Numbers 18:2

Num 18:2-3. Minister unto thee — About sacrifices, and offerings, and other things, according to the rules I have prescribed them. The Levites are said to minister to Aaron here; to the church, Num 16:9; and to God, Deu 10:8. They shall not contend with thee for superiority, as they have done, but shall be subordinate to thee. Thy sons with thee — Or, both to thee and to thy sons with thee — Which translation seems to be favoured by the following words, before the tabernacle; which was the proper place where the Levites ministered. Besides, both the foregoing words and the two following verses entirely speak of the ministry of the Levites, and the ministry of the priests is distinctly spoken of, Num 18:5. Thy charge — That which thou shalt command them and commit unto them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi--The departments of the sacred office, to be filled respectively by the priests and Levites, are here assigned to each. To the priests was committed the charge of the sanctuary and the altar, while the Levites were to take care of everything else about the tabernacle. The Levites were to attend the priests as servants--bestowed on them as "gifts" to aid in the service of the tabernacle--while the high and dignified office of the priesthood was a "service of gift." "A stranger," that is, one, neither a priest nor a Levite, who should intrude into any departments of the sacred office, should incur the penalty of death.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi - may be joined unto thee] There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original. לוי Levi comes from the root לוה lavah, to join to, couple, associate: hence Moses says, the Levites, ילוו yillavu, shall be joined, or associated with the priests; they shall conjointly perform the whole of the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates or assistants. For an explanation of many parts of this chapter, see the notes on several of the passages referred to in the margin.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) That they may be joined unto thee.—There is an allusion here to the meaning of the name Levi, which was given to Leah’s third son. (See Gen_29:34.) The Hebrew verb is the same as that which occurs in the speech of Leah.

And minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons . . . —Or, and they shall minister unto thee, both unto thee and to thy sons with thee, before the tent of witness. The service of the Levites was executed before the tent—i.e., in the court; that of the priests was in the holy place, as well as in the court (Num_18:7).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. that they may be joined] This is a play on words, similar to that in Gen_29:34, the verb lâwâh (לוה) being employed to explain the word Lçwî ‘Levite,’ so that the latter is understood to denote ‘one who is joined to the priests as a servant.’ Whether this was the original meaning and derivation is doubtful.

shall be before the tent] shall preside over the tent. The preposition is not local, but comprises sacred duties both within the tent and outside in the court.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And to thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father,.... For his father Amram was of that tribe, and so the Levites were his brethren, as he is directed to consider them; which might serve to conciliate their minds, and make them easy with respect to his enjoyment of the priesthood:

bring them with thee; into the court of the tabernacle, for further they might not go:

that they maybe joined unto thee: as their name of Levites signifies, persons joined and united to others, as they were to the priests: see reason of their patriarch's name Levi in Gen 29:34,

and minister unto thee: be assisting to the priests in killing the sacrifices, receiving the blood, and flaying the beasts, and in other things about the sanctuary, Num 3:6,

but thou, and thy sons with thee, shall minister before the tabernacle of witness; which was the most holy place, where were the ark of the testimony or witness, and the tables of the covenant; and they might be said to minister before that, when they ministered in the holy place, which was before it, when they burned incense upon the altar of incense, ordered the shewbread, and trimmed the lamps of the candlestick, which none but the priests the sons of Aaron might do.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Sceptre. Hebrew shebet, denotes also "tribe, family," &c. The princes of families probably bore a sceptre, as we find all magistrates did in the days of Homer. (Iliad i.; Virgil, Æneid xii.) (Calmet) --- All the other children of Aaron’s father, were to be in the order of the Levites, among whom even Moses left his own family, though he was himself an extraordinary priest. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Minister unto thee, about sacrifices and offerings and other things, according to the rules and limits I have prescribed them. The Levites are said to minister to Aaron here, to the church, Num 16:9, and to God, Deu 10:8. They shall not contend with thee for superiority, as they have done, but they shall be subordinate and servants to thee.

Thou and thy sons with thee, or, both to thee, and to thy sons with thee; which translation may seem to be favoured by the following words,

before the tabernacle, which was the proper place where the Levites ministered, whereas the priests did minister to God both before and in the tabernacle. Besides, both the foregoing words, and the two following verses, do entirely speak of the ministry of the Levites, and the ministry of the priests is distinctly spoken of Num 18:5.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2-5. Thy brethren — The Gershonites and Merarites might serve before the tabernacle, but not within it, nor near the vessels and the altar, lest both they and the priests should die. See Num_4:18, note. “While the Levitical law does not define the sanctuary duties of the Levites, but leaves them, as they might naturally be left at the outset, to perform such services as the priest might require of them, long usage gradually assigned to them specific tasks, as the charge of the gates, slaying the sacrifices, boiling or roasting their flesh, etc. 2Ch_23:4; 2Ch_30:17.” — Dr. W.H. Green. These directions are made in view of the judgment fires which had already burned around the divine altars in the cases of the irreverent sons of Aaron (Leviticus x) and of Korah and his company. Chap. 16.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi. The Levites generally, as distinguished from the Kohathites in particular. (see on Nu 3) That they may be joined unto thee. WwLyw, a play upon the name Levi. (see on Gen_29:34) But thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. The Hebrew has only hTaw, which may be rendered, "And thou and thy sons with thee (shall be)," &c., or more naturally read with what goes before, "that they may minister unto thee; both thee and thy sons with thee," &c. The Septuagint and the Targums appear to favour the former rendering, but it is not evident what distinction could be drawn between priests and Levites as to the mere fact of being before the tabernacle. ;

Vers. 2-7. Aaron and his helpers.

I AARON HAD MANY HELPERS. No less than a whole tribe of Israel, 22, 000 in number. (Num_3:39) And if it be said, "What work could be found about the tabernacle for so many?" the answer is given in the portioning out of the work among the three great divisions of the tribe. The Levites were not around Aaron like the embellishments of a court, merely to impress the vulgar mind. They were there for work real, necessary, honourable, beneficial work. A great deal of it might seem humble, but it could not be done without. So notice how Jesus gathered helpers around himself. It was one of the earliest things he did. He gave them also great power, such as to heal diseases, raise dead persons, and cast out demons; that thus they might authenticate the gracious and momentous message with which he had intrusted them. And in the course of ages how the helpers have increased in numbers and in variety of service! Doubtless when Israel settled in Canaan, and the Levites became distributed over the land, it was found that they were not at all too numerous for the religious requirements of the people. Christ is the center and the guide of an immense amount of spiritual industry; nevertheless, the cry goes out that many more hearts and hands might be engaged helping the Divine Saviour of men. (Joh_4:35-38) It will be a long time before the Church has occasion to complain, with respect to labourers together with God, that the supply exceeds the demand. The householder had work to be done in his vineyard even at the eleventh hour.

II THESE HELPERS MUST BE DULY QUALIFIED. They must all be of the tribe of Levi. Levi was taken in place of the first-born of Israel, and when the first-born were numbered it was found that they somewhat exceeded the number of qualified persons among the Levites. But God did not make up the deficiency by taking from other tribes; he kept the tabernacle service within the limits of Levi, and provided for a ransom instead. (Num_3:39-51) The service was thus to be a matter of inheritance. Aaron and his sons had their portion Kohathite, Gershonite, Merarite, each had his own field of work, and was not to transgress it. Strangers were cautioned against putting unauthorized hands on the tabernacle. It was as real a violation of the sanctuary for a common Israelite to touch even a peg of the tabernacle as to intrude within the veil itself. So we should ever look with great jealousy and carefulness on the qualifications for serving Jesus. There have been great hindrances, occasions for blasphemy, because unclean hands have not only meddled with holy things, but kept them long in charge. The service of Jesus should go down by spiritual inheritance. We take care in affairs of this world that there shall be due apprenticeship and preparation, ascertained fitness, the tools intrusted to those who can handle them, and surely there is equal if not greater need in the supremely important affairs of Christ"s kingdom. Spiritual things should eve, be in charge of those who have spiritual discernment.

