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

15I give to you every firstborn animal and male child that people offer to the Lord. But you must pay the price for every firstborn son and for every firstborn male animal that is not clean. 16When they are one month old, you must buy them from me for five shekels of silver each. The shekel must have the same weight as the shekel that the Levites use in God's Holy Tent. There are 20 gerahs in one shekel. You must not pay for the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat. Those animals are holy. Splash the blood from those animals on the altar and burn the fat from them. The smell will make the Lord happy. 18And the meat of those animals belongs to you. In the same way, the meat of the ribs and the right back leg of the special gifts that you lift up to me also belong to you. 19I have given all the gifts that the Israelites offer to the Lord to you, your sons and your daughters. That is a rule for all time. That is the Lord's special promise to you and to your descendants for all time.’

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 15:19You must keep separate every firstborn male animal that is born from your cows, sheep or goats. They belong to the Lord your God. Do not make these firstborn animals do any work for you. Do not cut off the wool from your firstborn sheep.
• Exodus 29:16Kill the sheep and take its blood to the altar. Throw some of the blood onto every side of the altar.
• Leviticus 3:2The person must put his hand on the animal's head. Then he must kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons the priests will throw the blood onto the sides of 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