Leviticus 22:19

19 must offer an unblemished male^[a] from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for you to be accepted.

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 The Lord spoke to Moses:

18 "Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them: Any man of the house of Israel or of the foreign residents in Israel who presents his offering-whether they present freewill gifts or payment of vows to the Lord as burnt offerings-

19 must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for you to be accepted.

20 You are not to present anything that has a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.

21 "When a man presents a fellowship sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or flock, it has to be unblemished to be acceptable; there must be no defect in it.

Footnotes

• [a] Dt 17:1