In v. 17, the food is referred to as the tithe, and this refers to at least part of the second tithe; it is referred to again in Deuteronomy 14:22–29. “The Levite that is within thy gates” refers to those living within one’s tribal area and jurisdiction. In Numbers 18:25–26 we are told that, where men did not themselves administer the tithe, the Levites received it and administered it. In other words, the decentralized Levites were not an institution but served God and His people in a variety of
Page 193