“And it shall be regarding an inheritance for them, that I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no property in Israel—I am their property.
Parallel translations
- WEB They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.
- KJV And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.
- BSB In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
- NKJV “It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, that I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.
- NLT “The priests will not have any property or possession of land, for I alone am their special possession.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The priests are to have no land inheritance, for God Himself is their inheritance and possession.
Overview
Unlike the other tribes, the priests receive no territorial allotment because the Lord is their portion. This unique arrangement teaches that knowing and serving God is itself the greatest treasure. The believer's truest inheritance is likewise God Himself, a hope secured in Christ, in whom we are heirs of God (Romans 8:17).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Josh 13:33But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.
- Num 18:20Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
- Deut 18:1–2The priests the Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion.
- Deut 10:9Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; Yahweh is his inheritance, according as Yahweh your God spoke to him.)
- Ezek 45:4It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to Yahweh; and it shall be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary.
- Josh 13:14Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him.
- Ezek 48:9–11The offering that you shall offer to Yahweh shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in width.
- 1 Pet 5:2–4Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 44:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.