Numbers 18:17

17 Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they [are] holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke [as] an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.

Numbers 18:17 Meaning and Commentary

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 of other sacrifices was, and particularly of the peace offerings, which were wholly eaten otherwise, ( Leviticus 7:31 ) .

Numbers 18:17 In-Context

15 All [the] first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal.

16 As to their price of redemption, from {a one-month-old} you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerah.

17 Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they [are] holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke [as] an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.

18 But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh.

19 All the contributions of holiness that the {Israelites} offer to Yahweh I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; it [is] an eternal covenant of salt {before} Yahweh to you and your offspring with you."