Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Levites on the other. [HIGH PRIEST; LEVITES] The ceremony of their consecration is described
in HIGH PRIEST - 1986 (Exodus 29:1; Leviticus 8:1) ... Dress.—The dress which the priests wore
during their ministrations consisted of linen drawers, with a close-fitting cassock, also of linen,
white, but with a diamond or chess-board pattern on it. This came nearly to the feet, and was to be
worn in its garment shape. Comp. (John 19:23) The white cassock was gathered round the body
with a girdle of needle work, in which, as in the more gorgeous belt of the high priest, blue, purple
and scarlet were intermingled with white, and worked in the form of flowers. (Exodus 28:39,40;
39:2; Ezekiel 44:17-19) Upon their heads the were to wear caps or bonnets in the form of a
cup-shaped flower, also of fine linen. In all their acts of ministration they were to be bare footed.
Duties .—The chief duties of the priests were to watch over the fire on the altar of burnt offering,
and to keep it burning evermore both by day and night, (Leviticus 6:12; 2 Chronicles 13:11) to feed
the golden lamp outside the vail with oil (Exodus 27:20,21; Leviticus 24:2) to offer the morning
and evening sacrifices, each accompanied with a meet offering and a drink offering, at the door of
the tabernacle. (Exodus 29:38-44) They were also to teach the children of Israel the statutes of the
Lord. (Leviticus 10:11; 33:10; 2 Chronicles 15:3; Ezekiel 44:23,24) During the journeys in the
wilderness it belonged to them to cover the ark and all the vessels of the sanctuary with a purple
or scarlet cloth before the Levites might approach them. (Numbers 4:5-15) As the people started
on each days march they were to blow “an alarm” with long silver trumpets. (Numbers 10:1-8)
Other instruments of music might be used by the more highly-trained Levites and the schools of
the prophets, but the trumpets belonged only to the priests, The presence of the priests on the held
of battle, (1 Chronicles 12:23,27; 2 Chronicles 20:21,22) led, in the later periods of Jewish history,
to the special appointment at such times of a war priest. Other functions were hinted at in
Deuteronomy which might have given them greater influence as the educators and civilizers of the
people. They were to act (whether individually or collectively does not distinctly appear) as a court
of appeal in the more difficult controversies in criminal or civil cases. (17:8-13) It must remain
doubtful however how far this order kept its ground during the storms and changes that followed,
Functions such as these were clearly incompatible with the common activities of men. Provision
for support .—This consisted—
•Of one tenth of the tithes which the people paid to the Levites, i.e. one per cent on the whole
produce of the country. (Numbers 18:26-28)
•Of a special tithe every third year. (14:28; 26:12)
•Of the redemption money, paid at the fixed rate of five shekels a head, for the first-born of man
or beast. (Numbers 18:14-19)
•Of the redemption money paid in like manner for men or things specially dedicated to the Lord.
(Leviticus 27:5)
•Of spoil, captives, cattle and the like, taken in war. (Numbers 31:25-47)
•Of the shew-bread, the flesh of the burnt offerings, peace offerings, trespass offerings, (Leviticus
6:26,29; 7:6-10; Numbers 18:8-14) and in particular the heave-shoulder and the wave-breast.
(Leviticus 10:12-15)
•Of an undefined amount of the firstfruits of corn, wine and oil. (Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 2:14;
26:1-10)
•On their settlement in Canaan the priestly families had thirteen cities assigned them, with “suburbs”
or pasture-grounds for their flocks. (Joshua 21:13-19) These provisions were obviously intended
to secure the religion of Israel against the dangers of a caste of pauper priests, needy and dependent,
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William Smith