New Living Translation
Leviticus 27:26
26“You may not dedicate a firstborn animal to the Lord, for the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats already belong to him.
Leviticus 27:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the Lord’s firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the Lord’s.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord; whether an ox or a sheep, it is the Lord’s.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord's.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘But the firstborn of the animals, which should be the Lord’s firstborn, no man shall dedicate; whether it is an ox or sheep, it is the Lord’s.
Context of Leviticus 27:26
24In the Year of Jubilee the field must be returned to the person from whom he purchased it, the one who inherited it as family property. 25(All the payments must be measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) “You may not dedicate a firstborn animal to the Lord, for the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats already belong to him. 27However, you may buy back the firstborn of a ceremonially unclean animal by paying the priest’s assessment of its worth, plus 20 percent. If you do not buy it back, the priest will sell it at its assessed value. 28“However, anything specially set apart for the Lord—whether a person, an animal, or family property—must never be sold or bought back. Anything devoted in this way has been set apart as holy, and it belongs to the Lord.
Read all of Leviticus 27Leviticus 27:26 word by word
אַךְ־בְּכ֞וֹר אֲשֶׁר־יְבֻכַּ֤ר לַֽיהוָה֙ בִּבְהֵמָ֔ה לֹֽא־יַקְדִּ֥ישׁ אִ֖ישׁ אֹת֑וֹ אִם־שׁ֣וֹר אִם־שֶׂ֔ה לַֽיהוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Only the firstlingבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
- of the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- which should be the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- firstlingבָּכַרbâkar · to be/bear firstbornH1069
- no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- shall sanctifyקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: dedicateH6942
- oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
- or sheepשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
Cross-references for Leviticus 27:26
- Exodus 13:2“Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”
- Exodus 22:30“You must also give me the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats. But leave the newborn animal with its mother for seven days; then give it to me on the eighth day.
- Numbers 18:17“However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the Lord. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 15:19“You must set aside for the Lord your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks.
Commentaries on Leviticus 27:26
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-33Verses 26-33 Things or persons devoted, are distinguished from things or persons that were only sanctified. Devoted things were most holy to the Lord, and could neither be taken back nor applied to other purposes. Whatever productions they had the benefit, God must be honoured with the tenth of, if it could be applied. Thus they acknowledge God to be the Owner of their land, the Giver of its fruits, and themselves to be his tenants, and dependants upon…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26no one may consecrate: Every firstborn male, whether human or animal, already belonged to God (Exodus 13:2; 34:19–20). Thus, consecrating a firstborn is unnecessary. Priests use the firstborn of animals suitable for food or sacrifice (ceremonially clean animals). You can redeem the firstborn of a ceremonially unclean animal, like a donkey, for 20 percent more than its value. Firstborn humans had to be redeemed (Exodus 13:11–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2726-27. Only the firstling of the beasts--These, in the case of clean beasts, being consecrated to God by a universal and standing law (Ex 13:12; 34:19), could not be devoted; and in that of unclean beasts, were subject to the rule mentioned (Le 27:11, 12).Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 27:26
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 27
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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