Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

DEUTERONOMY 17:1KJV
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Deuteronomy 17:1 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 17:1 mean?

Deuteronomy 17:1 says that the Israelites must not offer any bull or sheep with a defect or imperfection as a sacrifice to the LORD their God, because doing so is detestable to Him. The verse sets a clear standard that only unblemished animals are acceptable for offerings in worship.

Moses is speaking to the people of Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, giving them specific instructions about how to worship God properly. The verse emphasizes that God deserves the best, not something damaged or inferior, and that offering a blemished animal is not just a mistake but something God finds deeply offensive.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 17:1

  • "sacrifice" (זָבַח, zavach): This word means to slaughter or offer as a sacrifice, highlighting that the act is a formal offering to God, not just any killing of an animal.
  • "blemish" (מוּם, mum): This means a physical defect or imperfection. The requirement for a sacrifice to be without blemish stresses the importance of giving God the best and not holding back.
  • "evilfavouredness" (רַע, raʿ + דָּבָר, davar): These words together mean something bad or undesirable in the animal, not just a visible flaw but anything that makes the animal unfit. This covers a broad range of imperfections, making the standard very strict.
  • "abomination" (תּוֹעֵבָה, toʿevah): This word means something detestable or repulsive, showing how seriously God views the offering of a blemished animal.

Why Deuteronomy 17:1 matters

  • Deuteronomy 17:1 clears up any idea that God is indifferent to the quality of what people bring to Him; He cares about both the act and the attitude behind it.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of worship and sacrifice in Israel’s relationship with God, showing that careless or second-rate offerings are not acceptable.
  • This instruction connects to the wider laws in Deuteronomy about justice, leadership, and worship, all of which stress integrity and wholehearted devotion to God.

Where else these words appear

“blemish” Hebrew H3971 · used in 19 verses

  • Leviticus 21:17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
  • Leviticus 22:25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
  • 2 Samuel 14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

“sheep” Hebrew H7716 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
  • Exodus 34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
  • 1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

“bullock” Hebrew H7794 · used in 69 verses

  • Genesis 32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
  • Leviticus 17:3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
  • Judges 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

“abomination” Hebrew H8441 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 43:32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
  • Psalms 88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
  • Ezekiel 7:4 And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.