Leviticus 22:20-22

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Leviticus 22:20 tn 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.”
2. Leviticus 22:20 tn Heb “not for acceptance shall it be for you”; NIV “it will not be accepted on your behalf” (NRSV and NLT both similar).
3. Leviticus 22:21 tn The meaning of the expression לְפַלֵּא־נֶדֶר (l^efalleʾ 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 (palaʾ, “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 פָּלָה [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.
4. Leviticus 22:21 tn Heb “for acceptance”; NAB “if it is to find acceptance.”
5. Leviticus 22:21 tn Heb “all/any flaw shall not be in it.”
6. Leviticus 22:22 tn Or perhaps “a wart” (cf. NIV; HALOT 383 s.v. יַבֶּלֶת, but see the remarks in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 358).
7. Leviticus 22:22 sn See the note on Lev 21:20 above.
8. Leviticus 22:22 sn This term for offering “gift” is explained in the note on Lev 1:9.