Deuteronomy 18:1

Provision for Priests and Levites

18:1 The Levitical priests ¹  – 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. ² 

Deuteronomy 21:5

21:5 Then the Levitical priests ³  will approach (for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him and to pronounce blessings in his name, ⁴  and to decide ⁵  every judicial verdict ⁶ )

Deuteronomy 31:9

The Deposit of the Covenant Text

31:9 Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders.

[18:1]  ¹ 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.

[18:1]  ² sn Of his inheritance. This is a figurative way of speaking of the produce of the land the Lord will give to his people. It is the Lord’s inheritance, but the Levites are allowed to eat it since they themselves have no inheritance among the other tribes of Israel.

[21:5]  ³ tn Heb “the priests, the sons of Levi.”

[21:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “in the name of the Lord.” See note on Deut 10:8. The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[21:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “by their mouth.”

[21:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “every controversy and every blow.”