Numbers 18:17

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,

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 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,

18 and their flesh is thine, as the breast of the wave-offering, and as the right leg, it is thine;

19 all the heave-offerings of the holy things which the sons of Israel lift up to Jehovah I have given to thee and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute age-during, a covenant of salt, age-during it [is] before Jehovah, to thee and to thy seed with thee.'