III THOSE QUALIFIED WERE THEREBY PLACED UNDER OBLIGATION TO SERVE. As the service was confined to Levi, so every Levite, not otherwise disqualified, had to take part in it. There was nothing else for a Levite to do than serve God in connection with the sanctuary. He had no land; he was a substitute for others in holy service, and therefore they had to provide him with the necessaries of life. Thus his way in life was made clear; there was no need to consult personal inclination, and no room for reasonable doubt. And so, generally speaking", what service God expects from us we may be sure he will signify in the clearest manner. If we allow personal inclination to be the great prompter and decider, there is very little we shall do. Many there are whose personal inclinations lead them into some sort of connection with the Church of Christ, and keep them there, yet they never enter into anything like real service. They have a name to serve, yet are only idly busy. Personal inclination is a very small factor in Christian service, at least at the beginning, else Christ would not have been so urgent in his demands for self-denial. Not much, of course, can be done without love; but duty, the sense of what we ought to do, is to be the great power at the beginning. Those who have had the five talents from God may have to appear in his presence to be judged, conscious that not only have the talents been lost to him, but used so selfishly as rather to have gained five talents besides in worldly possessions, influence, and reputation. It is a monstrous sin to use God"s property for the low, injurious aims of self. "Power," said John Foster, "to its very last particle, is duty.

IV THOUGH THEY WERE HELPERS OF AARON, THEY COULD NOT BE HIS SUBSTITUTES. When the priest dies, it is not some experienced and sagacious Levite who can take his place; the priesthood is to be kept in the priest"s own family. The hand cannot supply the place of the head. Take away the priest, and the head is gone. Aaron, if it had been necessary, could have stooped to do the humblest Levitical service, but not even the highest of the Kohathites could enter within the veil. And thus must the helpers of Christ ever look on him as separated by his nature and person to a work which no other human being can do. lie did indeed himself take up the work of the Baptist at one time, preaching repentance, (Mat_4:17) and he also at times became his own apostle in proclaiming the gospel; but to his own peculiar work neither Baptist nor apostle could rise. Whatever responsibility be laid on us, we are only helpers at best. Let no admiration we feel for the achievements of the men famous in Church history allow us to forget that their work has been really Christian and beneficial just in proportion as they made themselves secondary and subordinate to Christ. We do not sufficiently appreciate the service of any Christian, unless as we trace in it the sustaining and guiding power of Christ himself. In the Church one generation goeth and another cometh, but Christ abideth for ever. Y.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Unto thee - About sacrifices and offerings and other things, according to the rules I have prescribed them. The Levites are said to minister to Aaron here, to the church, chap. xvi, 9, and to God, Deut. x, 8. They shall not contend with thee for superiority, as they have done, but shall be subordinate to thee. Thy sons with thee - Or, both to thee, and to thy sons with thee: Which translation may seem to be favoured by the following words, before the tabernacle, which was the proper place where the Levites ministered. Besides, both the foregoing words, and the two following verses, entirely speak of the ministry of the Levites, and the ministry of the priests is distinctly spoken of, ver. 5.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

וגם את אחיך AND ALSO THY BRETHREN — i.e. the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari.

וילוו means THAT THEY MAY JOIN THEMSELVES UNTO THEE to warn also the strangers (the ordinary Israelites) not to come near to them.

וישרתוך AND THEY SHALL MINISTER UNTO THEE by guarding the Temple gates and by appointing from among them (cf. Arakhin 11b) keepers of the Temple treasury and superintendents over these (Sifrei Bamidbar 116:1).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.