Lectionary Calendar
Monday, September 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Easy-to-Read Version

Leviticus 22:23

"Sometimes a bull or lamb will have a leg that is too long, or a foot that did not grow right. If you want to give that animal as a special gift to the Lord, it will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a special promise that you made.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blemish;   Dedication;   Free-Will Offerings;   Lamb;   Offerings;   Vows;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Blemishes;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Clean, Unclean;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Blemish;   Free-Will Offering;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Sacrifice;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Blemish;   Bull;   Leviticus;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Leviticus;   Priests and Levites;   Sacrifice and Offering;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Eunuch ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Blemish;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Worship, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Eunuch;   Leviticus;   Maimed;   Superfluous;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Blemish;   Peace-Offering;   Sacrifice;   Superstition;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that may you offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
King James Version
Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Lexham English Bible
As for an ox or sheep that is deformed or that is stunted, you may present it as a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted.
New Century Version
"‘If an ox or lamb is smaller than normal or is not perfectly formed, you may give it as a special gift to the Lord ; it will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a special promise you have made.
New English Translation
As for an ox or a sheep with a limb too long or stunted, you may present it as a freewill offering, but it will not be acceptable for a votive offering.
Amplified Bible
'For a freewill offering you may offer either a bull or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member (deformity), but for [the payment of] a vow it will not be accepted.
New American Standard Bible
'Now as for an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may present it as a voluntary offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet a bullocke, or a sheepe that hath any member superfluous, or lacking, such mayest thou present for a free offring, but for a vowe it shall not be accepted.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now in respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may offer it for a freewill offering, but for a votive offering it will not be accepted.
Contemporary English Version
If one of your cattle or lambs has a leg that is longer or shorter than the others, you may offer it voluntarily, but not as part of a promise.
Complete Jewish Bible
If a bull or lamb has a limb which is too long or short, you may offer it as a voluntary offering; but for a vow it will not be accepted.
Darby Translation
A bullock and a sheep that hath a member too long or too short, that mayest thou offer as a voluntary offering; but as a vow it shall not be accepted.
English Standard Version
You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted.
George Lamsa Translation
A bullock or a lamb which has the ear or the tail cut off you may offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Good News Translation
As a freewill offering you may offer an animal that is stunted or not perfectly formed, but it is not acceptable in fulfillment of a vow.
Christian Standard Bible®
You may sacrifice as a freewill offering any animal from the herd or flock that has an elongated or stunted limb, but it is not acceptable as a vow offering.
Literal Translation
As to an ox or a sheep deformed, or dwarfed, you shall make it a freewill offering; but it is not acceptable for a vow.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
An oxe or shepe yt hath myßshappe membres, or no rompe, mayest thou offre of a fre wyll: but to a vowe it maye not be accepted.
American Standard Version
Either a bullock or a lamb that hath anything superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Bible in Basic English
An ox or a lamb which has more or less than its natural parts, may be given as a free offering; but it will not be taken in payment of an oath.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A bullocke or a sheepe that hath any member superfluous or lackyng, mayest thou offer for a freewyll offering: but for a vowe it shall not be accepted.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing too long or too short, that mayest thou offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
King James Version (1611)
Either a bullocke, or a lambe that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a free will offring: but for a vow it shal not be accepted.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And a calf or a sheep with the ears cut off, or that has lost its tail, thou shalt slay them for thyself; but they shall not be accepted for thy vow.
English Revised Version
Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Berean Standard Bible
You may present as a freewill offering an ox or sheep that has a deformed or stunted limb, but it is not acceptable to fulfill a vow.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A man may offre wilfuli an oxe and scheep, whanne the eere and tail ben kit of; but avow may not be paied of these beestis.
Young's Literal Translation
`As to an ox or a sheep enlarged or dwarfed -- a willing-offering ye do make it, but for a vow it is not pleasing.
Update Bible Version
Either a bull or a lamb that has anything superfluous or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Webster's Bible Translation
Either a bullock, or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer [for] a free-will-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
World English Bible
Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that may you offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
New King James Version
Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
New Living Translation
If a bull or lamb has a leg that is too long or too short, it may be offered as a voluntary offering, but it may not be offered to fulfill a vow.
New Life Bible
You may give for a free-will gift a bull or lamb which has some part too long or too short. But it will not be received if it is to pay a promise.
New Revised Standard
An ox or a lamb that has a limb too long or too short you may present for a freewill offering; but it will not be accepted for a vow.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whether an ox or a lamb long or short limb, as a free-will offering, thou mayest offer it, but, for a vow, it shall not he accepted.
Douay-Rheims Bible
An ox or a sheep, that hath the ear and the tail cut off, thou mayst offer voluntarily: but a vow may not be paid with them.
Revised Standard Version
A bull or a lamb which has a part too long or too short you may present for a freewill offering; but for a votive offering it cannot be accepted.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'In respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may present it for a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted.

