Numbers 18:12
Numbers 18:12 in Multiple Translations
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.
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give unto Jehovah, to thee have I given them.
All the best of the oil and the wine and the grain, the first-fruits of them which they give to the Lord, to you have I given them.
I am giving you all the best olive oil and all the best new wine and grain that the Israelites give as firstfruits to the Lord.
All the fat of the oyle, and all the fat of the wine, and of the wheate, which they shall offer vnto the Lord for their first fruites, I haue giuen them vnto thee.
all the best of the oil, and all the best of the new wine, and wheat — their first -[fruits] which they give to Jehovah — to thee I have given them.
“I have given to you all the best of the oil, all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to the LORD.
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first-fruits of them which they shall offer to the LORD, them have I given to thee.
All the best of the oil, and of the wine, and of the corn, whatsoever firstfruits they offer to the Lord, I have given them to thee.
“ am also giving to you the first food that people harvest each year and bring to me—the best olive oil and new wine and grain.
Berean Amplified Bible — Numbers 18:12
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Numbers 18:12 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כֹּ֚ל
חֵ֣לֶב
יִצְהָ֔ר
וְ/כָל
חֵ֖לֶב
תִּיר֣וֹשׁ
וְ/דָגָ֑ן
רֵאשִׁיתָ֛/ם
אֲשֶׁר
יִתְּנ֥וּ
לַֽ/יהוָ֖ה
לְ/ךָ֥
נְתַתִּֽי/ם
כֹּ֚ל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
חֵ֣לֶב
cheleb
H2459
fat
N-ms
יִצְהָ֔ר
yitshâr
H3323
oil
N-ms
וְ/כָל
kôl
H3605
all
Conj | N-ms
חֵ֖לֶב
cheleb
H2459
fat
N-ms
תִּיר֣וֹשׁ
tîyrôwsh
H8492
new wine
N-ms
וְ/דָגָ֑ן
dâgân
H1715
grain
Conj | N-ms
רֵאשִׁיתָ֛/ם
rêʼshîyth
H7225
first
N-fs | Suff
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
which
Rel
יִתְּנ֥וּ
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
לַֽ/יהוָ֖ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
Prep | N-proper
לְ/ךָ֥
Prep | Suff
נְתַתִּֽי/ם
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Numbers 18:12
כֹּ֚ל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
חֵ֣לֶב
cheleb
H2459
"fat"
N-ms
In the Bible, cheleb refers to fat, whether literal or figurative, representing the richest or best part of something. It can describe the choicest products of the land or the best of human or animal fat. This term is used to convey abundance and richness.
Definition: 1) fat 1a) fat (of humans) 1b) fat (of beasts) 1c) choicest, best part, abundance (of products of the land)
Usage: Occurs in 69 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] best, fat(-ness), [idiom] finest, grease, marrow. See also: Genesis 4:4; Leviticus 9:24; Psalms 17:10.
יִצְהָ֔ר
yitshâr
H3323
"oil"
N-ms
Oil that produces light, often used for anointing and ceremonial purposes, as described in Exodus. It symbolizes purity and is used in sacred rituals. This type of oil is mentioned in the context of priestly duties.
Definition: fresh oil, shining (pure) oil
Usage: Occurs in 23 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] anointed oil. See also: Numbers 18:12; Nehemiah 10:38; Jeremiah 31:12.
וְ/כָל
kôl
H3605
"all"
Conj | N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
חֵ֖לֶב
cheleb
H2459
"fat"
N-ms
In the Bible, cheleb refers to fat, whether literal or figurative, representing the richest or best part of something. It can describe the choicest products of the land or the best of human or animal fat. This term is used to convey abundance and richness.
Definition: 1) fat 1a) fat (of humans) 1b) fat (of beasts) 1c) choicest, best part, abundance (of products of the land)
Usage: Occurs in 69 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] best, fat(-ness), [idiom] finest, grease, marrow. See also: Genesis 4:4; Leviticus 9:24; Psalms 17:10.
תִּיר֣וֹשׁ
tîyrôwsh
H8492
"new wine"
N-ms
New wine, freshly squeezed from grapes, is the meaning of this Hebrew word. It can also refer to fermented wine, but that is less common. The KJV translates it as new or sweet wine.
