Deuteronomy 15:19
New International Version
Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.

New Living Translation
“You must set aside for the LORD your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks.

English Standard Version
“All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

Berean Standard Bible
You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.

King James Bible
All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

New King James Version
“All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

New American Standard Bible
“You shall consecrate to the LORD your God all the firstborn males that are born in your herd and in your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

NASB 1995
“You shall consecrate to the LORD your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

NASB 1977
“You shall consecrate to the LORD your God all the first-born males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the first-born of your herd, nor shear the first-born of your flock.

Legacy Standard Bible
“You shall set apart as holy to Yahweh your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

Amplified Bible
“You shall consecrate (set apart) to the LORD your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock. You shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

Christian Standard Bible
“Consecrate to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herd and flock. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work or shear the firstborn of your flock.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must consecrate to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herd and flock. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work or shear the firstborn of your flock.

American Standard Version
All the firstling males that are born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto Jehovah thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy herd, nor shear the firstling of thy flock.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And every first born that will be born among your cattle and among your herds, hallow the male to LORD JEHOVAH your God; you shall not work with the firstborn of your cattle and you shall not shear the first born of your sheep.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Every first-born that shall be born among thy kine and thy sheep, thou shalt sanctify the males to the Lord thy God; thou shalt not work with thy first-born calf, and thou shalt not shear the first-born of thy sheep.

Contemporary English Version
If the first-born animal of a cow or sheep or goat is a male, it must be given to the LORD. Don't put first-born cattle to work or cut wool from first-born sheep.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Of the firstlings, that come of thy herds and thy sheep, thou shalt sanctify to the Lord thy God whatsoever is of the male sex. Thou shalt not work with the firstling of a bullock, and thou shalt not shear the firstlings of thy sheep.

English Revised Version
All the firstling males that are born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thine ox, nor shear the firstling of thy flock.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You must dedicate every firstborn male from your herds and flocks to the LORD your God. Never use a firstborn ox for work, and never shear a firstborn sheep.

Good News Translation
"Set aside for the LORD your God all the first-born males of your cattle and sheep; don't use any of these cattle for work and don't shear any of these sheep.

International Standard Version
"Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male among your herd and flock. You must not put the firstborn of your ox to work or shear the firstborn of your flock.

JPS Tanakh 1917
All the firstling males that are born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God; thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thine ox, nor shear the firstling of thy flock.

Literal Standard Version
Every firstling that is born in your herd and in your flock—you sanctify the male to your God YHWH; you do not work with the firstling of your ox, nor shear the firstling of your flock;

Majority Standard Bible
You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.

New American Bible
You shall consecrate to the LORD, your God, every male firstling born in your herd and in your flock. You shall not work the firstlings of your cattle, nor shear the firstlings of your flock.

NET Bible
You must set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male born to your herds and flocks. You must not work the firstborn of your bulls or shear the firstborn of your flocks.

New Revised Standard Version
Every firstling male born of your herd and flock you shall consecrate to the LORD your God; you shall not do work with your firstling ox nor shear the firstling of your flock.

New Heart English Bible
All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

Webster's Bible Translation
All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

World English Bible
You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

Young's Literal Translation
'Every firstling that is born in thy herd and in thy flock -- the male thou dost sanctify to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not work with the firstling of thine ox, nor shear the firstling of thy flock;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Firstborn Animals
19You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock. 20Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.…

Cross References
Exodus 13:2
"Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast."

Exodus 13:12
you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.

Exodus 22:30
You shall do likewise with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day you are to give them to Me.

Numbers 18:17
But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Deuteronomy 15:18
Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.


Treasury of Scripture

All the firstling males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God: you shall do no work with the firstling of your bullock, nor shear the firstling of your sheep.

the firstling

Exodus 13:2,12
Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine…

Exodus 34:19
All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.

Leviticus 27:26
Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the LORD'S firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the LORD'S.

thou shalt do

Deuteronomy 12:5-7,17
But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: …

Deuteronomy 14:23
And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

Deuteronomy 16:11,14
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there…

Jump to Previous
Apart Birth Born Bullock Consecrate Herd Herds Lamb Male Males Ox Oxen Sanctify Shear Sheep Wool Work
Jump to Next
Apart Birth Born Bullock Consecrate Herd Herds Lamb Male Males Ox Oxen Sanctify Shear Sheep Wool Work
Deuteronomy 15
1. The seventh year a year of release for the poor
7. one must be generous in lending or giving
12. A Hebrew servant, except by choice, must be freed in the seventh year
19. All firstborn males of the cattle are to be sanctified unto the Lord.














(19) All the firstling males. . . . thou shalt sanctify--i.e., recognise them as the property of Jehovah by not using them for ordinary purposes. In Leviticus 27:26 we read, "No man shall sanctify it"--i.e., shall make it the subject of a special vow or dedication, because it already belongs to Jehovah. This is the only interpretation consistent with the context in Leviticus; for Deuteronomy 27 deals entirely with "voluntary" offerings, which are in a sense outside the Law. (See Notes at the commencement of Deuteronomy 28, 29).

Verses 19-23. - In Deuteronomy 12:6, 17 and in Deuteronomy 14:23, reference is made to sacrificial meals, and to the appropriation of the firstlings of the herds and flocks thereto; Moses here reverts to this, and gives a fuller exposition of it. It is enjoined that, as all the firstborn were to be sanctified to the Lord (Exodus 13:2-13), they were not to work with the firstborn of their cattle, either by yoking the bullock to the plough or wagon or by shearing the sheep: these belonged to God, and were not to be put to any vulgar uses of men; year by year they were to be brought to the sanctuary, offered as sacrifices, and eaten before the Lord. If any of the firstborn animals were blind, or lame, or in any way blemished, such was not to be offered to the Lord, but might be used as food in their ordinary places of residence (cf. Leviticus 22:19, etc.).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must set apart
תַּקְדִּ֖ישׁ (taq·dîš)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated

to the LORD
לַיהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

every
כָּֽל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

firstborn
הַבְּכ֡וֹר (hab·bə·ḵō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

male
הַזָּכָ֔ר (haz·zā·ḵār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145: Remembered, a male

produced
יִוָּלֵ֨ד (yiw·wā·lêḏ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

by your herds
בִּבְקָרְךָ֤ (biḇ·qā·rə·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1241: Beef cattle, ox, a herd

and flocks.
וּבְצֹֽאנְךָ֙ (ū·ḇə·ṣō·nə·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

You are not
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to put the firstborn
בִּבְכֹ֣ר (biḇ·ḵōr)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

of your oxen
שׁוֹרֶ֔ךָ (šō·w·re·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

to work
תַעֲבֹד֙ (ṯa·‘ă·ḇōḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

[or]
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

shear
תָגֹ֖ז (ṯā·ḡōz)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1494: To cut off, to shear a, flock, shave the hair, to destroy an enemy

the firstborn
בְּכ֥וֹר (bə·ḵō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

of your flock.
צֹאנֶֽךָ׃ (ṣō·ne·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock


Links
Deuteronomy 15:19 NIV
Deuteronomy 15:19 NLT
Deuteronomy 15:19 ESV
Deuteronomy 15:19 NASB
Deuteronomy 15:19 KJV

Deuteronomy 15:19 BibleApps.com
Deuteronomy 15:19 Biblia Paralela
Deuteronomy 15:19 Chinese Bible
Deuteronomy 15:19 French Bible
Deuteronomy 15:19 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Deuteronomy 15:19 All the firstborn males that are born (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 15:18
Top of Page
Top of Page