Deuteronomy 10:9

That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel following his second forty-day stay on Mount Sinai, explaining the permanent status of the Levites after their consecration to tabernacle service.

The words — חֵלֶק (Che.lek) means "a portion" and נַחֲלָה (na.cha.Lah) means "an inheritance," both terms describing the territorial allotments distributed among the other tribes.

The thread — The designation appears in Numbers 18:20, Deuteronomy 18:1, and Ezekiel 44:28, where Yahweh explicitly replaces land allotment as the Levites' provision.

Why it lands — The text states that Levi receives no tribal land, so Yahweh functions as their portion; this requires the reader to accept priestly service as the basis for sustenance and authority rather than territorial wealth.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

עַל־'al-there-כֵּ֞ןken-fore לֹֽא־lo'-not הָיָ֧הha.Yahit belongs לְלֵוִ֛יle./le.Vito/ Levi חֵ֥לֶקChe.leka portion וְנַחֲלָ֖הve./na.cha.Lahand/ an inheritance עִם־'im-with אֶחָ֑יו'e.Cha/vbrothers/ his יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh ה֣וּאhu'he נַחֲלָת֔וֹna.cha.la.T/o[is] inheritance/ his כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka./'a.Sherjust/ as דִּבֶּ֛רdi.Berhe spoke יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourלֽוֹ׃l/oto <the>/ him

King James Version

Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 44:28 In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
Numbers 18:20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 18:1 The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance.
Numbers 26:62 The registration of the Levites totaled 23,000, every male a month old or more; they were not numbered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.
Joshua 14:3 For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites.