Numbers 18:26

“Speak to the Levites and tell them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you as your inheritance, you must present part of it as an offering to the LORD—a tithe of the tithe.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to Moses, who relays the command to the Levites. This occurs during the formal establishment of priestly and Levitical duties in the wilderness covenant.

The words — The Hebrew תִּקְחוּ (tikchu) means "you will take" or "receive," and אֶל־הַלְוִיִּם (el-ha Leviyim) means "to the Levites." These terms anchor the directive in the specific act of receiving the Israelites' tithe.

The thread — The practice of a tenth portion from the Levites' tithe reappears in Nehemiah 10:38, where a priest oversees the collection. The broader tithe system is established in Numbers 18:21 as the Levites' inheritance for tabernacle service.

Why it lands — The text requires the Levites to surrender a portion of their received inheritance back to God as a formal offering. A reader must recognize that even those who receive provision are obligated to return a measured portion to the source.

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

וְאֶל־ve./'el-and/ to הַלְוִיִּ֣םha/l.vi.Yimthe/ Levites תְּדַבֵּר֮te.da.Beryou will speak וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ve./'a.mar.Taand/ you will say אֲלֵהֶם֒'a.le./Hemto/ them כִּֽי־ki-if תִ֠קְחוּTik.chuyou will take מֵאֵ֨תme./'Etfrom/ with בְּנֵֽי־be.nei-[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לYis.ra.'ElIsrael אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֗רha./ma.'a.Serthe/ tithe אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich נָתַ֧תִּיna.Ta.tiI giveלָכֶ֛םla./Khemto <the>/ youמֵאִתָּ֖םme./'i.Ta/mfrom/ with/ them בְּנַחֲלַתְכֶ֑םbe./na.cha.lat./Khem<in>/ inheritance/ your וַהֲרֵמֹתֶ֤םva./ha.re.mo.Temand/ you will offer up מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙mi.Me./nufrom/ it תְּרוּמַ֣תte.ru.Mat[the] contribution of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh מַעֲשֵׂ֖רma.'a.Sera tithe מִן־min-of הַֽמַּעֲשֵֽׂר׃Ha./ma.'a.Serthe/ tithe

King James Version

Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.

Cross-references

Nehemiah 10:38 A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.
Numbers 18:21 Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.