God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 22:28
28Never slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young the same day.
Leviticus 22:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her and her young on the same day.
Context of Leviticus 22:28
26The Lord spoke to Moses, 27“When a calf, a lamb, or a goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on it may be accepted as a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. Never slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young the same day. 29“When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, do it in the proper way. 30Eat it the same day. Never leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.
Read all of Leviticus 22Leviticus 22:28 word by word
וְשׁ֖וֹר אוֹ־שֶׂ֑ה אֹת֣וֹ וְאֶת־בְּנ֔וֹ לֹ֥א תִשְׁחֲט֖וּ בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Leviticus 22:28
- Exodus 23:19“You must bring the best of the first produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exodus 34:27Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, because on the basis of these words I’m making a promise to Israel and to you.”
- Deuteronomy 14:21Never eat any creature that dies naturally. You may give it to the foreigners who live in your cities, and they may eat it. You may also sell it to foreigners who are visiting. But you are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Deuteronomy 22:6Whenever you’re traveling and find a nest containing chicks or eggs, this is what you must do. If the mother bird is sitting on the nest, never take her with the chicks.
Commentaries on Leviticus 22:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Ye shall not kill it and her young in one day - This precept was certainly intended to inculcate mercy and tenderness of heart; and so the Jews understood it. When it is necessary to take away the lives of innocent animals for the support of our own, we should do it in such a way as not to blunt our moral feelings; and deplore the necessity, while we feel an express gratitude to God for permission, to do it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28A law intended to remind the Israelites of the sacredness of the relation between the parent and its offspring. Compare Exodus 23:19 note.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28on the same day: There are several possible explanations for this command, although none is certain: Senseless slaughtering would leave nothing of the herd; it would be cruel to slaughter the young and the mother at the same time; or it would resemble pagan worship rites, where people cooked the newborn animal in the milk of its slain mother (see Exodus 23:19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-2827-28. it shall be seven days under the dam--Animals were not considered perfect nor good for food till the eighth day. As sacrifices are called the bread or food of God (Le 22:25), to offer them immediately after birth, when they were unfit to be eaten, would have indicated a contempt of religion; and besides, this prohibition, as well as that contained in Le 22:28, inculcated a lesson of humanity or tenderness to the dam, as well as secured the…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 22
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries