Numbers 18:15
in Numbers 18The 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Everything that openeth the womb, of all flesh which they offer unto Jehovah, both of man and beast shall be thine: nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
KJV
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
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This verse in Numbers 18
Commentary
5 notes on this verseEvery only child is a firstborn child; but not every firstborn is an only child. A firstborn child is not only one after whom other children are also born but also one before whom no other child is born. "All that opens the womb," says the Lord to Aaron, "of all flesh that are offered to the Lord, of men and beasts, shall belong to you; only the firstborn of men shall be redeemed with a price and the firstborn of beasts that are unclean." The Word of God defined what was meant by a "firstborn."
This site's exposition
Every thing that openeth the matrix
on Numbers 18:15-19
The claim on the firstborn made at Exodus 13:2 comes back here as income for the priests, and the five shekels of verse 16 is the price Numbers 3:46-51 set when the Levites were counted against the firstborn of Israel. Clean and unclean are separated in the payment, since a clean firstling is killed with its blood sprinkled and its flesh given to the priest, while a man and an unclean beast are bought back with money. Verse 19 calls the arrangement a covenant of salt, a phrase used of the meat offering at Leviticus 2:13 and of the throne of David at 2 Chronicles 13:5. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown tie it to the eating of salt as a pledge of fidelity in the East, which makes the shared meal the sign of the bond.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Surely redeem ... redeem - A stronger expression is intentionally used in reference to the redemption of the first-born of man than in reference to that of unclean beasts. For the rule as to the former admitted of no exception: the owner of the latter, if unwilling to redeem, might destroy the beasts. Compare the marginal references.
The first-born of man - and the firstling of unclean beasts - Thus vain man is ranked with the beasts that perish; and with the worst kinds of them too, those deemed unclean.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| פֶּ֣טֶר | peter | firstborn of | H6363 → | 12 times |
| רֶ֠חֶם | rechem | a womb | H7358 → | 26 times |
| לְֽכָל־ | lekhol | of all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּשָׂ֞ר | basar | flesh | H1320 → | 270 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַקְרִ֧יבוּ | yakrivu | they will bring near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֛ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בָּאָדָ֥ם | baadam | among <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| וּבַבְּהֵמָ֖ה | uvabehemah | and among <the> animal[s] | H929 → | 190 times |
| יִֽהְיֶה־ | yihyeh- | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָּ֑ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| אַ֣ךְ׀ | ʾakh | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| פָּדֹ֣ה | padoh | certainly <to redeem> | H6299 → | 59 times |
| תִפְדֶּ֗ה | tifdeh | you will redeem | H6299 → | 59 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּכ֣וֹר | bekhor | [the] firstborn of | H1060 → | 122 times |
| הָֽאָדָ֔ם | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| וְאֵ֛ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּכֽוֹר־ | bekhor- | [the] firstborn of | H1060 → | 122 times |
| הַבְּהֵמָ֥ה | habehemah | <the> animal[s] | H929 → | 190 times |
| הַטְּמֵאָ֖ה | hatemeah | <the> unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| תִּפְדֶּֽה׃ | tifdeh | you will redeem | H6299 → | 59 times |
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
פֶּ֣טֶרfirstborn of
peterH6363 →12 times
רֶ֠חֶםa womb
rechemH7358 →26 times
לְֽכָל־of all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
בָּשָׂ֞רflesh
basarH1320 →270 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יַקְרִ֧יבוּthey will bring near
yakrivuH7126 →280 times
לַֽיהוָ֛הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
בָּאָדָ֥םamong <the> humankind
baadamH120 →551 times
וּבַבְּהֵמָ֖הand among <the> animal[s]
uvabehemahH929 →190 times
יִֽהְיֶה־it will belong
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
לָּ֑ךְto <the> you
lakh
אַ֣ךְ׀only
ʾakhH389 →161 times
פָּדֹ֣הcertainly <to redeem>
padohH6299 →59 times
תִפְדֶּ֗הyou will redeem
tifdehH6299 →59 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
בְּכ֣וֹר[the] firstborn of
bekhorH1060 →122 times
הָֽאָדָ֔ם<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
וְאֵ֛תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בְּכֽוֹר־[the] firstborn of
bekhor-H1060 →122 times
הַבְּהֵמָ֥ה<the> animal[s]
habehemahH929 →190 times
הַטְּמֵאָ֖ה<the> unclean
hatemeahH2931 →88 times
תִּפְדֶּֽה׃you will redeem
tifdehH6299 →59 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
- Luke 2:23
(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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…
- Deuteronomy 15:19
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…
- 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…
- Luke 2:23
Through
Exodus 34:20You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No…
it leads to
- Exodus 13:13
You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 13:15
And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the firstborn…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 23:15
You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was…
- Exodus 13:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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; Jerome, AGAINST HELVIDIUS 10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.
