Leviticus 22:18

22:18 Apparently individuals could present a whole burnt offering instead of a peace offering if they desired (see 1:3).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(18) And unto all the children of Israel.—As the following laws presented the condition of the animals which the Israelites are to offer, they are addressed to the laity as well as to the priests.

Whatsoever he be.—Better, what man soever there be, as it is translated in the Authorised version Lev_17:3 (and see Note on Lev_17:8).

Offer his oblation.—Better, offer his offering, as the Authorised version translates it in Lev_3:7; Lev_3:14; Lev_7:12; Lev_17:4, &c. It is difficult to divine why the translators gave here a different rendering of a fixed sacrificial formula which it is important to reproduce uniformly in a translation.

For all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings.—Better, for any manner of vow, or for any manner of freewill offering. That is, if an Israelite by race, or one who was originally a stranger but has joined the Jewish community, brings a sacrifice, be it in consequence of a vow which he has made, or be it a freewill offering. Both these kinds of sacrifices were entirely voluntary, and the difference between them is described in Lev_7:16.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye shall offer at your own will,.... For vows and freewill offerings were at their own option, and depended on their own will and pleasure, and when offered should be with a willing mind, and from their whole heart: or "for good will to you"; as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; or for gracious, acceptation, that is, that they might be well pleasing to God, and acceptable in his sight, so Jarchi; in order to which the following direction was strictly to be observed:

a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, and of the goats; bullocks, sheep, and goats, were the only sorts of beasts, out of which sacrifices were taken, and those that were for burnt offerings were always to be males, and unblemished, see Lev 1:3; but for other offerings, as peace offerings and sin offerings, females might be used, see Lev 3:1. Fowls are not mentioned, though burnt offerings were of them, because it was not required in them, only of beasts, that they should be males, and without blemish; for, as Jarchi observes, these were not rejected on account of a blemish, only for want of a member.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Strangers: proselytes of justice, or converts of the Jewish religion. See ver. 25.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Or of the strangers; such as were proselytes.

For all his vows. See on Lev 7:16.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES, Lev_22:17-28.

18. Strangers in Israel — For their religious privileges, see Lev_1:2, note. For their civil rights, see chap. 23, note.

Vows — There are exigencies in the history of every man when he is impelled to make religious resolutions. For the character of the sacrifices prescribed for the release from the vow, and also for the freewill offerings, see Lev_7:11; Lev_7:16, notes.

Burnt offering — See chapters 1 and Lev_6:9, notes.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Strangers - Such as were proselytes.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

נדריהם THEIR VOWS — [An animal is termed נדר when an obligation is entered into by the words:] Behold, I take it upon myself [to bring a burnt-offering].

נדבותם THEIR FREE-WILL OFFERINGS — [it is a נדבה when one states:] Behold, this animal [shall be a burnt-offering] (Megillah 8a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

FOR ALL ‘NIDREIHEM’ (THEIR VOW-OFFERINGS) AND FOR ALL ‘NIDVOTHAM’ (THEIR FREEWILL-OFFERINGS). “Nidreihem (their vow-offerings). This is when one says, ‘I pledge myself [to bring an offering].’ Nidvotham (their freewill-offerings). This is when one says, ‘This shall be [an offering].’” This is Rashi’s language. It appears to me that because Scripture states ‘l’phalei’ (to clearly utter) contains also the letters of the word pele (wonder), and accordingly Ramban interprets the verse in this light. See Note 125. in fulfillment of a vow or for a freewill-offering, and similarly it always uses this [identical] expression in the section dealing with the drink-offerings, and likewise it is used in the verse, when a man ‘yaphli’ (shall clearly utter) a vow of persons, and so also in the section dealing with the Nazirite — [therefore it appears] that “the vow” is something which comes in connection with that which is beyond our power, the person in distress vowing unto G-d that “if You will deal ‘wondrously’ or yaphli, for since the root is pele (wonder, surpassing, or extraordinary) it suggests that the vow-offering is generally made when a person is in distress, and vows that if G-d will do wondrously with him he will bring an offering. with me to save me from this trouble, then I will bring a burnt-offering or peace-offering,” similar to that which is stated: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying: ‘If G-d will be with me;’ And Israel vowed a vow unto the Eternal, and said: ‘If Thou wilt deliver this people into my hand;’ and they vowed vows, and so also all similar verses.And our Rabbis have said: “Which is a vow-offering? When he says, ‘I pledge myself to bring a burnt-offering.’ [Which is] a freewill-offering? When he says, ‘This [animal] shall be a burnt-offering.’ And what is the difference between a vow-offering and a freewill-offering? In the case of a vow-offering, one is responsible for it [and must replace it] if it dies or is stolen, [since he took upon himself a general obligation to offer an animal], but in the case of a freewill-offering, he is not responsible for it if it dies or is stolen” [since he did not assume a general pledge upon himself, but merely said that this particular animal should be an offering]. Now the reason for this difference between them [a vow and a freewill-offering], is because the custom of those vowing in the time of their distress is to say, “If G-d will be with me [and guard me] in this [trouble], then I pledge myself to offer a burnt-offering or a [peace-] offering,” and this is not usually called a freewill-offering, [since he has not yet set aside any particular animal for it]. But [a vow which is followed] by setting aside immediately [an animal] and giving it, is called “a freewill-offering,” because from the moment of giving, his spirit made him willing. Thus Scripture is stating here that whether he brings a burnt-offering or a peace-offering which he vowed at the time of his distress, or whether he brings them because his spirit made him willing — in either case it must be perfect [without blemish], for perhaps we might have thought that [it is more important that] the vow-offering should be perfect than the freewill-offering. This is the meaning of the verse.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Who will bring his offering. After the Torah spoke about the kohanim who offer the sacrifices and their holiness, it speaks about the stipulations of the animals being offered. It says, “For any of their vows or for any of their free-will-offerings … To gain acceptance [it must be] an unblemished male” — even though someone offering free-will offerings might think whatever he offers will be acceptable, even a blemished animal, [nevertheless, it must be unblemished]. Some of Israel made this mistake until the prophet admonished them (Malachi 1:8): “When you offer a blind [animal] for a sacrifice, is there nothing wrong? And when you offer a lame or a sick one, is there nothing wrong? Were you to offer it to your governor, would he accept you or would he favor you?”.

Sforno on the Tanakh — English translation: “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.