King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"You are to bring the best firstfruits of your land into the house of ADONAI your God. "You are not to boil a young animal in its mother's milk
Berean Standard Bible:
Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
American Standard Version:
The first of the first-fruits of thy ground thou shalt bring into the house of Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
The first{H7225} of the firstfruits{H1061} of thy land{H127} thou shalt bring{H935} into the house{H1004} of the LORD{H3068} thy God{H430}. Thou shalt not seethe{H1310} a kid{H1423} in his mother's{H517} milk{H2461}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Exodus 34:26
- The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 14:21
- Ye shall not eat [of] any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that [is] in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 26:10
- And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:
Nehemiah 10:35
- And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
Exodus 22:29
- Thou shalt not delay [to offer] the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
Deuteronomy 26:2
- That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put [it] in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
Numbers 18:12
- All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Exodus 23:19
**Exodus 23:19 Themes:**
1. **Agricultural Offerings:** The verse emphasizes the importance of offering the first and best of one's harvest to God, acknowledging Him as the source of all blessings and showing gratitude and dependence on His providence.
2. **Cultic Practice:** It prescribes a specific ritual regulation, which is part of a larger set of instructions concerning worship and ethical conduct. This commandment serves to distinguish the Israelite religious practices from those of the surrounding nations.
3. **Ethical Treatment of Animals:** The prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother's milk is often interpreted as a compassionate measure, reflecting a broader ethical principle that extends to the treatment of animals.
**Historical Context:**
Exodus 23:19 is part of the Book of the Covenant, which includes a series of laws given to Moses by God at Mount Sinai following the exodus from Egypt. This collection of laws, found in Exodus 20:23 through Exodus 23, covers various aspects of Israelite society, including civil, religious, and moral laws.
The historical context of these laws is crucial. They were given to a newly formed nation that had just been liberated from slavery. The laws were designed to shape the identity of the Israelites as a people set apart for God, to teach them how to live in a way that was holy and distinct from other nations.
The commandment to bring the firstfruits to the Lord's house would have been a significant practice for an agrarian society, reinforcing the idea that the land and its produce were under God's dominion, and that the people were stewards of His gifts.
The prohibition against seething a kid in its mother's milk is one of several dietary laws that would have set the Israelites apart from their neighbors. While the exact reason for this specific command is not explained in the text, it has been interpreted in various ways, including as a rejection of a Canaanite fertility rite or as an embodiment of the broader principle of not causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
In summary, Exodus 23:19 reflects the themes of worship, gratitude, ethical conduct, and the distinctiveness of Israel's religious practices, set against the backdrop of their recent liberation and formation as a nation under God's guidance.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H7225
There are 49 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֵאשִׁית
Transliteration: rêʼshîyth
Pronunciation: ray-sheeth'
Description: from the same as רֹאשׁ; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit); beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing. - Strong's Number: H1061
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בִּכּוּר
Transliteration: bikkûwr
Pronunciation: bik-koor'
Description: from בָּכַר; the first-fruits of the crop; first fruit (-ripe (figuratively)), hasty fruit. - Strong's Number: H127
There are 372 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲדָמָה
Transliteration: ʼădâmâh
Pronunciation: ad-aw-maw'
Description: from אָדַם; soil (from its general redness); country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H1310
There are 24 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּשַׁל
Transliteration: bâshal
Pronunciation: baw-shal'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to boil up; hence, to be done in cooking; figuratively to ripen; bake, boil, bring forth, roast, seethe, sod (be sodden). - Strong's Number: H1423
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גְּדִי
Transliteration: gᵉdîy
Pronunciation: ghed-ee'
Description: from the same as גָּדָה; a young goat (from browsing); kid. - Strong's Number: H517
There are 387 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵם
Transliteration: ʼêm
Pronunciation: ame
Description: a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father)); dam, mother, [idiom] parting. - Strong's Number: H2461
There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָלָב
Transliteration: châlâb
Pronunciation: khaw-lawb'
Description: from the same as חֶלֶב; milk (as the richness of kine); [phrase] cheese, milk, sucking.