Topic

Priest

Passages from across the Bible

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Before Moses

Melchizedek

Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine — since he was priest of God Most High —
Hebrews 5:6 And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:10–11 and was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.
Hebrews 6:20 where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:1–21 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without fa…

Jethro

Exodus 2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.

Priests in Israel before the giving of the law

Exodus 19:22 Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”
Exodus 19:24 And the LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.”

Called "angel,"

Ecclesiastes 5:6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

The Time of Moses

Exodus 28:1–4 “Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests. Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor. You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with…
Exodus 29:9 Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.
Exodus 29:44 So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests.
Numbers 3:10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”
Numbers 18:7 But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
1 Chronicles 23:13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

Hereditary, descent of office

Exodus 27:21 In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites for the generations to come.’’
Exodus 28:43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.’’
Exodus 29:9 Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.

Consecration of

Exodus 29:1–9 “Now this is what you are to do to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without blemish, along with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Make them out of fine wheat flour, put them in a basket, an…
Exodus 29:19–35 Take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the remaining blood on all sides o…
Exodus 40:12–16 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest. Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics. Anoint them just as you anointe…
Leviticus 6:20–23 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must present to the LORD on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle; you are to bring it well-kneaded and presen…
Leviticus 8:6–35 Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim…
Hebrews 7:21 but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”

Is holy

Leviticus 21:6–7 They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God, they must be holy. A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
Leviticus 22:9 The priests must keep My charge, lest they bear the guilt and die because they profane it. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
Leviticus 22:16 by allowing the people to eat the sacred offerings and thus to bear the punishment for guilt. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”

Ablutions of

Exodus 40:30–32 He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing; and from it Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Leviticus 16:24 He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people.

See CONSECRATION OF, above

Must be without blemish

Leviticus 21:17–23 “Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God. No man who has any defect may approach — no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; no man who has a broken foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or dwar…

Vestments of

Exodus 28:2–43 Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor. You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest. These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpi…
Exodus 39:1–29 From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Bezalel made the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They ha…
Leviticus 6:10–11 And the priest shall put on his linen robe and linen undergarments, and he shall remove from the altar the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed and place them beside it. Then he must take off his garments, put on other clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a ceremoniall…
Leviticus 8:13 Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.
Ezekiel 44:17–19 When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they must not wear anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not w…

Don vestments in the temple area

Ezekiel 42:14 Once the priests have entered the holy area, they must not go out into the outer court until they have left behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they approach the places that are for the people.”
Ezekiel 44:19 When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.

Atonement for

Leviticus 16:6 Aaron is to present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household.
Leviticus 16:24 He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people.
Ezekiel 44:27 And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD.

Defilement and purification of

Ezekiel 44:25–26 A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so, and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself.

Marriage of

Leviticus 21:7–15 A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy — I who set you apart. If a priest’s daughter defiles her…
Ezekiel 44:22 And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest.

Chambers for, in the temple area

Ezekiel 40:45–46 Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple, and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”

Exempt from tax

Ezra 7:24 And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

Armed and organized for war at the time of the disaffection toward Saul

1 Chronicles 12:27–28 including Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men, and Zadok, a mighty young man of valor, with 22 commanders from his own family.

Beard and hair of

Ezekiel 44:20 They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.

Twenty-four divisions (shifts) of

1 Chronicles 24:1–19 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahi…
1 Chronicles 28:13 for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all the work of service in the house of the LORD, and for all the articles of service in the house of the LORD:
1 Chronicles 28:21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of every skill will be at your disposal for the work. The officials and all the people are fully at your command.”
2 Chronicles 8:14 In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gat…
2 Chronicles 31:2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites — each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites — for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.
2 Chronicles 35:4–5 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and Solomon his son. Moreover, stand in the Holy Place by the divisions of the families of your kinsmen the lay people, and by the divisions of the families of the Levites.
Ezra 2:36–39 The priests: The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973; the descendants of Immer, 1,052; the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.
Nehemiah 13:30 Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

Chosen by lot

Luke 1:8–9 One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
Luke 1:23 And when the days of his service were complete, he returned home.

Usurpations of office of

Numbers 3:10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”
Numbers 16 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites — Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth — conducted a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. They came toget… (whole chapter)
Numbers 18:7 But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
2 Chronicles 26:18 They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.”

Priests who were not from the sons of Levi were appointed by Jeroboam

1 Kings 12:31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.
1 Kings 13:33 Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places.

See Levites

See MINISTERS

Duties of

To offer sacrifices

Leviticus 1:4–17 He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. And he shall slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and splatter it on all sides of the altar at the entrance to the Tent…
Leviticus 2:2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 2:16 The priest shall then burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all its frankincense, as a food offering to the LORD.’’
Leviticus 3:5 Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 3:11 Then the priest is to burn them on the altar as food, a food offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 3:13 He must lay his hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall splatter its blood on all sides of the altar.
Leviticus 3:16 Then the priest is to burn the food on the altar as a food offering, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.
Leviticus 4:5–12 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting. The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the…
Leviticus 4:17 and he is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil.
Leviticus 4:25–26 Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make at…

Show 7 more passages

Leviticus 4:30–35 1 Chronicles 16:40 2 Chronicles 13:11 2 Chronicles 29:34 2 Chronicles 35:11–14 Ezra 6:20 Hebrews 10:11

See Offerings

To offer the firstfruits

Leviticus 23:10–11 “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you are to bring to the priest a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD so that it may be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the…
Deuteronomy 26:3–4 to the priest who is serving at that time, and say to him, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have entered the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.” Then the priest shall take the basket from your hands and place it before the altar of the LORD your God,

Pronounce benedictions

Numbers 6:22–27 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons:This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’ So they sh…
Deuteronomy 21:5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.
2 Chronicles 30:27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.

