Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 18:9
This shall be thine of the most holy things, [reserved] from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, [shall be] most holy for thee and for thy sons.
9. The portions ‘[reserved] from the fire’ on the altar were a ‘handful’ or a small undefined quantity of the meal-offerings (Lev 2:2; Lev 2:9; Lev 2:16; Lev 5:12; Lev 6:15), and in the case of animal offerings certain portions of the fat (described in Lev 3:3-5; Lev 7:3-5). The blood, which represented the sacred life of the animal, was never eaten, but was poured out.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The most holy things; such as were to be eaten only by the priests, and that in the sanctuary. How these differ from the holy things, see on Lev 6:17.
Reserved from the fire, i.e. such sacrifices or such parts of sacrifices as were not burnt in the fire.
Every oblation; which may be understood either,
1. Of the wave-loaves, Lev 23:17, and the shew-bread, which were most holy things, Lev 23:20; 24:9, and which did belong to the priest; nor was there any other such oblation besides what is here particularly expressed; for the peace-offerings were not most holy, and the burnt-offerings were not the priests. Or,
2. Of oblations in general; and so the following particulars are mentioned by way of explication and restriction of that general word, to show what oblations are here meant, and to exclude peace-offerings and burnt-offerings.
Which they shalt render unto me, by way of compensation for a trespass committed against me, in which case a ram was to be offered, Lev 6:2,6, which was a most holy thing, and may be particularly designed here.
Shall be most holy; thou shalt esteem it a most holy thing, and shalt use it accordingly, in manner following. Or, these are most holy, and therefore shall be
for thee, and for thy sons, to wit, exclusively, none else may eat them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
This shall be thine of the most holy things,…. For, as observed, there were some lighter and lesser holy things or sacrifices, and others superlatively so: and those are begun with, such as were
[reserved] from the fire; those parts of sacrifices which were not burnt with fire on the altar of burnt offerings:
every oblation of theirs; which is a general word, including various offerings, the particulars follow;
every meat offering of theirs: or bread offering, for they were made of fine flour and oil, and burnt on the altar, the remainder of which was eaten by Aaron and his sons, Le 6:14;
every sin offering of theirs; which was offered to make atonement for sin, which also belonged to the priests and their sons, excepting such whose blood was carried into the most holy place, Le 6:25;
and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me; which was offered for a trespass committed; what remained of this also, when burnt on the altar, was eaten by the priest and his sons, Le 7:5; and this sacrifice was a ram, when a trespass was committed, either in the holy things of the Lord, or in wrongs done to men, Le 5:15; Jarchi interprets it of an offering for a trespass committed by rapine or violence to a stranger: these, all of them, it is added,
[shall be] most holy for thee and for thy sons; for their use, and for theirs only.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. This shall be thine. He enumerates certain kinds of sacrifices which He desired to come to the share of the priests; viz., all the residue of the burnt-offerings; secondly, the minha, or meat-offering; thirdly, what was consecrated of the sin and trespass-offerings; although the following clause, “which they shall restore unto me,” seems to be added by way of restriction, as if it only designated those sacrifices of which mention will be elsewhere made, (209) and by which they purged themselves from the guilt of theft, unless it may perhaps be preferred to read it as if to the sin and trespass-offerings this third were added, wherein people restored what did not belong to them, that they might be freed from the guilt of theft. After this He adds the free gifts, which the children of Israel vowed, and the first-fruits of oil, as well as of wine and corn. But this distinction was laid down, that God might more surely prevent jealousy and ill-will; for if there had been any ambiguity, many disputes would have straightway arisen, and thus the reverence due to sacred things would have been impaired. At the same time, however, God prescribes to the priests, that none but males should eat of the burnt-offerings, and nowhere else but in the sanctuary; for there would have been danger (as we said before) that the dignity of these holy offerings would have been lessened, if they had been carried away to private houses and mixed with ordinary meats; besides, God was unwilling to indulge the priests in sumptuous living, but by the very sight of the sanctuary induced them to be frugal and sober in their repasts. For this was a kind of military discipline to encourage abstinence, that they should go away from their wife and family to take their meal. But whatever was offered as a vow, and the first-fruits, He allows to be eaten of by the women, and in their houses, provided only that no unclean person should touch what had once been sacred.
(209) See Num 5:8, infra, p. 273.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) From the fire.i.e., from the fire which was kindled upon the altar of burnt offering.
Every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs . . . Or, every oblation of theirs for all their meat offerings, and for all their sin offerings, and for all their trespass offerings (or, guilt offerings).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Meat offering See Leviticus 2, notes.
Sin offering See Lev 4:3, note.
Trespass offering R.V., “guilt offering.” See Leviticus v, Introductory Note, and Lev 5:6, note. The burnt offering is omitted from the priestly revenues because none of it was reserved from the fire of the altar except the skin, which was a perquisite of the priest. Lev 7:8, notes.
Most holy See Lev 2:3; Lev 6:25, notes.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Num 18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, [reserved] from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, [shall be] most holy for thee and for thy sons.
Ver. 9. Which they shall render unto me. ] As a recompense for some trespass against me. Num 5:8 Lev 6:6
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
holy. See note on Exo 3:5.
oblation. Hebrew approach-offering. See App-43.
shall be. Hebrew “it [shall be]”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
every meat: Lev 2:2, Lev 2:3, Lev 10:12, Lev 10:13
every sin: Lev 4:22, Lev 4:27, Lev 6:25, Lev 6:26, Lev 10:17
every trespass: Lev 5:1, Lev 5:6, Lev 7:1, Lev 7:7, Lev 10:12, Lev 14:13
Reciprocal: Lev 5:15 – in the Lev 6:16 – shall it Lev 6:17 – I have Lev 7:6 – male Lev 7:9 – the meat Lev 21:22 – both Lev 22:4 – holy things Num 5:9 – offering Num 18:8 – the charge Deu 18:1 – they shall 2Ki 12:16 – trespass money Ezr 2:63 – should not Neh 10:36 – unto Eze 42:13 – they be holy Eze 44:29 – eat
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, [reserved] from the {e} fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, [shall be] most holy for thee and for thy sons.
(e) That which was not burned should be the priests.