that you may be accepted, you shall offer a male without defect, of the bulls, of the sheep, or of the goats.
Parallel translations
- KJV Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
- BSB must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for it to be accepted on your behalf.
- ESV if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats.
- NKJV you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats.
- NASB for you to be accepted—it must be a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats.
- NLT you will be accepted only if your offering is a male animal with no defects. It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
To be accepted, the offering must be a male without defect from the cattle, sheep, or goats.
Overview
Acceptability hinged on bringing an unblemished male animal, the best of the flock, not a leftover. God's worth required worship that cost something and was free of defect. This standard of a flawless offering points directly to Christ, 'a lamb without blemish or defect,' whose perfect sacrifice alone is fully accepted by God (1 Peter 1:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Lev 1:3“‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh.
- Lev 1:10“‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep, or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect.
- 1 Pet 2:22–24who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
- 2 Cor 5:21For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Exod 12:5Your lamb shall be without defect, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:
- 1 Pet 1:19but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ;
- Eph 5:27that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.
- Matt 27:24So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”
- Heb 9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
- Matt 27:54Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
- Matt 27:4saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”
- Lev 4:32“‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect.
- 1 Pet 3:18Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
- John 19:4Then Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”
- Luke 23:14and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.
- Luke 23:41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
- Luke 23:47When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.”
- Matt 27:19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 22:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.