Teach the law

Leviticus 10:11 so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
Deuteronomy 24:8 In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
Deuteronomy 27:14 Then the Levites shall proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:
Deuteronomy 31:9–13 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of remission of debt, during the Feast of Taber…
Deuteronomy 33:10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
Jeremiah 2:8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
Malachi 2:7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.

Light the lamps in the tabernacle

Exodus 27:20–21 And you are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This i…
2 Chronicles 13:11 Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have f…
Leviticus 24:3–4 Outside the veil of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps continually before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come. He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

Keep the sacred fire always burning

Leviticus 6:12–13 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add wood to the fire, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. The fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguish…

To furnish a quota of wood for the sanctuary

Nehemiah 10:34 We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.

Responsible for the sanctuary

Numbers 4:5–15 Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. They are to place over this a covering of fine leather, spread a solid blue cloth over it, and insert its poles. Over the table of the Presence they are to spr…
Numbers 18:1 So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood.
Numbers 18:5 And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and of the altar, so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again.
Numbers 18:7 But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

To act as scribes

Ezra 7:1–6 Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki…
Nehemiah 8:9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

Be present at and supervise the tithing

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.

Sound the trumpet in summoning assemblies and in battle

Numbers 10:2–10 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver to be used for calling the congregation and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded, the whole congregation is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. But if only one is sounded, then the leaders, the heads of the clans of Isr…
Numbers 31:6 And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
Joshua 6 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. D… (whole chapter)
2 Chronicles 13:12 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

Examine lepers

See Leprosy

Purify the unclean

Leviticus 15:31 You must keep the children of Israel separate from their uncleanness, so that they do not die by defiling My tabernacle, which is among them.

See Defilement

Valuate things devoted

Leviticus 27:8 But if the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, he is to present the person before the priest, who shall set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.
Leviticus 27:12 The priest shall set its value, whether high or low; as the priest values it, the price will be set.

Officiate in the Holy Place

Hebrews 9:6 When everything had been prepared in this way, the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties.

Chiefs of Levites

Numbers 3:9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been given exclusively to him from among the Israelites.
Numbers 3:32 The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
Numbers 4:19 In order that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and what he is to carry.
Numbers 4:28 This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
Numbers 4:33 This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
1 Chronicles 9:20 In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.

To act as magistrates

Numbers 5:14–31 and if a feeling of jealousy comes over her husband and he suspects his wife who has defiled herself— or if a feeling of jealousy comes over him and he suspects her even though she has not defiled herself— then he is to bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring for her an offering of a tenth…
Deuteronomy 17:8–13 If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose. You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and th…
Deuteronomy 19:17 both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
Deuteronomy 21:5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.
2 Chronicles 19:8 Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the Israelite families to judge on behalf of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 44:23–24 They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean. In any dispute, they shall officiate as judges and judge according to My ordinances. They must keep My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed feasts, and…

To encourage the army on the eve of battle

Deuteronomy 20:2–4 When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to figh…

Carry the ark of the covenant

Through the Jordan River

Joshua 3 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carri… (whole chapter)
Joshua 4:15–18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land…

In battle

1 Samuel 4:3–5 When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.” So the people sent men to Shiloh…

Benefits of

No part of the land of Canaan allowed to

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 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.
Deuteronomy 14:27 And do not neglect the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
Deuteronomy 18:1–2 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. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.
Joshua 13:14 To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The food offerings to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
Joshua 13:33 To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
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.
Joshua 18:7 The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east.”
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.

Provided with cities and suburbs

Leviticus 25:32–34 As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess. So whatever belongs to the Levites may be redeemed— a house sold in a city they possess— and must be released in the Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are th…
Numbers 35:2–8 “Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock. The pasturelands around t…
Joshua 21:1–4 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestoc…
Joshua 21:13–19 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh— nine cities from these two tribes, together with their pasturelands. And from the tr…
Joshua 21:41–42 For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites. Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.
1 Chronicles 6:57–60 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands. And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they…
Nehemiah 11:11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of the house of God;
Nehemiah 11:20 The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inheritance.
Ezekiel 45:1–6 “When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the LORD, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide. This entire tract of land will be holy. Within this area there is to be a section for the sanctuary 500 cubits square, with 50 cubit…
Ezekiel 48:8–20 Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and the length of a tribal portion from east to west. In the center will be the sanctuary. The special portion you set apart to the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits long and 10,0…

Own lands sanctified to the Lord

Leviticus 27:21 When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it becomes the property of the priests.

Tithes of the tithes

Numbers 18:8–18 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute. A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the off…
Numbers 18:26–32 “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. Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the win…
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.

Part of the plunder of war, including captives

Numbers 31:25–29 The LORD said to Moses, “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation. Set aside a tribute for the LORD from wh…

Firstfruits

Leviticus 23:20 The priest is to wave the lambs as a wave offering before the LORD, together with the bread of the firstfruits. The bread and the two lambs shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Leviticus 24:9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD — his portion forever.”
Numbers 18:12–13 I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits. The firstfruits of everything in their land that they bring to the LORD will belong to you. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat them.
Numbers 18:17–18 But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to splatter their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And their meat belongs to you, just as the breast and right thigh of the wave offering belong to you.
Deuteronomy 18:3–5 This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock. For the LORD yo…

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Nehemiah 10:36