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Deuteronomy 18:3

in Deuteronomy 18

This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

KJV

And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

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This verse in Deuteronomy 18

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
For “maw” read stomach, which was regarded as one of the richest and choicest parts. As the animal slain may be considered to consist of three principal parts, head, feet, and body, a portion of each is by the regulation in question to be given to the priest, thus representing the consecration of the whole; or, as some ancient commentators think, the dedication of the words, acts, and appetites of the worshipper to God. The text probably refers to peace-offerings, and animals killed for the sacrificial meals held in connection with the peace-offerings.

This site's exposition

them that offer a sacrifice

on Deuteronomy 18:3-5

Leviticus 7:31-34 assigned the priest the wave breast and the heave shoulder from the peace offerings, and the three parts named here, the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw, do not match that list. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say outright that whether this is a new injunction or the old one with further detail is hard to determine. Albert Barnes reads the three as head, body and legs, so that a portion of the whole animal reaches the man at the altar. Verse 5 puts the ground of all of it in God choosing him out of all the tribes.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

The maw - The Hebrew word here rendered maw or stomach, may have another signification, and some render it the breast, others take it for the part, which lies under the breast.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

(1.) The priests who in their courses served at the altar had their share of the sacrifices, namely, the peace-offerings, that were brought while they were in waiting: besides the breast and shoulder, which were appointed them before ( Lev. vii.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer sacrifice,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Here "the two cheeks" or head and "the maw" or stomach, deemed anciently a great dainty, are specified. But whether this is a new injunction, or a repetition of the old with the supplement of more details, it is not easy to determine.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Offer a sacrifice - זבחי הזבח zobechey hazzebach. The word זבח zebach is used to signify, not only an animal sacrificed to the Lord, but also one killed for common use. See Gen 46:1; Pro 17:1; Eze 39:17. And in this latter sense it probably should be understood here; and, consequently, the command in this verse relates to what the people were to allow the priests and Levites from the animals slain for common use. The parts to be given to the priests were, 1. The shoulder, probably cut off from the beast with the skin on; so Maimonides. 2. The two cheeks, which may include the whole head. 3. The maw - the whole of those intestines which are commonly used for food.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְזֶ֡הand this

    vezehH2088 →1180 times

  • יִהְיֶה֩it will be

    yihyehH1961 →3559 times

  • מִשְׁפַּ֨ט[the] right of

    mishpatH4941 →422 times

  • הַכֹּהֲנִ֜יםthe priests

    hakohanimH3548 →750 times

  • מֵאֵ֣תfrom with

    meetH854 →929 times

  • הָעָ֗םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • מֵאֵ֛תfrom with

    meetH854 →929 times

  • זֹבְחֵ֥י[those who] sacrifice

    zoecheiH2076 →134 times

  • הַזֶּ֖בַח<of> the sacrifice

    hazevachH2077 →162 times

  • אִם־whether

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • שׁ֣וֹרox

    shorH7794 →79 times

  • אִם־or

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • שֶׂ֑הsheep

    sehH7716 →47 times

  • וְנָתַן֙and he will give

    venatanH5414 →2011 times

  • לַכֹּהֵ֔ןto the priest

    lakohenH3548 →750 times

  • הַזְּרֹ֥עַthe arm

    hazeroa'H2220 →91 times

  • וְהַלְּחָיַ֖יִםand the two cheeks

    vehalechayayimH3895 →

  • וְהַקֵּבָֽה׃and the stomach

    vehakevahH6896 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Leviticus 7:30–34With his own hands he is to bring the offerings made by fire to the LORD; he shall bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast as a wave offering before the LORD.5 worksNumbers 18:11And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it.4 worksDeuteronomy 12:27Present the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat.3 worksExodus 29:27Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination.3 worksLeviticus 7:32And you are to give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from your peace offering.3 worksExodus 29:28This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings.2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Leviticus 7:34I have taken from the sons of Israel the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as a permanent portion from the sons of Israel.’”2 works

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 12:27

    Present the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your…

    it leads to

    • Leviticus 1:13

      The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall bring all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a…

    • Leviticus 17:11

      For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement…

    • Leviticus 1:9

      The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the…

    • Leviticus 1:5

      And he shall slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar at the entrance to the…

    • Leviticus 4:30

      Then the priest is to take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the…

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 18 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 18 →