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Deuteronomy 15:19

in Deuteronomy 15

You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

All the firstling males that are born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto Jehovah thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy herd, nor shear the firstling of thy flock.

KJV

All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

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This verse in Deuteronomy 15

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Paterius

EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 4 · Written before 606.

What did Moses mean by making this prohibition, except to forbid those who have begun to live aright to engage in human occupations? To plow with the firstborn of a cow is to display the beginnings of one's conversion in carrying out public activities. To …

This site's exposition

You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male

on Deuteronomy 15:19-20

Numbers 18:15-18 gave the firstlings' flesh to the priests, while here the owner's household eats it before the LORD. Keil and Delitzsch read Deuteronomy as the sacrificial meal the offerer shares. Forbidding work with the ox and shearing of the flock stops an owner profiting from an animal given away.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the L ORD 's release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v2-3

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

2, 15 ); on the eighth day it was to be given to God ( Exod. xxii. 30 ), and to be divided between the priest and the altar, Num. xviii. An addition to that law, for the further explication of it, directing them what to do with the firstlings, (1.) That were females: "Thou shalt do no work with the female firstlings of the cow, nor shear those of the sheep" (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number

All the firstling males that come of thy herd, or of thy flock, thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God,.... According to the law in Exo 13:

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Compare Exo 13:11 ff. The directions of the preceding legislation (see Num 18:15 ff) are here assumed, with the injunction added, that the animals thus set apart to God Deu 15:19 were not to be used by their owners for their earthly purposes. It is further allowed that firstborn animals which had a blemish should be regarded as exceptions, and instead of being given to God might be used as food Deu 15:21-

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

All the firstling males of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God--[See on Ex 13:2]; see Ex 22:30). thou shalt do not work with the firstling of thy bullock--that is, the second firstlings (see De 12:17, 18;

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.

  • כָּֽל־every

    kal-H3605 →5413 times

  • הַבְּכ֡וֹר<the> firstborn

    habekhorH1060 →122 times

  • אֲשֶׁר֩which

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • יִוָּלֵ֨דit will be born

    yivaledH3205 →496 times

  • בִּבְקָרְךָ֤in herd your

    bivkarechaH1241 →183 times

  • וּבְצֹֽאנְךָ֙and in flock your

    uvetzonekhaH6629 →274 times

  • הַזָּכָ֔רthe male

    hazakharH2145 →

  • תַּקְדִּ֖ישׁyou will consecrate

    takdishH6942 →171 times

  • לַיהוָ֣הto Yahweh

    layahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָGod your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

  • לֹ֤אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תַעֲבֹד֙you will labor

    taavodH5647 →288 times

  • בִּבְכֹ֣רby [the] firstborn of

    bivkhorH1060 →122 times

  • שׁוֹרֶ֔ךָox[en] your

    shorekhaH7794 →79 times

  • וְלֹ֥אand not

    velo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תָגֹ֖זyou will shear

    tagozH1494 →

  • בְּכ֥וֹר[the] firstborn of

    bekhorH1060 →122 times

  • צֹאנֶֽךָ׃sheep your

    tzonekhaH6629 →274 times

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

Related verses

16 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.

Exodus 13:2“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”14 worksExodus 22:30You shall do likewise with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day you are to give them to Me.7 worksExodus 13:12you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.4 worksLeviticus 22:2“Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings that the Israelites have consecrated to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name. I am the LORD.4 worksLeviticus 27:26But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the LORD. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s.4 worksNumbers 18:15The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.3 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 18:17But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.3 worksDeuteronomy 12:17Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.3 worksDeuteronomy 16:14And you shall rejoice in your feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.3 worksDeuteronomy 16:11and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.2 worksHebrews 12:23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,2 worksNumbers 3:13for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”2 worksExodus 34:19The first offspring of every womb belongs to Me, including all the firstborn males among your livestock, whether cattle or sheep.2 worksDeuteronomy 14:23And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.2 worksDeuteronomy 12:5–7Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.2 worksRomans 8:29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.1 works

The walk

8 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

    Exodus 13:2

    “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

    it leads to

    • Numbers 3:13

      for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Luke 2:23

      (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),

    • Numbers 18:15

      The firstborn of every womb, whether man or beast, that is offered to the LORD belongs to you. But you must surely redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Exodus 22:29–30

      You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.

    • Numbers 8:16–17

      For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of…

  • Through

    Leviticus 27:26

    But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the LORD. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s.

    it leads to

    • Exodus 13:2

      “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Exodus 13:12–13

      you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Exodus 13:12

    you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.

    it leads to

    • Leviticus 27:26

      But no one may consecrate a firstborn of the livestock, because a firstborn belongs to the LORD. Whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s.

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 15 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Paterius, EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 4.

Read on in Deuteronomy 15 →