What Does Numbers 18:9 Mean in the King James?
This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The offering that draws near to God is also set apart from the fire as a holy portion for the priests and their sons.
THE MEANING
The verse holds two movements together: an offering draws near to God, and a portion is reserved from the fire for the priests and their sons. Its sacred designation stays with the share they receive, so provision and holiness occupy the same portion.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the assumption that what is given to God disappears entirely in the fire: a portion remains set apart for the priests and their sons.
THE ROOT
קָרְבָּן
qorbān
GROWS FROM
ק־ר־ב
q-r-b
To approach or draw near.
The Hebrew word rendered “oblation” is korban, a thing brought near. The verse presents the offering as movement toward nearness, and the portion reserved from the fire carries that dedicated nearness into the priests’ share.
ALSO GROWS
qārab: to approach, draw near
קָרַב
This verb names the movement held inside korban: the offering is something brought near.
qārōb: near, close
קָרוֹב
This branch makes the root’s spatial sense visible: the offering belongs to a language of closeness.
qorbān: an offering, something brought near
קָרְבָּן
This is the word in the verse; its root lets “oblation” carry the meaning of approach as well as gift.
קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים
qōdesh qodāshīm
GROWS FROM
ק־ד־שׁ
q-d-sh
To set apart, mark as belonging to a sacred purpose.
“most holy” in this verse is qōdesh qodāshīm. The phrase literally intensifies the idea of what is set apart: “holy of holies.” That status applies to the portion assigned to the priests and their sons, so receiving it does not make it ordinary.
ALSO GROWS
qādōsh: set apart, holy
קָדוֹשׁ
This describes the set-apart quality that remains attached to the portion.
miqdāsh: sanctuary, a set-apart place
מִקְדָּשׁ
The sanctuary branch shows how the root can mark a place as set apart, just as this verse marks a portion.
qiddēsh: to set apart, consecrate
קִדֵּשׁ
This verb expresses the act behind the designation: the share is assigned a distinct sacred status.
THE PATTERN
What is set apart for sacred service can also become provision for those who serve.
The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?THE THREAD
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.“Oblation” is korban, from the root qarab, “to draw near”; Psalm 73:28 uses that same root for drawing near to God. The root shows the offering’s movement toward nearness, while Numbers names the set-apart share that comes with it.
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