(11) The heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings . . . --See Leviticus 7:34.

Every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.--See Leviticus 22:10-13.

Verse 11. - And this is thine. Here begins a second list of holy gifts which might be eaten at home by all members of the priestly families who were clean; they included

(1) all wave offerings, especially the wave breast and heave shoulder of the peace offerings;

(2) all first-fruits of every kind;

(3) all that was devoted;

(4) all the first-born, or their substitutes. The first and third must have been very variable in amount, but the second and fourth, if honestly rendered, must have brought in a vast amount both of produce and of revenue. With all the wave offerings. Rather, "in all the wave offerings," as in verse 8.

18:8-19 All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take care of them. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And from the provision here made for the priests, the apostle shows that it is the duty of christian churches to maintain their ministers. Scandalous maintenance makes scandalous ministers. The priests were to be wholly devoted to their ministry, not diverted from it, or disturbed in it, by worldly care or business. Also, that they might be examples of living by faith, not only in God's providence, but in his ordinances. The best should be offered for the first-fruits unto the Lord. Those who think to save, by putting God off with the refuse, deceive themselves, for God is not mocked.And this is thine,.... What follow, which appertained to the priests, are the less or lighter holy things:

the heave offering of their gift: the right shoulder, given to the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of peace offerings, Leviticus 7:32; according to Jarchi, it was what was lifted up or heaved from the thank offering, the peace offerings, and the ram of the Nazarites, see Leviticus 7:14,

with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; which were waved to and fro before the Lord, as the breast of the peace offerings, called therefore the wave breast, Leviticus 7:30,

I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever; for these were to be eaten in their own houses, and by their families, wives, children, and servants bought with their money, or born in their houses; but not hired servants, nor sojourners, nor strangers; nor their daughters married to strangers though, if widows, or divorced, and without children, and returned to their father's house, they might eat of them, Leviticus 22:10; thus a provision was made for the maintenance of the priests of the Lord and their families, until the Messiah should come; who has also appointed that they that preach the Gospel should live of it, 1 Corinthians 9:13,

everyone that is clean in thy house shall eat of it: that was clean in a ceremonial sense; had not touched a dead body, &c. Jarchi says, this is said to comprehend his wife; but that might be concluded from what is said before, for if his children, much more might his wife eat of it.