Numbers 18:20

Duties of the Levites

18:20 The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion of property ¹  among them – I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.

Numbers 18:23-24

18:23 But the Levites must perform the service ²  of the tent of meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. ³  It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites ⁴  have no inheritance. ⁵  18:24 But I have given ⁶  to the Levites for an inheritance the tithes of the Israelites that are offered ⁷  to the Lord as a raised offering. That is why I said to them that among the Israelites they are to have no inheritance.”

Numbers 18:26

18:26 “You are to speak to the Levites, and you must tell them, ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you are to offer up ⁸  from it as a raised offering to the Lord a tenth of the tithe.

Joshua 13:14

13:14 However, Moses ⁹  did not assign land as an inheritance ¹⁰  to the Levites; their inheritance ¹¹  is the sacrificial offerings ¹²  made to the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed ¹³  them.

Joshua 13:33

13:33 However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance ¹⁴  to the Levites; their inheritance ¹⁵  is the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed ¹⁶  them.

Joshua 14:4

14:4 The descendants of Joseph were considered as two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were allotted no territory, though they were assigned cities in which to live, along with the grazing areas for their cattle and possessions. ¹⁷ 

¹ tn The phrase “of property” is supplied as a clarification.

² 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.”

³ sn The Levites have the care of the tent of meeting, and so they are responsible for any transgressions against it.

⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Levites) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁵ 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.

⁶ tn The classification of the perfect tense here too could be the perfect of resolve, since this law is declaring what will be their portion – “I have decided to give.”

⁷ tn In the Hebrew text the verb has no expressed subject (although the “Israelites” is certainly intended), and so it can be rendered as a passive.

⁸ tn The verb in this clause is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it has the same force as an imperfect of instruction: “when…then you are to offer up.”

⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Heb “did not assign an inheritance.”

¹¹ tn That is, “their source of food and life.”

¹² tn Or “offerings made by fire.”

¹³ tn Or “promised” (Heb “spoke”).

¹⁴ tn Heb “Moses did not assign an inheritance.” The word “land” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what the inheritance consisted of.

¹⁵ tn That is, “their source of food and life.”

¹⁶ tn Or “as he promised”; Heb “as he spoke to.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “and they did not assign a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities [in which] to live and their pastures for their cattle and property.”