Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 18:5
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
5. ye shall keep the charge &c.] It ye includes both priests and Levites, then ‘the sanctuary’ is used in its widest sense to include the tent and the court and everything contained in them, which are to be guarded from the approach of laymen. But on the other hand ye may denote the priests only, and ‘the sanctuary’ will in that case mean everything from which the Levites were debarred; cf. Num 18:3 ; Num 18:7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Of the sanctuary, i.e. of the holy, and of the most holy, place.
Upon the children of Israel, for coming too near the holy place, or for usurping any part of your sacred function, or for any other miscarriage which they may be guilty of through your carelessness or remissness, in which case they shall perish for their error, but their blood will I require at your hands, who should have advised them better, or overruled them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary,…. That is, the priests, Aaron and his sons; the high priest was to keep the charge of the most holy place particularly, and do what was to be done in that on the day of atonement; and the common priests to keep the charge of the holy place, and do everything relating to the altar of incense, the shewbread table, and candlestick:
and the charge of the altar; of burnt offering, which stood in the court of the tabernacle:
that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel: as had been upon Korah and his company, Nu 16:32, and as afterwards came on Uzziah, 2Ch 26:19.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. And ye shall keep the charge. He again exhorts the priests to be diligent in the performance of their office, with the addition of a denunciation of punishment if they failed in zeal and earnestness. Nor does He now threaten them alone, but the whole people; neither does this contradict the foregoing declaration, inasmuch as the common fault of all by no means lightened theirs. Nay, if God punished the innocent people on account of the pollution of the sanctuary, how much heavier a punishment awaited the priests, ( antistites,) by whose fault the sin was committed, so that they might be justly accounted its authors. Meanwhile let us learn from this passage how sincerely we ought to demean ourselves in the service of God, the profanation of which is intolerable to Him. Moreover, in order that the priests might engage themselves in their duties more actively, and with greater sedulity, He shews that they cannot give way to idleness without base ingratitude, since they reign in a manner over the whole tribe of Levi, or at any rate they hold the supremacy among their brethren. An indirect reproof of their negligence, if they do not faithfully fulfill their duties, is implied, when God reminds them that He has of His liberality honored them with the priesthood. “I have appointed your office, as a gift,” (201) i.e., I have gratuitously conferred on you what was otherwise yours by no right. Others read it differently, viz., “I have appointed your priesthood as a ministration of gift:” but since the meaning amounts to the same thing, nor does it make any difference in the main, we may freely take our choice.
(201) “ Donum posui munus vestrum.” — Lat. “I have given your office unto you as a service of gift.” — A. V. The latter part of the sentence is omitted in Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5, 6) And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary . . . See Num. 8:19.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
children = sons.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And ye: Num 8:2, Exo 27:21, Exo 30:7-10, Lev 24:3, 1Ch 9:19, 1Ch 9:23, 1Ch 9:33, 1Ch 24:5, 1Ti 1:18, 1Ti 3:15, 1Ti 5:21, 1Ti 6:20
no wrath: Num 8:19, Num 16:46, Jer 23:15, Zec 10:3
Reciprocal: Num 1:53 – there be Num 4:18 – General Num 18:7 – Therefore thou 2Ch 35:2 – charges Eze 40:45 – the keepers Eze 40:46 – the keepers Eze 43:19 – which approach Col 4:17 – Take Heb 8:4 – he should