The Meaning of Deuteronomy 17:1 Explained

Deuteronomy 17:1

KJV: 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.

YLT: Thou dost not sacrifice to Jehovah thy God ox or sheep in which there is a blemish -- any evil thing; for it is the abomination of Jehovah thy God.

Darby: Thou shalt not sacrifice to Jehovah thy God an ox or sheep wherein is a defect, or anything bad; for it is an abomination to Jehovah thy God.

ASV: Thou shalt not sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, or anything evil; for that is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 17:1 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 17

1  The things sacrificed must be sound
2  Idolaters must be slain
8  Hard controversies are to be determined by the priests and judges
12  The one who shows contempt for the judge must die
14  The election
16  and duty of a king

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 17:1 mean?

Not You shall sacrifice to Yahweh your God a bull or sheep which has in it blemish any flaw serious for an abomination to Yahweh it [is] -
לֹא־ תִזְבַּח֩ לַיהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ שׁ֣וֹר וָשֶׂ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בוֹ֙ מ֔וּם כֹּ֖ל דָּבָ֣ר רָ֑ע כִּ֧י תוֹעֲבַ֛ת יְהוָ֥ה הֽוּא ס

תִזְבַּח֩  You  shall  sacrifice 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
לַיהוָ֨ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
שׁ֣וֹר  a  bull 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
וָשֶׂ֗ה  or  sheep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׂה  
Sense: one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat, young sheep, young goat.
בוֹ֙  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מ֔וּם  blemish 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּם 
Sense: blemish, spot, defect.
כֹּ֖ל  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
דָּבָ֣ר  flaw 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
רָ֑ע  serious 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
תוֹעֲבַ֛ת  an  abomination  to 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הֽוּא  it  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation