Lev 22:20-25 | NETfull | STEP | You must not present anything that has a flaw, because it will not be acceptable for your benefit.

Leviticus 22:20-25

20 You must not present anything that has a flaw, ^{▼▼ Heb “all which in it [is] a flaw.” Note that the same term is used for physical flaws of people in Lev 21:17–24. Cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “blemish”; NASB, NIV, TEV “defect”; NLT “with physical defects.”} because it will not be acceptable for your benefit. ^{▼▼ Heb “not for acceptance shall it be for you”; NIV “it will not be accepted on your behalf” (NRSV and NLT both similar).} 21 If a man presents a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord for a special votive offering ^{▼▼ The meaning of the expression לְפַלֵּא־נֶדֶר (l^efalle’-neder) rendered here “for a special votive offering” is much debated. Some take it as an expression for fulfilling a vow, “to fulfill a vow” (e.g., HALOT 927-28 s.v. פלא piel and NASB; cf. NAB, NRSV “in fulfillment of a vow”) or, alternatively, “to make a vow” or “for making a vow” (HALOT 928 s.v. פלא piel [II פלא]). Perhaps it refers to the making a special vow, from the verb פָלַא (pala’, “to be wonderful, to be remarkable”); cf. J. Milgrom, Numbers (JPSTC), 44. B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 151 and 193, suggests that this is a special term for “setting aside a votive offering” (related to פָלָה [palah, “to set aside”]). In general, the point of the expression seems to be that this sacrifice arises as a special gift to God out of special circumstances in the life of the worshiper.} or for a freewill offering from the herd or the flock, it must be flawless to be acceptable; ^{▼▼ Heb “for acceptance”; NAB “if it is to find acceptance.”} it must have no flaw. ^{▼▼ Heb “all/any flaw shall not be in it.”}

22 “‘You must not present to the Lord something blind, or with a broken bone, or mutilated, or with a running sore, ^{▼▼ Or perhaps “a wart” (cf. NIV; HALOT 383 s.v. יַבֶּלֶת, but see the remarks in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 358).} or with a festering eruption, or with a feverish rash. ^{▼▼ See the note on Lev 21:20 above.} You must not give any of these as a gift ^{▼▼ This term for offering “gift” is explained in the note on Lev 1:9.} on the altar to the Lord. 23 As for an ox ^{▼▼ Heb “And an ox.”} or a sheep with a limb too long or stunted, ^{▼▼ Heb “and stunted” (see HALOT 1102 s.v. I קלט).} you may present it as a freewill offering, but it will not be acceptable for a votive offering. ^{▼▼ The freewill offering was voluntary, so the regulations regarding it were more relaxed. Once a vow was made, the paying of it was not voluntary (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 151–52, for very helpful remarks on this verse).} 24 You must not present to the Lord something with testicles that are bruised, crushed, torn, or cut off; ^{▼▼ Compare Lev 21:20b.} you must not do this in your land. 25 Even from a foreigner ^{▼▼ Heb “And from the hand of a son of a foreigner.”} you must not present the food of your God from such animals as these, for they are ruined and flawed; ^{▼▼ Heb “for their being ruined [is] in them, flaw is in them”; NRSV “are mutilated, with a blemish in them”; NIV “are deformed and have defects.” The MT term מָשְׁחָתָם (moshkhatam, “their being ruined”) is a Muqtal form (= Hophal participle) from שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to ruin”). Smr has plural בהם משׁחתים (“deformities in them”; cf. the LXX translation). The Qumran Leviticus scroll (11QpaleoLev) has תימ הם[…], in which case the restored participle would appear to be the same as Smr, but there is no בְּ (bet) preposition before the pronoun, yielding “they are deformed” (see D. N. Freedman and K. A. Mathews, The Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll, 41 and the remarks in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 358).} they will not be acceptable for your benefit.’”