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Numbers 18:17

in Numbers 18

But 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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

KJV

But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the Lord.

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This verse in Numbers 18

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

The firstborn of every womb

on Numbers 18:15-19

The claim on the firstborn from Exodus 13:2 returns here as the priests' income. The five shekels of verse 16 is the price Numbers 3:47 set when the Levites were counted against the firstborn.

This site's exposition

you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox

They are holy means these animals already belong to the LORD, and Leviticus 27:26 forbids dedicating a firstborn ox or sheep a second time. Albert Barnes notes that an owner unwilling to redeem an unclean firstling might destroy it. A clean firstling went to the altar.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem,....

The words behind it

25 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.

  • אַ֣ךְonly

    ʾakhH389 →161 times

  • בְּֽכוֹר־[the] firstborn of

    bekhor-H1060 →122 times

  • שׁ֡וֹרa cow

    shorH7794 →79 times

  • אֽוֹ־or

    ʾov-H176 →321 times

  • בְכ֨וֹר[the] firstborn of

    vekhorH1060 →122 times

  • כֶּ֜שֶׂבa sheep

    kesevH3775 →

  • אֽוֹ־or

    ʾov-H176 →321 times

  • בְכ֥וֹר[the] firstborn of

    vekhorH1060 →122 times

  • עֵ֛זa goat

    ʾezH5795 →74 times

  • לֹ֥אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תִפְדֶּ֖הyou will redeem

    tifdehH6299 →59 times

  • קֹ֣דֶשׁ[are] holy thing[s]

    kodeshH6944 →469 times

  • הֵ֑םthey

    hemH1992 →553 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • דָּמָ֞םblood their

    damamH1818 →360 times

  • תִּזְרֹ֤קyou will sprinkle

    tizrokH2236 →35 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar

    hamizbeachH4196 →401 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • חֶלְבָּ֣םfat their

    chelbamH2459 →92 times

  • תַּקְטִ֔ירyou will make smoke

    taktirH6999 →116 times

  • אִשֶּׁ֛הa fire offering

    ʾishehH801 →65 times

  • לְרֵ֥יחַto an odor of

    lereiachH7381 →58 times

  • נִיחֹ֖חַsoothing

    nichoachH5207 →43 times

  • לַֽיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh

    layahwehH3068 →6520 times

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

Related verses

8 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.

Genesis 4:4while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,8 worksLeviticus 17:6The priest will then sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to 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 worksLeviticus 3:2–5He is to lay his hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.3 worksDeuteronomy 15:19–22You 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.3 worksExodus 29:16You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Exodus 29:13Take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar.2 worksLeviticus 1:5And 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 Tent of Meeting.2 works

The walk

1 stop

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 29:16

    You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.

    it leads to

    • Exodus 29:11–12

      And you shall slaughter the bull before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Where this verse is studied

About Numbers

The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
Numbers: the study guide →Read Numbers 18 →

This page draws on 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) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.

Read on in Numbers 18 →