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Deuteronomy 15:21

in Deuteronomy 15

But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And if it have any blemish, as if it be lame or blind, any ill blemish whatsoever, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto Jehovah thy God.

KJV

And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God.

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This verse in Deuteronomy 15

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

But if an animal has a defect

on Deuteronomy 15:21-23

Lame and blind is the pair Malachi 1:8 throws back at priests who brought such animals to the altar. What cannot be sacrificed is eaten at home as common food by clean and unclean alike, the allowance of 12:15 and 12:22.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Were it male or female, it must not be brought near the sanctuary, nor used either for sacrifice or for holy feasting, for it would not be fit to honour God with, nor to typify Christ, who is a Lamb without blemish; yet it must not be reared, but killed and eaten at their own houses as common food (

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

And if there be any blemish therein,.... In the firstling, as if it be "lame or blind", or have any ill blemish: thou shall not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God; blemishes in any beast made it unfit for sacrifices which were required; and so all peace offerings, vows, and freewill offerings, were to be free from any, Lev 22:19, such were not fit for an holy sacrifice or an holy feast.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

If there be any blemish - See the notes on Lev 22:20. God will have both a perfect priest and a perfect offering.

The words behind it

14 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.

  • וְכִֽי־and if

    vekhi-H3588 →4482 times

  • יִהְיֶ֨הit will be

    yihyehH1961 →3559 times

  • ב֜וֹin <the> it

    vo

  • מ֗וּםa blemish

    mumH3971 →21 times

  • פִּסֵּ֙חַ֙lame

    piseachH6455 →

  • א֣וֹor

    ʾoH176 →321 times

  • עִוֵּ֔רblind

    ʾiverH5787 →26 times

  • כֹּ֖לany

    kolH3605 →5413 times

  • מ֣וּםblemish

    mumH3971 →21 times

  • רָ֑עbad

    ra'H7451 →662 times

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תִזְבָּחֶ֔נּוּyou will sacrifice it

    tizbachenuH2076 →134 times

  • לַיהוָ֖הto Yahweh

    layahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃God your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

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

Related verses

9 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 1:3If one’s offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the LORD.47 worksMalachi 1:8When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.14 worksLeviticus 22:20You must not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.6 worksDeuteronomy 17:1You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.5 worksMalachi 1:7–8By presenting defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible.4 worksNumbers 28:19Present to the LORD an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished.4 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Leviticus 22:19–25must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for it to be accepted on your behalf.2 worksHebrews 9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!2 worksMalachi 1:13You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.1 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 17:1

    You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.

    it leads to

    • Malachi 1:8

      When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased…

    • Deuteronomy 23:18

      You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.

    • Leviticus 22:20–25

      You must not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.

    • Deuteronomy 24:4

      then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the…

    • Malachi 1:13–14

      You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from…

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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 15 →