Contextual Overview

17 The Lord God said to Moses, 18 "Tell Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites: A citizen of Israel or a foreigner might want to bring an offering. It might be because of a promise that person made, or it might just be a special sacrifice that person wanted to give to the Lord as a burnt offering. 19These are gifts that the people bring because they really want to give a gift to God. If the gift is a bull, or a sheep, or a goat, the animal must be a male. And it must not have anything wrong with it. You must not accept any offering that has anything wrong with it. I will not accept that gift. 21 "You might bring a fellowship offering to the Lord . That fellowship offering might be payment for a special promise that you made. Or maybe it is a special gift that you wanted to give to the Lord. It can be a bull or a sheep, but it must be healthy. There must be nothing wrong with that animal. 22 You must not offer to the Lord any animal that is blind, that has broken bones or is crippled, or that has a discharge or a serious skin disease. You must not offer sick animals as a gift to the Lord . You must not put anything like that on his altar. 23 "Sometimes a bull or lamb will have a leg that is too long, or a foot that did not grow right. If you want to give that animal as a special gift to the Lord, it will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a special promise that you made. 24 "If an animal has bruised, crushed, or torn testicles, you must not offer that animal to the Lord . You must not do this anywhere in your land. 25 "You must not take animals from foreigners as sacrifices to your God. The animals might have been hurt in some way. They might have something wrong with them, so they will not be accepted." 26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 "When a calf, or a sheep, or a goat is born, it must stay seven days with its mother. Then from the eighth day on, this animal will be accepted as a sacrifice offered as a gift to the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lamb: or, kid

superfluous: Leviticus 21:18

Reciprocal: Leviticus 7:16 - a voluntary Leviticus 7:18 - it shall Leviticus 19:5 - ye shall Leviticus 19:7 - it shall Numbers 15:3 - or in a freewill Luke 11:2 - Hallowed

Cross-References

Genesis 24:15
Before the servant finished praying, a young woman named Rebekah came to the well. She was the daughter of Bethuel. (Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother.) Rebekah came to the well with her water jar on her shoulder.
Genesis 24:24
Rebekah answered, "My father is Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor."
Genesis 24:47
Then I asked her, ‘Who is your father?' She answered, ‘My father is Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.' Then I gave her the ring and bracelets for her arms.
Genesis 24:51
Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her marry your master's son. This is what the Lord wants."
Genesis 24:60
While Rebekah was leaving they said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of millions of people, and may your descendants defeat their enemies and take their cities."
Genesis 24:67
Then Isaac brought the girl into his mother's tent. Rebekah became his wife that day. Isaac loved her very much. So he was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 25:20
When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah. Rebekah was from Paddan Aram. She was Bethuel's daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
Genesis 28:2
So leave this place and go to Paddan Aram. Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father. Laban, your mother's brother, lives there. Marry one of his daughters.
Genesis 28:5
So Isaac sent Jacob to Rebekah's brother in Paddan Aram. Jacob went to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Romans 9:10
And that is not all. Rebecca also had sons, and they had the same father. He is our father Isaac.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Either a bullock, or a lamb that hath anything superfluous,

or lacking in its parts,.... That has either more members than it should have, as five feet, or two gristles in an ear, as Gersom says, or has fewer than it should have; or, as Jarchi, that has one member longer or shorter than another, as the leg or thigh; according to the Targum of Jonathan, that is redundant in its testicles, or deficient therein; the Septuagint version is, that hath its ear or its tail cut; and so the Vulgate Latin version:

that mayest thou offer [for] a freewill offering: for the repair of the sanctuary or temple, as Jarchi and Gersom; money, or the value of the sacrifices, might be given to the priests for that use, but according to them might not be offered upon the altar: but it rather seems to be an exception to the above law, and allows of the sacrifice of them for freewill offering, though not for a vow, as it follows

but for a vow it shall not be accepted; because the other was according to a man's will and pleasure, and he might bring what he would on that account; but when he made a vow that he would offer such a sacrifice, it must be of creatures that were perfect, and without blemish.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Leviticus 21:19; Deuteronomy 15:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 22:23. That hath anything superfluous or lacking — The term שרוע sarua signifies any thing extended beyond the usual size, and the term קלוט kalut signifies any thing unusually contracted; and both mean any monstrosity, whether in redundance or defect. Such things, it seems, might be offered for a freewill-offering, because that was not prescribed by the law; God left it to a man's piety and gratitude to offer such additional gifts as he could: what the law required was indispensably necessary, because it pointed out the Gospel economy; but he that made a vow to offer such a sacrifice as the law had not required, could of course bring an imperfect offering. Some contend that the last clause of this verse should be thus read: If thou offer it either for a freewill-offering, or for a vow, it shall not be accepted. It was the opinion of the Jews, and it appears to be correct, that none of these imperfect animals were ever offered on the altar; but the person who made the freewill-offering of such things as he had, sold the animal, and gave its price for the support of the sanctuary.


 
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