Numbers 18:30
New International Version
“Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.

New Living Translation
“Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress.

English Standard Version
Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore say to the Levites, ‘When you have presented the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the produce of the threshing floor or winepress.

King James Bible
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.

New King James Version
Therefore you shall say to them: ‘When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress.

New American Standard Bible
And you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be credited to the Levites like the product of the threshing floor, and like the product of the wine vat.

NASB 1995
“You shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.

NASB 1977
“And you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall say to them, ‘When you have raised up from it the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor and as the product of the wine vat.

Amplified Bible
Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered the best from it, then the rest shall be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.

Christian Standard Bible
“Tell them further: Once you have presented the best part of the tenth, and it is credited to you Levites as the produce of the threshing floor or the winepress,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Tell them further: Once you have presented the best part of the tenth, and it is credited to you Levites as the produce of the threshing floor or the winepress,

American Standard Version
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye heave the best thereof from it, then it shall be reckoned unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the winepress.

Contemporary English Version
After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me.

English Revised Version
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye heave the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the winepress.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Also tell them: When you contribute the best part, your contribution will be considered to be produce from the threshing floor or winepress.

Good News Translation
When you have presented the best part, you may keep the rest, just as the farmer keeps what is left after he makes his offering.

International Standard Version
Tell them that when they bring the best from it, as far as the descendants of Levi are concerned, it is to be considered like produce from the threshing floors and wine vats.

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore say to the Levites, ?When you have presented the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the produce of the threshing floor or winepress.

NET Bible
"Therefore you will say to them, 'When you offer up the best of it, then it will be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor and as the product of the winepress.

New Heart English Bible
"Therefore you shall tell them, 'When you heave its best from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore thou shalt say to them, When ye have heaved from it the best of it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the wine-press.

World English Bible
“Therefore you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And you have said to them: In your lifting up its fat out of it, then it has been reckoned to the Levites as increase of a threshing-floor and as increase of a wine-vat;

Young's Literal Translation
'And thou hast said unto them, In your lifting up its fat out of it, then it hath been reckoned to the Levites, as increase of a threshing-floor, and as increase of a wine-vat;

Smith's Literal Translation
And say to them, In your offering its fat from it, and it was reckoned to the Levites as the produce of the threshing-floor, and as the produce of the wine-press.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt say to them: If you offer all the goodly and the better things of the tithes, it shall be reckoned to you as if you had given the firstfruits of the barnfloor and the winepress:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And you shall say to them: ‘If you offer the noble and the better of the tithes, it shall be accounted to you as if you had given from the first-fruits of the threshing floor and of the oil and wine presses.’

New American Bible
Say to them also: Once you have made your contribution from the best part, the rest of the tithe will be credited to the Levites as if it were produce of the threshing floor or the produce of the vat.

New Revised Standard Version
Say also to them: When you have set apart the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the wine press.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore you shall say to them, When you have set apart the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor, and as the produce of the wine press.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And say to them: ‘When you separate the best of it, it shall be accounted to the Levites as crops of the granary and like crops of the wine press.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore thou shalt say unto them: When ye set apart the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the wine-press.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt say to them, When ye shall offer the first-fruits from it, then shall it be reckoned to the Levites as produce from the threshing-floor, and as produce from the wine-press.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Offerings for Priests and Levites
29You must present the offering due the LORD from all the best of every gift, the holiest part of it.’ 30Therefore say to the Levites, ‘When you have presented the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the produce of the threshing floor or winepress. 31And you and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere; it is the compensation for your work at the Tent of Meeting.…

Cross References
Leviticus 27:30-33
Thus any tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or the fruit of the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. / If a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he must add a fifth to its value. / Every tenth animal from the herd or flock that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD. ...

Deuteronomy 14:22-29
You must be sure to set aside a tenth of all the produce brought forth each year from your fields. / And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. / But if the distance is too great for you to carry that with which the LORD your God has blessed you, because the place where the LORD your God will choose to put His Name is too far away, ...

Malachi 3:8-10
Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings. / You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. / Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

Nehemiah 10:35-39
We will also bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the house of the LORD year by year. / And we will bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as it is written in the Law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God. / Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor. ...

2 Chronicles 31:5-6
As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously provided the firstfruits of the grain, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance—a tithe of everything. / And the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things consecrated to the LORD their God, and they laid them in large heaps.

Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops; / then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. / Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. / And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ...

Hebrews 7:5-9
Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham. / But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. / And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater. ...

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Luke 11:42
Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

Romans 15:27
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.

Galatians 6:6
Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.

1 Corinthians 9:13-14
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? / In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Philippians 4:17-18
Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account. / I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore you shall say to them, When you have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press.

the best

Numbers 18:28
Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

Genesis 43:11
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

Deuteronomy 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

then it shall

Numbers 18:27
And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.

Jump to Previous
Account Apart Best Counted Crushed Heave Heaved High Increase Levites Offered Part Present Press Produce Product Reckoned Rest Thereof Threshing Threshingfloor Threshing-Floor Vat When Wine Winepress Wine-Press
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Account Apart Best Counted Crushed Heave Heaved High Increase Levites Offered Part Present Press Produce Product Reckoned Rest Thereof Threshing Threshingfloor Threshing-Floor Vat When Wine Winepress Wine-Press
Numbers 18
1. The charge of the priests and Levites
8. The priests, portion
21. The Levites,
25. The heave offering to the priests out of the Levites' portion














Therefore say to the Levites
This phrase establishes a direct command from God to Moses, who is instructed to communicate with the Levites. The Levites were a tribe set apart for religious duties, and this command underscores their unique role in Israelite society. Historically, the Levites did not receive a land inheritance like the other tribes, as their inheritance was the Lord Himself (Numbers 18:20). This phrase emphasizes the importance of their divine service and the special instructions they received from God.

When you have set aside the best part
The "best part" refers to the portion of offerings that the Levites were to separate for the priests. In Hebrew, the word for "best" is "mēriṯ," which implies the choicest or most excellent portion. This reflects the principle of giving God and His servants the first and finest of what one has, a practice rooted in the idea of honoring God with one's substance (Proverbs 3:9). It is a reminder of the sacrificial system's purpose: to honor God with the best, acknowledging His provision and sovereignty.

it will be reckoned to you
The term "reckoned" in Hebrew is "ḥāšab," meaning to account or consider. This indicates that the act of setting aside the best part is not merely a ritual but is credited to the Levites as if they themselves had produced it. This concept of imputation is significant in biblical theology, as it foreshadows the New Testament teaching of righteousness being credited to believers through faith (Romans 4:3-5).

as the produce of the threshing floor or the winepress
The "threshing floor" and "winepress" are symbols of agricultural abundance and the fruits of labor. In ancient Israel, these were places where grain and grapes were processed, representing sustenance and joy. By equating the Levites' portion with these products, God assures them of their provision and sustenance. This imagery also points to the spiritual harvest and the joy of serving in God's kingdom, where the laborers are worthy of their hire (Luke 10:7). Theologically, it underscores the principle that those who serve God and His people are to be supported by the community's offerings, reflecting a divine economy of provision and blessing.

(30) As the increase of the threshing-floor.--As the tithe rendered to the priests was to be regarded in the same light as if it had been the produce of their own labour (Numbers 18:27), so what remained after the heave-offerings had been duly set apart was to be reckoned as much the property of the Levites, and to be treated in the same manner, as the corn of the threshing-floor and the wine of the wine-press of the rest of the Israelites.

Verse 30. - Thou shalt say unto them, i.e., to the Levites. When they had dedicated their tithe of the best part, the rest was theirs exactly as if they had grown it and gathered it themselves.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Therefore say
וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to [the Levites]:
אֲלֵהֶ֑ם (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Once you have presented
בַּהֲרִֽימְכֶ֤ם (ba·hă·rî·mə·ḵem)
Preposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

the best part,
חֶלְבּוֹ֙ (ḥel·bōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2459: Fat, richest, choice part

it will be reckoned
וְנֶחְשַׁב֙ (wə·neḥ·šaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2803: To think, account

[to you]
לַלְוִיִּ֔ם (lal·wî·yim)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

as the produce
כִּתְבוּאַ֥ת (kiṯ·ḇū·’aṯ)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8393: Product, revenue

of the threshing floor
גֹּ֖רֶן (gō·ren)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1637: A threshing-floor, open area

or the winepress.
יָֽקֶב׃ (yā·qeḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3342: A trough, a wine-vat


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OT Law: Numbers 18:30 Therefore you shall tell them When you (Nu Num.)
Numbers 18:29
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