Leviticus 22:21 - Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.
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What does "Leviticus 22:21" mean?
Leviticus 22:21, taken in the context of the surrounding verses (Leviticus 22:17-25), lays out requirements for sacrifices offered to Yahweh (God). Let's break down the meaning:
"Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering...": This identifies the types of sacrifices the verse addresses. It's talking about peace offerings (also called fellowship offerings). These offerings could be made for two reasons:
To accomplish a vow: If someone made a promise to God (a vow) and asked for a specific blessing, they would offer a sacrifice upon receiving that blessing as a form of thanks and fulfillment of the vow.
For a freewill offering: These were voluntary offerings given out of gratitude or devotion, not tied to a specific vow.
"...of the herd or of the flock...": This specifies that the animal being sacrificed could be from either a person's herd of cattle (larger animals) or their flock of sheep or goats (smaller animals).
"...it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.": This is the core message of the verse. The animal offered as a sacrifice had to be without any physical blemish or defect. It needed to be the best that the person had to offer. A lame, diseased, or otherwise imperfect animal was not acceptable.
Meaning and Significance:
Holiness and Reverence: The requirement of a perfect animal underscores the holiness of God and the reverence with which offerings were to be made. God was to be given the best, not what was leftover or unwanted.
Symbolic Representation: The perfect animal may have been seen as a symbolic representation of the worshiper's own desire to be whole and without defect before God. It represented offering their best selves.
Obedience and Trust: The act of offering a perfect animal demonstrated obedience to God's commands and trust in His provision. It could be a sacrifice, especially for poorer individuals who relied on their livestock for survival.
Rejection of Idolatry: In contrast to the often careless or corrupt practices of pagan religions, God demanded purity and integrity in worship.
In Summary:
Leviticus 22:21 emphasizes that sacrifices to God, specifically peace offerings made to fulfill vows or given voluntarily, must be of the highest quality – perfect and without defect. This highlights the importance of holiness, reverence, and offering one's best to God, both literally in the animal sacrifice and symbolically in the worshiper's own life.
Leviticus 22:21 - Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.
What does "Leviticus 22:21" mean?
Leviticus 22:21, taken in the context of the surrounding verses (Leviticus 22:17-25), lays out requirements for sacrifices offered to Yahweh (God). Let's break down the meaning:
"Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering...": This identifies the types of sacrifices the verse addresses. It's talking about peace offerings (also called fellowship offerings). These offerings could be made for two reasons:
To accomplish a vow: If someone made a promise to God (a vow) and asked for a specific blessing, they would offer a sacrifice upon receiving that blessing as a form of thanks and fulfillment of the vow.
For a freewill offering: These were voluntary offerings given out of gratitude or devotion, not tied to a specific vow.
"...of the herd or of the flock...": This specifies that the animal being sacrificed could be from either a person's herd of cattle (larger animals) or their flock of sheep or goats (smaller animals).
"...it shall be perfect to be accepted. It shall have no defect.": This is the core message of the verse. The animal offered as a sacrifice had to be without any physical blemish or defect. It needed to be the best that the person had to offer. A lame, diseased, or otherwise imperfect animal was not acceptable.
Meaning and Significance:
Holiness and Reverence: The requirement of a perfect animal underscores the holiness of God and the reverence with which offerings were to be made. God was to be given the best, not what was leftover or unwanted.
Symbolic Representation: The perfect animal may have been seen as a symbolic representation of the worshiper's own desire to be whole and without defect before God. It represented offering their best selves.
Obedience and Trust: The act of offering a perfect animal demonstrated obedience to God's commands and trust in His provision. It could be a sacrifice, especially for poorer individuals who relied on their livestock for survival.
Rejection of Idolatry: In contrast to the often careless or corrupt practices of pagan religions, God demanded purity and integrity in worship.
In Summary:
Leviticus 22:21 emphasizes that sacrifices to God, specifically peace offerings made to fulfill vows or given voluntarily, must be of the highest quality – perfect and without defect. This highlights the importance of holiness, reverence, and offering one's best to God, both literally in the animal sacrifice and symbolically in the worshiper's own life.