Leviticus 3:12

Summary

The verse opens a new conditional case within the sacrificial legislation of Leviticus 3: if the offering brought is a goat, the offerer must present it before Yehovah. It functions as a transition formula introducing the goat as a third possible animal for this type of sacrifice (following the earlier cases of cattle and sheep).

Key words

• 'im ("if", H0518A) — conditional particle marking this as a conditional clause, one of several parallel cases (ox, sheep, goat) structuring chapter 3.
• 'ez ("goat", H5795) — feminine singular noun naming the specific animal type for this case, distinguishing it from the preceding cases in the chapter.
• korbano ("his offering", H7133A + H9023) — construct noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix "his"; literally "offering-of-him," identifying the goat as belonging to the offerer's presented gift.
• hiqriv ("he will present", H7126H) — hiphil (causative) verb in sequential perfect form, meaning "to cause to come near / bring forward"; the causative stem underscores that the offerer actively brings the animal, not merely presents himself.
• lifnei ("before", H6440G + H9005) — construct form of "face," literally "to the face(s) of," used with Yehovah's name to indicate the location/direction of the presentation.

What the text says

The clause begins with ve'im ("and if"), a conjunction plus conditional particle that ties this verse to what precedes it as another branch in a series of conditional cases. The subject 'ez ("goat") stands in construct-like apposition with korbano ("his offering"), producing the sense "if his offering is a goat" — the noun korbano itself is a construct form bearing the pronominal suffix "his," so the offering is grammatically tied to the person bringing it.

The second half of the verse shifts to narrative sequence with vehiqrivo ("and he will present it"), a hiphil verb form. The hiphil stem is causative, built from a root meaning "to be near," so the verbal action denotes causing the animal to draw near — that is, bringing it forward for sacrifice. The 3rd person suffix "it" (-o) refers back to the goat. The verb is followed by the prepositional phrase lifnei Yehovah ("before Yehovah"), literally "to the face(s) of Yehovah," specifying that the presentation occurs in Yehovah's presence, i.e., at the sanctuary location for such offerings.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the Hebrew 'ez ("goat") with the plural genitive phrase "ἀπὸ τῶν αἰγῶν" ("from the goats"), a slightly generalized construction compared to the singular Hebrew noun. The Vulgate's capra ("she-goat") narrows the term to a female goat, whereas the Hebrew 'ez is not marked for sex in this form, only grammatically feminine as a noun.