore, particular men were of their own corn and fruits to bring the firſt-fruits unto the Lord, as is enjoyned in ſeverall places, Exod. 22. 29. and 23. 19. &c. concerning which there is no other direction given but that th…y ſhould be of the firſt, and of the beſt (as is here expreſſed) the quantity being left to the free bounty of the owner, according as he had found the bleſſing of God upon his grounds, and of theſe firſt-fruits is this place to be underſtood. Some indeed make a difference betwixt the firſt-fruits mentioned here, ver. 12. and the firſt ripe mentioned in the following verſe, What ſoever is first ripe in the land, which they ſhall bring unto the Lord, ſhall be thine, which they ſay is meant onelyonly of thoſe firſt ripe fruits, which the people were to bring to the prieſts, concerning which the Law ſpeaks, Deut. 26. 2. But whether there can be any ſuch difference gathered from the Scripture, is very queſtionable.
Verſ. 16. And thoſe that are to be rede…med from a maneth old ſhalt thou redeem, &c.]
That is, the firſt-born of men: for though in the foregoing verſe there is mention made of the redemption of the firſt-born, both of man and beaſt, Nevertheleſſe, the first-born of man ſhalt thou ſurely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beaſts ſhalt thou redeem; yet this hath reference onelyonly to the firſt-born of men, as is evident, 1. becauſe it is ſaid here they were to redeem them at a monethmonth old, which was indeed the time for the redemption of the firſt-born of men, but the firſtlings of beaſts were to be given to the Lord at eight dayes old, Levit. 22. 27. and therefore it ſeems were at that age to be redeemed; and ſecondly, becauſe the eſtimation or price with the prieſt is here appointed to ſet upon the firſt-born that were to be redeemed, is five ſhekels, which was indeed the price for the redemption of the firſt-born of men, Numb. 3. 46, 47. and Levit. 27. 6. But it is no way probable that the ſame price of redemption was ſet upon the firſt-born of men and the firſtlings of unclean beaſts: of the firſtling of an … we reade expreſſely that it was to be redeemed with a lambe, Exod. 13. 13. and therefore the like may be conceived of the firſtling of other beaſts, or elſe that they were reaſonably rated by the pri…ſt acco…ding to their value.
Verſ. 17. 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.]
See Deut. 15. 19.
Verſ. 19. It is a cov…nant of ſalt for ever, &c.]
That is, in liew of your ſervice in the tabernacle I have allotted you this for your maintenance by a perpetuall and unchangeable coven…nt. Now this covenant in regard of its perpetuity is here called a covenant of ſalt, and ſo alſo Gods covenant with David, 2. Chron. 13. 5. either in reference to that Law, Lev. 2. 13. Every oblation of thy meat-offering ſhalt thou ſeaſon with ſalt; neither ſhalt thou ſuffer the ſalt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering: as if it had been ſaid, that this covenant made with the prieſt for their maintenance in the particulars before mentioned ſhould continue for ever, even as that which he had made with the Iſraelites, that every ſacrifice ſhould be ſalted with ſalt; or elſe becauſe ſalt having a virtue to preſerve any thing from corruption, therefore by a cov…nant of ſalt is meant onelyonly a ſtable firm and incorruptible covenant.
Verſ. 20. Thou ſhalt have no inheritance in their land, neither ſhalt thou have any part among them.]
That is, when the land ſhall be divided by lot, there ſha ll be no lot for the Levites. Indeed they had cities to dwell in, and ſuburbs; but tho ſe alſo were given them from the other tribes, Numb. 35.
Verſ. 22. Neither muſt the children of Iſrael henceforth come nigh the tabernacle, &c.]
To wit, as they offered to do in the rebellion of Korah.
Verſ. 23. But the Levites ſhall do the ſervice of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they …hall bear their iniquity.]
That is, the Levites ſhall bear the puniſhment of their own iniquity if they tranſgreſſe, yea, and of the peoples, if by their not watching over the holy things they be ſuffered to tranſgreſſe.
Verſ. 27. And this your heave-offering ſhall be reckoned unto you as though it were the corn of the threſhing floore.]
That is, this tenth of your tithes, which you ſhall give to the prieſt, the Lord will accept at your hands no leſſe then if having lands you ſhould pay tithe of the increaſe thereof, as the reſt of the people do unto you.
Verſ. 32. Neither ſhall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Iſrael, leſt ye die.]
Which might be done by the uncleanneſſe of the prieſts, and many other wayes.