“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.
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Numbers 18:17-18 sits inside this longer paragraph.
“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours. All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your offspring with you.”
Parallel Translations
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“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.
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But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
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But the firstling of an ox, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt dash their blood against the altar, and shalt make their fat smoke for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be thine.
Cross-references (5)
- Exodus 29:16 (v17) You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar.
- Exodus 29:26-28 (v18) “You shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It shall be your portion. You…
- Leviticus 3:2-5 (v17) He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall…
- Leviticus 7:31-34 (v18) The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. The right thigh you shall give to the priest for…
- Deuteronomy 15:19-22 (v17) You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v17 Because they are appointed for sacrifice.
Because they are appointed for sacrifice.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v18 Num 18:18 And the flesh of them shall be…
Num 18:18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
Ver. 18. And the flesh of them shall be thine.] And besides these here touched, they had other revenues of no small value, as their cities, suburbs, lands, {Num 35:1-34} that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. {2Ch 31:9}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv17–18 They are holy, to wit, in a peculiar manner,…
They are holy, to wit, in a peculiar manner, and higher degree than other beasts, consecrated to a holy use, even to be sacrificed unto God, and not to be redeemed nor alienated to any other use. Compare Deu 15:19.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv17–18 And the flesh of them shall be thine,.... For…
And the flesh of them shall be thine,.... For him and his family to eat of, whether blemished or perfect the Jews say (l):
as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine: which were his part of the peace offerings, for him and his sons to eat of, Lev 7:34; and the Jews observe (m), that as the wave breast and heave shoulder of the peace offerings might be eaten in two days and one night, so might those of the firstlings.
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(l) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Becorot, c. 4. sect. 2. & 5. 2. (m) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Zebachim, c. 5. sect. 8.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv17–18 Holy - Namely, in a peculiar manner, consecrated to…
Holy - Namely, in a peculiar manner, consecrated to an holy use, even to be sacrificed to God. Deut. xv, 19.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v17 Num 18:17-18. They are holy — Namely, in a…
Num 18:17-18. They are holy — Namely, in a peculiar manner, consecrated to a holy use, even to be sacrificed to God, Deu 15:19. The flesh — All the flesh of them, and not only some parts, as in other sacrifices.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v18 Thine. So that thy wife and children, if clean,…
Thine. So that thy wife and children, if clean, may eat the flesh. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v17 17. Thou shalt not redeem, nor give as a…
17. Thou shalt not redeem, nor give as a substitute, (Lev_27:10,) nor use for thy own profit by deriving labour from the bullock or the fleece from the sheep. Deu_15:19.
Sprinkle their blood — See Lev_3:2, note.
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Their fat — See Lev_3:3; Lev_3:17, notes.
A sweet savour — See Lev_1:9, note.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On v18 18. the flesh of them shall be thine] Aaron…
18. the flesh of them shall be thine] Aaron is to receive the whole of their flesh, as he had received the breast and thigh of the peace-offering.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v18 (18) And the flesh of them shall be thine…
(18) And the flesh of them shall be thine . . . —In Deu_12:17-18, the firstlings of the herd and of the flock are directed to be eaten by the owners in the place which the Lord should choose. Either the law as prescribed in Numbers was subsequently modified, or the second clause of this verse explains and qualifies the preceding clause, and assigns only the wave breast and the right shoulder (or, rather, leg) to the priests. (Comp. Lev_10:14-15.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv17–18 But the firstling of a cow, &c. Only those…
But the firstling of a cow, &c. Only those things which were not available for sacrifice could be redeemed; the rest must be offered to him that claimed them. The first-born of men belonged partially to both classes: on the one hand, they could not be sacrificed, and therefore were redeemed with money; on the other hand, they could be dedicated (being clean), and therefore had been exchanged for the Levites.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v17 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
God continues speaking to Aaron.
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You must sprinkle their blood
That he must kill the animals first can be stated clearly. AT: "You must kill them and sprinkle their blood" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
made by fire
This can be stated in active form. AT: "that you make by fire" or "that you burn with fire on the altar" (See: Active or Passive)
an aroma pleasing to Yahweh
The Lord's pleasure with the aroma represents his pleasure with the person who burns the offering. AT: "and Yahweh will be pleased with you" (See: Metaphor)
the raised breast and the right thigh
This can be stated in active form. AT: "the breast and the right thigh that you lift up as a gift to me" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
cow
ewe
goat
set apart
blood
altar
sacrifice
fire
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.