But you must not slaughter a mother animal and her offspring on the same day, whether from the herd or the flock.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.
- KJV And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
- BSB But you must not slaughter an ox or a sheep on the same day as its young.
- ESV But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day.
- NKJV Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her and her young on the same day.
- NASB But, whether it is an ox or a sheep, you shall not slaughter both it and its young in one day.
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
You must not slaughter an animal and its young on the same day.
Overview
This compassionate restraint guarded against needless cruelty even within the sacrificial system. Similar laws, like sparing the mother bird (Deuteronomy 22:6-7), reveal God's care woven into worship. Such mercy reflects the character of the Lord, who delights in mercy and shapes His people to value life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Deut 22:6–7If you come across a bird’s nest on the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the hen sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the hen with the young.
- Deut 14:21You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exod 34:26“You shall bring the first of the first fruits of your ground to the house of Yahweh your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
- Exod 23:19The first of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of Yahweh your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
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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 22:28 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.