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Numbers 18:21
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19 “All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; ait is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.”  
20 Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have ano inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; bI am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.  

Tithes for Support of the Levites

21 “Behold, aI have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as1 an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, bthe work of the tabernacle of meeting.  
22 aHereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, blest they bear sin and die.  
23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ ”  
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
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Numbers 18:21

Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth -

1.The Levites had the tenth of all the productions of the land.

2.They had forty-eight cities, each forming a square of 4,000 cubits.

3.They had 2,000 cubits of ground round each city. Total of the land they possessed, 53,000 acres.

4.They had the first-fruits and certain parts of all the animals killed in the land.

Canaan contained about 11,264,000 acres; therefore the portion possessed by the Levites was rather less than as one to two hundred and twelve; for 11,264,000 divided by 53,000, quotes only 212 28/53 - See Lowman, Dodd, etc. But though this was a very small proportion for a whole tribe that had consented to annihilate its political existence, that it might wait upon the service of God, and labor for the people' s souls; yet let it be considered that what they possessed was the best of the land: and while it was a slender remuneration for their services, yet their portion was such as rendered them independent, and kept them comfortable; so that they could wait on the Lord' s work without distraction. This is a proper pattern for the maintenance of the ministers of God: let them have a sufficiency for themselves and families, that there may be no distracting cares; and let them not be encumbered with riches or worldly possessions, that they may not be prevented from taking care of souls.


 
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