Leviticus 22:22

22 Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD or make of them an offering by fire upon the altar to the LORD.

Leviticus 22:22 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 22:22

Blind, or broken, or maimed
Which is "blind" of one eye, or both: and so the Egyptians, as they would not sacrifice any of their oxen that had any blemishes on them, and were of a different colour, or changed in their form, so likewise such that were deprived of either of their eyes F24. Some, as Aben Ezra observes, restrain that which is "broken" to its being broken in the head; but others interpret it of any fracture of the foot, as well as the head, and even of the tail, side, or rib; though others think, that such fractures as were not open and visible are excepted, as that of the rib; so Gersom; and with the Heathens, as Pliny F25 would have remarked, as they were not used to sacrifice calves, brought on men's shoulders, so neither anything that halted: that which is maimed some understand of that whose foot is broken, as Aben Ezra also remarks; but the word is by the Septuagint rendered, "cut in the tongue"; and the Targum of Jonathan, "whose eyebrows are smitten"; and Jarchi seems to take in both, interpreting it the eyebrow which is cut or broken, and so the lip, which is cut or broken: but it is rather to be understood more generally of its being maimed or mutilated in any part of it; so with the Heathens, as Porphyry F26 affirms, beasts that were mutilated were not to be sacrificed; and in the Comedian F1, a sacrifice is objected to, because it had no tail; upon which the Scholiast observes, that whatever was mutilated was not offered in sacred services, nor was any thing imperfect or unsound sacrificed to the gods; and particularly Servius F2 remarks, if their tongues were cut or slit; which illustrates the Septuagint version, which is observed by Grotius: or having a wen:
or full of warts, as others; the Targum of Jonathan is, whose eyes are smitten with a mixture of white and black; and so Gersom interprets it of a like defect in the eye, in the white of the eye; for he says, if it was in the black or pupil of the eye, the eye would be blind: or scurvy or scabbed:
the same of those in men; (See Gill on Leviticus 21:20): ye shall not offer these unto the Lord;
any creatures defective in any of these instances; three times this is said, as Jarchi observes, to make them careful concerning the sanctification of them, and concerning the slaying of them, and concerning the sprinkling of their blood: nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord;
a burnt offering on the altar of burnt offering, or burn the fat of them upon it.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Chaeremon. apud Porphyr. de Abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 7.
F25 Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 45.
F26 De Abstinentia, l. 2. sect. 23.
F1 Aristoph. Acharnens. ver. 784.
F2 In Virgil. Aeneid. l. 6.

Leviticus 22:22 In-Context

20 You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.
21 And when any one offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, to fulfil a vow or as a freewill offering, from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.
22 Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD or make of them an offering by fire upon the altar to the LORD.
23 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.
24 Any animal which has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the LORD or sacrifice within your land;
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.