Definition: wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine
Usage: Occurs in 38 OT verses. KJV: (new, sweet) wine. See also: Genesis 27:28; Psalms 4:8; Proverbs 3:10.
וְ/דָגָ֑ן
dâgân
H1715
"grain"
Conj | N-ms
Dagan refers to grain or wheat, a staple food in ancient Israel. In Genesis 41:35, Joseph advised Pharaoh to store grain during the good years to prepare for famine, and in Leviticus 23:10, the Israelites were instructed to offer a sheaf of grain as an offering.
Definition: wheat, cereal, grain, corn
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: corn (floor), wheat. See also: Genesis 27:28; Nehemiah 13:12; Psalms 4:8.
רֵאשִׁיתָ֛/ם
rêʼshîyth
H7225
"first"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to the beginning or first part of something, like the firstfruits of a harvest. It is used in Exodus 23:19 to describe the best of the harvest. The idea is to give God the best.
Definition: : beginning 1) first, beginning, best, chief 1a) beginning 1b) first 1c) chief 1d) choice part Also means: re.shit (רֵאשִׁית ": best" H7225H)
Usage: Occurs in 49 OT verses. KJV: beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing. See also: Genesis 1:1; Job 42:12; Psalms 78:51.
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
"which"
Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
יִתְּנ֥וּ
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
לַֽ/יהוָ֖ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
Prep | N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
לְ/ךָ֥
""
Prep | Suff
נְתַתִּֽי/ם
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Perf-1cs | Suff
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
Study Notes — Numbers 18:12
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Numbers 18:12 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Numbers 18:12
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:12
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
- Trapp's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
- Ellicott's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
- Cambridge Bible on Numbers 18:12
- Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
- Sermons on Numbers 18:12
Context — Offerings for Priests and Levites
10You are to eat it as a most holy offering, and every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy.
11And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.
12I 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.
13The 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. 14Every devoted thing in Israel belongs to you.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 18:4 | You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first wool sheared from your flock. |
| 2 | Exodus 23:19 | Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. |
| 3 | Exodus 34:26 | Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” |
| 4 | 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. |
| 5 | Numbers 15:19–21 | and you eat the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the LORD. From the first of your dough, you are to lift up a cake as a contribution; offer it just like an offering from the threshing floor. Throughout your generations, you are to give the LORD an offering from the first of your dough. |
| 6 | Deuteronomy 26:2 | you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name, |
| 7 | Nehemiah 10:35–37 | 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. |
| 8 | Leviticus 2:14 | If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer crushed heads of new grain roasted on the fire. |
| 9 | Leviticus 23:17 | Bring two loaves of bread from your dwellings as a wave offering, each made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with leaven, as the firstfruits to the LORD. |
| 10 | Exodus 22:29 | You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons. |
Numbers 18:12 Summary
In Numbers 18:12, God is promising to provide for the Levites by giving them the best of the Israelites' harvest. This means that God wants us to give Him the first and best of what we have, whether it's our time, money, or talents (as seen in Proverbs 3:9-10). By giving God our best, we can trust that He will provide for our needs and bless us abundantly (as seen in Malachi 3:10). This principle can be applied to our lives today by prioritizing our relationship with God and giving Him the first and best of everything we have.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are firstfruits in the context of Numbers 18:12?
The firstfruits refer to the best and freshest produce that the Israelites gave to the LORD as an offering, as seen in Deuteronomy 26:1-11, where they are instructed to give their firstfruits to the LORD.
Why did God give the Levites the firstfruits of the Israelites' harvest?
God gave the Levites the firstfruits as a provision for their livelihood, since they did not have an inheritance of land like the other tribes, as stated in Deuteronomy 18:1-2 and Numbers 18:21.
What does it mean for the Levites to receive the 'freshest olive oil' and 'finest new wine and grain'?
It means that God provided the Levites with the best and most abundant resources, ensuring they had enough to live on and to offer sacrifices to the LORD, as seen in Leviticus 2:1-2 and Numbers 15:1-10.
