Numbers 18:17

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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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
firstling	בְּֽכוֹר be.khor-	H1060	firstborn · noun, common masculine singular construct
cow	שׁ֡וֹר Shor	H7794	a bullock (as a traveller) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
firstling	בְכ֨וֹר ve.Khor	H1060	firstborn · noun, common masculine singular construct
sheep	כֶּ֜שֶׂב Ke.sev	H3775	a young sheep · noun, common masculine singular absolute
firstling	בְכ֥וֹר ve.Khor	H1060	firstborn · noun, common masculine singular construct
goat	עֵ֛ז 'ez	H5795	a she-goat (as strong) · noun, common feminine singular absolute
redeem	תִפְדֶּ֖ה tif.Deh	H6299	to sever · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
holy	קֹ֣דֶשׁ Ko.desh	H6944	a sacred place or thing · noun, common masculine singular absolute
sprinkle	תִּזְרֹ֤ק tiz.Rok	H2236	to sprinkle (fluid or solid particles) · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
blood	דָּמָ֞ם da.Mam	H1818	blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or… · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
altar	הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ ha.miz.Be.ach	H4196	an altar · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
burn	תַּקְטִ֔יר tak.Tir	H6999	to smoke · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
fat	חֶלְבָּ֣ם chel.Bam	H2459	fat · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
fire	אִשֶּׁ֛ה 'i.Sheh	H801	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
sweet	נִיחֹ֖חַ ni.Cho.ach	H5207	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
savour	לְרֵ֥יחַ le.Rei.ach	H7381	odor (as if blown) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD	לַֽיהוָֽה la.Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · preposition + proper noun, a title

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Leviticus 3:2-5 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the…
Deuteronomy 15:19-22 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 fir…
Exodus 29:16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 18:8-19

The priest's service is called a warfare; and who goes a warfare at his own charges? As they were well employed, so they were well provided for, and well paid. None shall serve God for nought. All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take care of them; they shall dwell in the land, and verily they shall be fed, and shall not want any good thing. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And from this plentiful provision here made for the priests the apostle infers that it is the duty of Christian churches to maintain their ministers; those that served at the altar lived upon the altar. So those that preach the gospel should live upon the gospel, and live comforta…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:14

Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine--provided it was adapted for food or consumable by use; for the gold and silver vessels that were dedicated as the spoils of victory were not given to the priests, but for the use and adornment of the sacred edifice.

John Gill on Numbers 18:17

But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem,.... That is, shalt not take the redemption price for them, but the creatures themselves; which they, the priests, were to take for their own use: they are holy; separated to the Lord, and therefore not to be used in common by men, but were sacred to the Lord, or became the property of his priests; see Deuteronomy 15:19; how they were to be made use of follows: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar; for they were to be sacrificed, and their blood used as in other sacrifices: and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire; for a sweet savour unto the Lord; as the fat o…

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John Calvin on Numbers 18:8-19

Numbers 18:8-19 8. And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. 8. Loquutus est Jehova ad Aharon, Ecce, ego dedi tibi custodiam oblationum incarum, omnes sanctificationes filiorum Israel dedi tibi propter unctionem, et filiis tuis in statutum perpetuum. 9. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, sh…

Dictionary and topics

Bullock — (1.) The translation of a word which is a generic name for horned cattle (Isa. 65:25). It is also rendered “cow” (Ezek. 4:15), “ox” (Gen. 12:16). (2.) The translation of a word always meaning an…
Fat — (Heb. heleb) denotes the richest part of the animal, or the fattest of the flock, in the account of Abel’s sacrifice (Gen. 4:4). It sometimes denotes the best of any production (Gen. 45:18; Num.…
First-born, Redemption of — From the beginning the office of the priesthood in each family belonged to the eldest son. But when the extensive plan of sacrificial worship was introduced, requiring a company of men to be…
Law of Moses — Is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply “the Law” (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written…
Priest — The Heb. kohen, Gr. hierus, Lat. sacerdos, always denote one who offers sacrifices. At first every man was his own priest, and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards that office devolved…
B · Clean: First born of, not redeemed — Clean: First born of, not redeemed
Calf, The · If first-born not redeemed — If first-born not redeemed
First Born, The · Of clean beasts: Offered in sacrifice — Of clean beasts: Offered in sacrifice
Firstborn · Re — Re
Goat, The · First-born of, not redeemed — First-born of, not redeemed
Ox, The · Includes the: Cow — Includes the: Cow
Priests

Numbers 18:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 18:8-19

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:14

John Gill on Numbers 18:17

John Calvin on Numbers 18:8-19

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 18:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 18:8-19

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 18:14

John Gill on Numbers 18:17

John Calvin on Numbers 18:8-19

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 18:8-18

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 18:15-16

Rashi on Numbers 18:12