Numbers 18:17

Numbers 18:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord.

Context of Numbers 18:17

15Every firstborn of the womb of all flesh, whether it is man or animal, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours; nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall most certainly redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16And their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem, according to your valuation, for the [fixed] price of five shekels in silver, in accordance with the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. But the firstborn of a cow or of a sheep or of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy [and belong to the Lord]. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord. 18Their meat shall be yours, like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh. 19All the offerings of the holy things, which the Israelites offer to the Lord I have given to you and to your sons and your daughters with you as a continual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt [that cannot be dissolved or violated] before the Lord to you and to your descendants with you.”

Numbers 18:17 word by word

אַ֣ךְ בְּֽכוֹר־שׁ֡וֹר אֽוֹ־בְכ֨וֹר כֶּ֜שֶׂב אֽוֹ־בְכ֥וֹר עֵ֛ז לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֑ם אֶת־דָּמָ֞ם תִּזְרֹ֤ק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ וְאֶת־חֶלְבָּ֣ם תַּקְטִ֔יר אִשֶּׁ֛ה לְרֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַֽיהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the firstlingבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
• of a cowשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
• of a sheepכֶּ֫שֶׂבkeώeb · sheepH3775
• of a goatעֵז‛êz · goatH5795
• thou shalt not redeemפָּדָהpâdâh · to ransomH6299
• holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• thou shalt sprinkleזָרַקzâraq · to scatterH2236
• their bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• upon the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• and shalt burnקָטַרqâţar · to offer: burnH6999
• their fatחֵ֫לֶבcheleb chêleb · fatH2459
• an offering made by fireאִשֶּׁה'ishshâh · food offeringH801
• for a sweetנִיחֹחַnîychôach nîychôach · soothingH5207
• savourרֵיחַrêyach · aromaH7381
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Numbers 18:17

• Deuteronomy 15:19“You shall consecrate (set apart) to the Lord your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock. You shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
• Exodus 29:16then you shall kill the ram and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it around the altar [of burnt offering].
• Leviticus 3:2He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice] and kill it at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

Commentaries on Numbers 18:17

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-19Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32The instructions here came from the need shown in chapter 17 for clear boundaries between the people, priests, and Levites. The Levites had special privileges and important responsibilities. One key part of their job was to protect the Tent of Meeting from unauthorized entry (chapter 16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-208-13. the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of my heave offerings--A recapitulation is made in this passage of certain perquisites specially appropriated to the maintenance of the priests. They were parts of the votive and freewill offerings, including both meat and bread, wine and oil, and the first-fruits, which formed a large and valuable item.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 18:17

• Firstborn
• Offerings
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Bullock
• Exodus
• Fat
• Firstborn, Redemption of
• Agrapha
• Atonement, Day of
• Chronicles, Books of
• Criticism
• Ezekiel
• Genealogy

Commentaries on Numbers 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings