King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
But the firstborn of an ox, sheep or goat you are not to redeem; they are holy - you are to splash their blood against the altar and make their fat go up in smoke as an offering made by fire, as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI.
Berean Standard Bible:
But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
American Standard Version:
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 savor unto Jehovah.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
But the firstling{H1060} of a cow{H7794}, or the firstling{H1060} of a sheep{H3775}, or the firstling{H1060} of a goat{H5795}, thou shalt not redeem{H6299}; they are holy{H6944}: thou shalt sprinkle{H2236} their blood{H1818} upon the altar{H4196}, and shalt burn{H6999} their fat{H2459} for an offering made by fire{H801}, for a sweet{H5207} savour{H7381} unto the LORD{H3068}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Deuteronomy 15:19
- ¶ All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.
Deuteronomy 15:22
- Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean [person shall eat it] alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
Exodus 29:16
- And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle [it] round about upon the altar.
Leviticus 3:2
- And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Leviticus 3:5
- And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which [is] upon the wood that [is] on the fire: [it is] an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
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Commentary for Numbers 18:17
Numbers 18:17 is a verse that falls within the context of the priestly code in the Book of Numbers, which outlines the duties and privileges of the Levites and priests within ancient Israelite society. The verse specifically addresses the treatment of firstborn livestock, which are considered holy and set apart for the Lord.
In the agricultural society of the ancient Israelites, the firstborn of all livestock was considered sacred to God, a reminder of the divine claim on the first and best of the produce and offspring of the land, as a form of worship and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. The verse commands that the firstborn of cattle (cow), sheep, and goats are not to be redeemed or bought back from their sacred status, unlike the firstborn of donkeys and humans which could be redeemed with a sacrifice, as outlined in Exodus 13:13 and 34:20.
Instead, the firstborn of these specified animals are to be offered directly to God. The ritual involves sprinkling their blood on the altar, symbolizing the consecration of the offering, and burning their fat as a burnt offering. This act of sacrificing the fat, which was considered the choicest part of the animal, would produce a pleasing aroma to the Lord, signifying complete devotion and the offering's acceptability to God.
The historical context of this practice is rooted in the religious and cultic life of the Israelites during their wilderness journey and later in the land of Canaan. These sacrifices were part of the worship system established by God through Moses, designed to maintain the covenant relationship between God and His people, and to provide a means for atonement and fellowship with the Divine. The verse reflects the detailed and specific instructions given to the priests regarding the proper conduct of worship and the importance of offering the best to God as an act of devotion and obedience.
*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: H1060
There are 96 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בְּכוֹר
Transliteration: bᵉkôwr
Pronunciation: bek-ore'
Description: from בָּכַר; firstborn; hence, chief; eldest (son), firstborn(-ling). - Strong's Number: H7794
There are 69 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוֹר
Transliteration: shôwr
Pronunciation: shore
Description: from שׁוּר; a bullock (as a traveller); bull(-ock), cow, ox, wall (by mistake for שׁוּר). - Strong's Number: H3775
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֶּשֶׂב
Transliteration: keseb
Pronunciation: keh'-seb
Description: apparently by transposition for כֶּבֶשׂ; a young sheep; lamb. - Strong's Number: H5795
There are 74 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵז
Transliteration: ʻêz
Pronunciation: aze
Description: from עָזַז; a she-goat (as strong), but masculine in plural (which also is used elliptically for goat's hair); (she) goat, kid. - Strong's Number: H6299
There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּדָה
Transliteration: pâdâh
Pronunciation: paw-daw'
Description: a primitive root; to sever, i.e. ransom; gener. to release, preserve; [idiom] at all, deliver, [idiom] by any means, ransom, (that are to be, let be) redeem(-ed), rescue, [idiom] surely. - Strong's Number: H6944
There are 382 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֹדֶשׁ
Transliteration: qôdesh
Pronunciation: ko'-desh
Description: from קָדַשׁ; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity; consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, ([idiom] most) holy ([idiom] day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. - Strong's Number: H2236
There are 33 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָרַק
Transliteration: zâraq
Pronunciation: zaw-rak'
Description: a primitive root; to sprinkle (fluid or solid particles); be here and there, scatter, sprinkle, strew. - Strong's Number: H1818
There are 295 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָּם
Transliteration: dâm
Pronunciation: dawm
Description: from דָּמַם (compare אָדַם); blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood); blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), [phrase] innocent. - Strong's Number: H4196
There are 338 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִזְבֵּחַ
Transliteration: mizbêach
Pronunciation: miz-bay'-akh
Description: from זָבַח; an altar; altar. - Strong's Number: H6999
There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָטַר
Transliteration: qâṭar
Pronunciation: kaw-tar'
Description: a primitive root (identical with through the idea of fumigation in a close place and perhaps thus driving out the occupants); to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire (especially as an act of worship); burn (incense, sacrifice) (upon), (altar for) incense, kindle, offer (incense, a sacrifice). - Strong's Number: H2459
There are 69 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֶלֶב
Transliteration: cheleb
Pronunciation: kheh'-leb
Description: or חֵלֶב; from an unused root meaning to be fat; fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or choice part; [idiom] best, fat(-ness), [idiom] finest, grease, marrow. - Strong's Number: H801
There are 357 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִשָּׁה
Transliteration: ʼishshâh
Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
Description: the same as אֶשָּׁה, but used in a liturgical sense; properly, a burnt-offering; but occasionally of any sacrifice; (offering, sacrifice), (made) by fire. - Strong's Number: H5207
There are 43 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נִיחוֹחַ
Transliteration: nîychôwach
Pronunciation: nee-kho'-akh
Description: or נִיחֹחַ; from נוּחַ; properly, restful, i.e. pleasant; abstractly, delight; sweet (odour). - Strong's Number: H7381
There are 55 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֵיחַ
Transliteration: rêyach
Pronunciation: ray'-akh
Description: from רוּחַ; odor (as if blown); savour, scent, smell. - 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.