How does this verse relate to the concept of tithing in the New Testament?
While the concept of tithing is not directly mentioned in Numbers 18:12, it is related to the idea of giving God the first and best of what we have, as seen in Malachi 3:10 and Matthew 23:23, where Jesus teaches about the importance of tithing and giving to God.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I can give God the 'firstfruits' of my life, such as my time, talents, and resources?
- How can I prioritize giving to God and others, just as the Israelites prioritized giving their best produce to the LORD?
- What are some areas in my life where I can offer God the 'freshest' and 'finest' things, rather than the leftovers?
- How can I trust God to provide for my needs, just as He provided for the Levites through the firstfruits of the Israelites' harvest?
Gill's Exposition on Numbers 18:12
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat,.... Or the "fat" (i) of them; the fat of anything being the best, see Deuteronomy 32:14; the firstfruits of them: the oil, and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:12
And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
The best, Heb. the fat for the best: the fat of wheat is the best of it, 147:14. The first-fruits of them; as well those which were offered in the name and behalf of the body of the people at the solemn feasts, ,17, as those which were required of particular persons, 23:19; whereof the precise quantity is not determined, but left free to the giver, as an exercise for his piety and charity, only they are enjoined to give the first and the best of them.
Trapp's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
Numbers 18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.Ver. 12. All the best of the oil.] Heb., The fat. God can afford the ministers the best of the best, though the most now-a-days think the worst too good for them. Which they shall offer.] Not appointing them how much, but leaving that to the people’ s liberality. And what that was, let Philo the Jew speak, who well knew the customs of his own nation, and tells us, that all things due to the priests were paid very freely, and most cheerfully. At haec gens debitam pecuniam lubens gaudensque depromit, saith he; This people willingly, and with rejoicing, draw out their money for the priests, not as if they gave, but received rather, adding happy forebodings and gratulations. Philo, De Sacerdot. Honor.
Ellicott's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
(12) All the best . . . —Hebrew, all the fat, as in Genesis 45:18. The firstfruits of them . . . —The quantity is not defined. St. Jerome, in his Commentary on Ezekiel 45, mentions the fortieth part as a liberal contribution, and the sixtieth as a scanty one, according to Jewish tradition.
Cambridge Bible on Numbers 18:12
12. the best] lit. ‘the fat’ (as marg.). Cf. Deuteronomy 32:14, Psalms 81:16. This vague expression is explained by the more technical term the firstfruits, or the first (Heb. rêshîth); cf. Deuteronomy 18:4. The amount which the priest is to receive is not stated; but in later times fixed proportions were laid down by the chiefs of the Rabbinic schools.
Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 18:12
12. Firstfruits — See Genesis 4:3; Leviticus 2:12; Leviticus 23:10, notes.
Sermons on Numbers 18:12
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Overcomers and the Church by Stephen Kaung | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on two pictures from Revelation chapter 14. The first picture is of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with a hundred and forty-four thousand peop |
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Christians Must Perform the Truth - Part 4 by Stephen Olford | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the topic of giving and tithing. One person shares a testimony of how they continued to tithe even after their income decreased, and God faith |
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The Reluctant God - Part 8 by G.W. North | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on Exodus 34:27, where God instructs Moses to write down the words of the covenant He has made with Israel. The speaker highlights the significa |
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The Call to Battle by Martyn-Lloyd Jones | The preacher delves into the concept of 'First Fruits' as an Old Testament term used to describe offerings set apart for God, symbolizing thanksgiving for His provision. James and |
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(God-Centered Praying) 4. the Kingdom of God by Zac Poonen | Zac Poonen emphasizes the importance of God-centered praying, particularly the petition 'Thy kingdom come.' He explains that true salvation leads to a desire to be free from self-c |
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An Anonymous Benefactor by Denis Lyle | Denis Lyle preaches about the story of an anonymous benefactor who generously provided for Dr. Barnardo's village for orphan girls and how God's provision often comes at the right |
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Day 72, Mark 7 by David Servant | David Servant delivers a sermon on the dangers of man-made doctrines, using the example of the Pharisees who created numerous 'fence laws' to prevent breaking God's commandments. T |