Leviticus 22:19

19 in order for you to be accepted, you must bring a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep or the goats.

Leviticus 22:19 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 22:19

Ye shall offer at your own will
For vows and freewill offerings were at their own option, and depended on their own will and pleasure, and when offered should be with a willing mind, and from their whole heart: or "for good will to you"; as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; or for gracious, acceptation, that is, that they might be well pleasing to God, and acceptable in his sight, so Jarchi; in order to which the following direction was strictly to be observed: a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, and of the goats;
bullocks, sheep, and goats, were the only sorts of beasts, out of which sacrifices were taken, and those that were for burnt offerings were always to be males, and unblemished, see ( Leviticus 1:3 Leviticus 1:10 ) ; but for other offerings, as peace offerings and sin offerings, females might be used, see ( Leviticus 3:1 ) ( 4:32 ) . Fowls are not mentioned, though burnt offerings were of them, because it was not required in them, only of beasts, that they should be males, and without blemish; for, as Jarchi observes, these were not rejected on account of a blemish, only for want of a member.

Leviticus 22:19 In-Context

17 ADONAI said to Moshe,
18 "Speak to Aharon and his sons and to the entire people of Isra'el; tell them: 'When anyone, whether a member of the house of Isra'el or a foreigner living in Isra'el, brings his offering, either in connection with a vow or as a voluntary offering, and brings it to ADONAI as a burnt offering,
19 in order for you to be accepted, you must bring a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep or the goats.
20 You are not to bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted from you.
21 Whoever brings a sacrifice of peace offerings to ADONAI in fulfillment of a vow or as a voluntary offering, whether it come from the herd or from the flock, it must be unblemished and without defect in order to be accepted.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.