“Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the Lord’s firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the Lord’s.”
No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord; whether an ox or a sheep, it is the Lord's. The firstborn animal exclusion from the vow system communicates the covenant's existing claim on the firstborn: the firstborn already belongs to the Lord (Exodus 13:2, 12). The person who vows the firstborn is vowing what is not theirs to vow — the firstborn's prior dedication to God precedes any subsequent vow. The vow system cannot consecrate what is already consecrated.
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