Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance,.... Neither the Lord, nor Moses by his order, nor did he appoint any inheritance for them, either beyond Jordan, or on this side it, for the Lord was to be their inheritance, Numbers 18:20;

the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them; Deuteronomy 18:1; and which are put for the whole of what was granted to them for their subsistence, as tithes, firstfruits, &c.

Geneva Study Bible

(e) Levi will live by the sacrifices, (Numbers 18:21).

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

Particular exception is made of the tribe of Levi, and the reason: and which is yet further explained in Joshua 13:33. Dearest Jesus! be thou my portion, and having thee I shall possess all things! 1 Corinthians 3:22-23.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.

He gave — That is, Moses.

None inheritance — Namely, in the land beyond Jordan, where yet a considerable part of the Levites were to have their settled abode. This is mentioned as the reason both why Moses gave all that land to the Reubenites and Gadites and Manassites; and why Joshua should divide the land only into nine parts and an half, as was said, verse7, because Levi was otherwise provided for.

Made by fire — Which are here put for all the sacrifices and oblations, including first-fruits and tithes, that were assigned to the Levites; and this passage is repeated, to prevent those calumnies and injuries which God foresaw the Levites were likely to meet with, from the malice, envy and covetousness of their brethren.

Колено Левия. Стихи 14 и 33 как бы обрамляют более подробный рассказ о разделе земли между восточными коленами (15–31). Таким образом, на первый план выдвинуто наследие левитов - Господь и Его дары. Самым лучшим наследием было признано общение с Самим Господом, и это наследие доступно каждому, кто пожелает (ср.: Пс. 15:5; 118:57; 141:5), другими словами, наследие не обязательно связано с землей.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 13:14 Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire [are] their inheritance, as he said unto them.

Ver. 14. Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance.] Because God was to be their portion: Yεος η προσοδος, as Lucian speaketh of his heathenish priests.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

He, i.e. Moses, as is expressed Joshua 13:33, gave none inheritance, to wit, in the land beyond Jordan, where yet a considerable part of the Levites were to have their settled abode. This is mentioned as the reason both why Moses gave all that land to the Reubenites, and Gadites, and Manassites; and why Joshua should divide the land only into nine parts and a half, as was said, Joshua 13:7, because Levi was otherwise provided for

Sacrifices of the Lord made by fire; which by a synecdoche are here put for all those sacrifices and oblations, including first-fruits and tithes, which were assigned to the Levites; and this passage is so oft repeated and urged, to prevent those calumnies and injuries which God foresaw the Levites were likely to meet with from the malice, envy, and covetousness of their brethren; and to oblige all the other tribes to a cheerful and conscionable giving to the Levites their dues, to which they had as good a right and title as they had to their several possessions.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

14.Only unto the tribe of Levi — Moses did not give any inheritance to the nine and a half tribes, not from lack of purpose, but from lack of opportunity. But the Levites he excluded from a territorial allotment by an express prohibition to Joshua. They received scattered cities with a narrow margin of pasture lands, but no separate share of the land. See chap. 21. Sacrifices is here used, in a broad sense, to include all offerings, even those, like the show bread, which were eaten and not burned. The Vulgate has it sacrificia et victimae. They were to receive a tenth of the fruits of the field, the trees, and the cattle. Twelve tribes received allotments because the two sons of Joseph were each reckoned as a tribe.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

Joshua 13:14. To the tribe of Levi he — Namely, Moses; gave none inheritance — That is, none in the land beyond Jordan, where yet a considerable part of the Levites were to have their settled abode. This is mentioned as the reason both why Moses gave all that land to the Reubenites, and Gadites, and Manassites, and why Joshua should divide the land only into nine parts and a half, as was said, Joshua 13:7; because Levi was otherwise provided for. Made by fire — Which are here put for all the sacrifices and oblations, including first-fruits and tithes, that were assigned to the Levites, and this passage is repeated to prevent those calumnies and injuries which God foresaw the Levites were likely to meet with, from the malice, envy, and covetousness of their brethren.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Victims. Hebrew, "the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire."

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.

Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance. This interjectional remark was probably occasioned by the circumstance of nine and one-half tribes being mentioned in Joshua 13:7, and then two and a-half tribes in Joshua 13:15-31 of this chapter, among whom the land was to be divided; and as there was now a 13th tribe, in consequence of Joseph's posterity forming two tribes, there was a necessity for a statement of the sources whence a provision for this special tribe was to be derived (see the notes at Lev. 18:30,33; Numbers 18:21-32 : cf. Leviticus 27:30; see also the note at Joshua 13:33).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

See the Note on verse 33

14:3,4; Numbers 18:20-24; Deuteronomy 10:9; 12:12,19; 18:2

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

14.Only unto the tribe of Levi, etc This exception was also necessary, lest the Levites might allege that they were unjustly disinherited, and thus excite great commotions in regard to their right. He therefore reminds them that Moses was the author of this distinction, and, at the same time, shows that they have no reason to complain of having been in any way defrauded, because an excellent compensation was given them. For although the sacrifices were not equally divided among the Levites, their subsistence was sufficiently provided for by all the first-fruits and the tithes. Moreover, as God allures them by hire to undertake the charge of sacred things, so he exhorts the people in their turn to be faithful in paying the sacred oblations by declaring that their sacrifices are the maintenance of the Levites. ⁽¹³⁵⁾