18:20 The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion of property 9 among them – I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.
18:1 The Levitical priests 16 – indeed, the entire tribe of Levi – will have no allotment or inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of the Lord and of his inheritance. 17 18:2 They 18 will have no inheritance in the midst of their fellow Israelites; 19 the Lord alone is their inheritance, just as he had told them.
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “did not assign an inheritance.”
3 tn That is, “their source of food and life.”
4 tn Or “offerings made by fire.”
5 tn Or “promised” (Heb “spoke”).
6 tn Heb “Moses did not assign an inheritance.” The word “land” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what the inheritance consisted of.
7 tn That is, “their source of food and life.”
8 tn Or “as he promised”; Heb “as he spoke to.”
9 tn The phrase “of property” is supplied as a clarification.
10 tn The verse begins with the perfect tense of עָבַד (’avad) with vav (ו) consecutive, making the form equal to the instructions preceding it. As its object the verb has the cognate accusative “service.”
11 sn The Levites have the care of the tent of meeting, and so they are responsible for any transgressions against it.
12 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Levites) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
13 tn The Hebrew text uses both the verb and the object from the same root to stress the point: They will not inherit an inheritance. The inheritance refers to land.
14 sn Levi has no allotment or inheritance. As the priestly tribe, Levi would have no land allotment except for forty-eight towns set apart for their use (Num 35:1-8; Josh 21:1-42). But theirs was a far greater inheritance, for the
15 tn That is, among the other Israelite tribes.
16 tn The MT places the terms “priests” and “Levites” in apposition, thus creating an epexegetical construction in which the second term qualifies the first, i.e., “Levitical priests.” This is a way of asserting their legitimacy as true priests. The Syriac renders “to the priest and to the Levite,” making a distinction between the two, but one that is out of place here.
17 sn Of his inheritance. This is a figurative way of speaking of the produce of the land the
18 tn Heb “he” (and throughout the verse).
19 tn Heb “brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NASB “their countrymen”; NRSV “the other members of the community.”