Deuteronomy 18:3

3 And this is the dutie of the preastes, of the people and of them that offer, whether it be oxe or shepe: They must geue vnto the preast, the shulder and the two chekes and the maw,

Deuteronomy 18:3 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:3

And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them
that offer sacrifice
Not from the priests, as Jarchi observes, but from those that bring the sacrifices to the priests, particularly the peace offerings:

whether it be ox or sheep;
the one of the herd, the other of the flock, creatures used in sacrifice, and takes in goats and the kids of them, rams and lambs:

and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks,
and the maw;
the first of these designs the upper part of the arm that joins to the neck and back, and the next the two cheeks with the tongue, as both Jarchi and Aben Ezra observe, and indeed the whole head is meant; the maw, which the Septuagint interpreters call (enustron) , and other writers (hnustron) , is, according to the philosopher F16, the fourth and last ventricle or stomach, and which he thus describes;

``after the echinus or rough tripe is that which is called (hnustron) , the maw, which is in size larger than the echinus, and in form longer, and has many large and smooth folds;''

and (hnustron boov) , the maw of an ox, and the belly of a swine, are reckoned by the poet F17 as delicious food.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 17.
F17 Aristophan. Equites, Act. 1. Sc. 3. p. 307. & Act. 4. Sc. 1. p. 355.

Deuteronomy 18:3 In-Context

1 The preastes the Leuites all the trybe off Leui shall haue no parte nor enheritaunce with Israel. The offrynges of the Lorde ad his enheritaunce they shall eate,
2 but shall haue no enheritaunce amonge their brethern: the Lorde he is their enheritaunce, as he hath sayed vnto them.
3 And this is the dutie of the preastes, of the people and of them that offer, whether it be oxe or shepe: They must geue vnto the preast, the shulder and the two chekes and the maw,
4 the firstfrutes of thy corne, wyne and oyle, and the first of thy shepesheryng must thou geue him.
5 For the Lorde thy God hath chosen him out of all thy trybes to stonde and to ministre in the name of the Lorde: both hi and his sonnes for euer.
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