Numbers 18:15

15 every one opening a womb of all flesh which they bring near to Jehovah, among man and among beast, is thine; only, thou dost certainly ransom the first-born of man, and the firstling of the unclean beast thou dost ransom.

Numbers 18:15 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 18:15

Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh
The firstborn of every creature:

which they bring unto the Lord;
as they were obliged, he claiming it as his own, ( Exodus 13:2 ) ;

[whether it be] of men or beasts, shall be thine;
every firstborn of either, being the Lord's, became the priest's by his gift:

nevertheless, the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem;
that is, take the redemption price for it, which was five shekels, as in ( Numbers 18:16 ) ; for the original proprietor was, strictly speaking, the redeemer, and paid the money, and the priest was the receiver, to whom it was paid; see ( Exodus 13:13 ) ;

and the firstlings of unclean beasts shall thou redeem;
with lambs, as an ass, which is put for unclean beasts, is ordered to be redeemed with a lamb, or its neck to be broken, ( Exodus 13:13 ) ; the Africans, the shepherds among them, as Herodotus relates ^F11, of their firstlings they cut off the ear of the beast and throw it over a house, and then turn its neck back, for they worship only the sun and moon; which seems to be an imitation of this law.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Melpomene, sive, l. 4. c. 188.

Numbers 18:15 In-Context

13 `The first-fruits of all that [is] in their land, which they bring in to Jehovah, are thine; every clean one in thy house doth eat it;

14 every devoted thing in Israel is thine,

15 every one opening a womb of all flesh which they bring near to Jehovah, among man and among beast, is thine; only, thou dost certainly ransom the first-born of man, and the firstling of the unclean beast thou dost ransom.

16 `And their ransomed ones from a son of a month, thou dost ransom with thy valuation, of silver, five shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary, twenty gerahs it [is].

17 `Only, the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou dost not ransom, holy they [are]: their blood thou dost sprinkle on the altar, and of their fat thou makest perfume, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah,