The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

EXODUS 23:19KJV
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Exodus 23:19 (KJV)

What does Exodus 23:19 mean?

Exodus 23:19 instructs the Israelites to bring the very first and best produce from their land as an offering to God’s house and commands them not to cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. This verse sets out two separate instructions: one about honoring God with the firstfruits, and another about avoiding a specific cooking practice.

In Exodus 23:19, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses as part of a larger set of laws given at Mount Sinai. The first part emphasizes giving the earliest and best harvest (the “firstfruits”) to God, showing gratitude and dependence on Him. The second part forbids a cooking method that may have been linked to pagan rituals or practices, setting Israel apart from neighboring peoples.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 23:19

  • "first" (רֵאשִׁית, re’shith) and "firstfruits" (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim): These words highlight that the offering should be the very beginning and best of the harvest, not leftovers or second-rate produce.
  • "seethe" (בָּשַׁל, bashal): This word means to boil or cook, making it clear the command is about a specific method of preparation, not just eating or sacrificing a young goat.
  • "kid" (גְּדִי, gedi): This refers specifically to a young goat, not just any animal, which shows the instruction is about a particular practice rather than a general dietary rule.
  • "mother's" (אֵם, em) and "milk" (חָלָב, chalav): The focus on the mother’s milk adds a layer of meaning, possibly pointing to the unnaturalness or inappropriateness of mixing life (milk) and death (the young goat) in this way.

Why Exodus 23:19 matters

  • Exodus 23:19 clarifies that honoring God involves giving the best and first part of what one receives, not just anything left over.
  • The verse shows a concern for setting Israel apart from surrounding cultures, especially in practices that might have religious or symbolic meaning.
  • This verse connects to a broader biblical theme of respecting boundaries in creation and life, as seen in other laws that separate categories (like clean and unclean animals).

Where else these words appear

“firstfruits” Hebrew H1061 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
  • Leviticus 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
  • Nehemiah 10:35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:

“kid” Hebrew H1423 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 27:9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
  • Exodus 34:26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
  • Judges 14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

“seethe” Hebrew H1310 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 40:10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
  • Numbers 11:8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
  • 2 Kings 6:29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

“milk” Hebrew H2461 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
  • Deuteronomy 14:21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
  • Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.