Leviticus — Chapter 7

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1Likewise this

2In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.

3And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards,

4And the two kidneys, and the fat that

5And the priest shall burn them upon the altar

6Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it

7As the sin offering

8And the priest that offereth any man’s burnt offering,

9And all the meat offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan, shall be the priest’s that offereth it.

10And every meat offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one

11And this

12If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.

13Besides the cakes, he shall offer

14And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation

15And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

16But if the sacrifice of his offering

17But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

18And if

19And the flesh that toucheth any unclean

20But the soul that eateth

21Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean

22And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

23Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.

24And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.

25For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth

26Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood,

27Whatsoever soul

28And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

29Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.

30His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved

31And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.

32And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest

33He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for

34For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.

35This

36Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them,

37This

38Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.

1And this is the law of the trespass-offering: it is most holy.

2In the place where they kill the burnt-offering shall they kill the trespass-offering; and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle upon the altar round about.

3And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof: the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards,

4and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the caul upon the liver, with the kidneys, shall he take away;

5and the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: it is a trespass-offering.

6Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in a holy place: it is most holy.

7As is the sin-offering, so is the trespass-offering; there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith, he shall have it.

8And the priest that offereth any man`s burnt-offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt-offering which he hath offered.

9And every meal-offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying-pan, and on the baking-pan, shall be the priest`s that offereth it.

10And every meal-offering, mingled with oil, or dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as well as another.

11And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which one shall offer unto Jehovah.

12If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour soaked.

13With cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his oblation with the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving.

14And of it he shall offer one out of each oblation for a heave-offering unto Jehovah; it shall be the priest`s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace-offerings.

15And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his oblation; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

16But if the sacrifice of his oblation be a vow, or a freewill-offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offereth his sacrifice; and on the morrow that which remaineth of it shall be eaten:

17but that which remaineth of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

18And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

19And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire. And as for the flesh, every one that is clean shall eat thereof:

20but the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto Jehovah, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.

21And when any one shall touch any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean beast, or any unclean abomination, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which pertain unto Jehovah, that soul shall be cut off from his people.

22And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

23Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat.

24And the fat of that which dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of beasts, may be used for any other service; but ye shall in no wise eat of it.

25For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.

26And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of bird or of beast, in any of your dwellings.

27Whosoever it be that eateth any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.

28And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

29Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace-offerings unto Jehovah shall bring his oblation unto Jehovah out of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings:

30his own hands shall bring the offerings of Jehovah made by fire; the fat with the breast shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave-offering before Jehovah.

31And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar; but the breast shall be Aaron`s and his sons`.

32And the right thigh shall ye give unto the priest for a heave-offering out of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings.

33He among the sons of Aaron that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion.

34For the wave-breast and the heave-thigh have I taken of the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons as [their] portion for ever from the children of Israel.

35This is the anointing-portion of Aaron, and the anointing-portion of his sons, out of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto Jehovah in the priest`s office;

36which Jehovah commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is [their] portion for ever throughout their generations.

37This is the law of the burnt-offering, of the meal-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the trespass-offering, and of the consecration, and of the sacrifice of peace-offerings;

38which Jehovah commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai.

1“‘This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy.

2In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering they must slaughter the guilt offering, and the officiating priest must splash the blood against the altar’s sides.

3Then the one making the offering must present all its fat: the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails,

4the two kidneys and the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he must remove along with the kidneys).

5Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar as a gift to the Lord. It is a guilt offering.

6Any male among the priests may eat it. It must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.

7The law is the same for the sin offering and the guilt offering; it belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.

8“‘As for the priest who presents someone’s burnt offering, the hide of that burnt offering which he presented belongs to him.

9Every grain offering which is baked in the oven or made in the pan or on the griddle belongs to the priest who presented it.

10Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, each one alike.

11“‘This is the law of the peace-offering sacrifice which he is to present to the Lord.

12If he presents it on account of thanksgiving, along with the thank-offering sacrifice he must present unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil, and well-soaked, ring-shaped loaves made of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil.

13He must present this grain offering in addition to ring-shaped loaves of leavened bread which regularly accompany the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offering.

14He must present one of each kind of grain offering as a contribution offering to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the peace offering.

15The meat of his thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day of his offering; he must not set any of it aside until morning.

16“‘If his offering is a votive or freewill sacrifice, it may be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and also the leftovers from it may be eaten on the next day,

17but the leftovers from the meat of the sacrifice must be burned up in the fire on the third day.

18If some of the meat of his peace-offering sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it since it is spoiled, and the person who eats from it will bear his punishment for iniquity.

19The meat which touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up in the fire. As for ceremonially clean meat, everyone who is ceremonially clean may eat the meat.

20The person who eats meat from the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while that person’s uncleanness persists will be cut off from his people.

21When a person touches anything unclean (whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or an unclean detestable creature) and eats some of the meat of the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.’”

22Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

23“Tell the Israelites, ‘You must not eat any fat of an ox, sheep, or goat.

24Moreover, the fat of an animal that has died of natural causes and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be used for any other purpose, but you must certainly never eat it.

25If anyone eats fat from the animal from which he presents a gift to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.

26And you must not eat any blood of the birds or of the domesticated land animals in any of the places where you live.

27Any person who eats any blood—that person will be cut off from his people.’”

28Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

29“Tell the Israelites, ‘The one who presents his peace-offering sacrifice to the Lord must bring part of his offering to the Lord as his sacrifice.

30With his own hands he must bring the Lord’s gifts. He must bring the fat with the breast to wave the breast as a wave offering before the Lord,

31and the priest must offer the fat up in smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons.

32The right thigh you must give as a contribution offering to the priest from your peace-offering sacrifice.

33The one from Aaron’s sons who presents the blood of the peace offering and fat will have the right thigh as his share,

34for the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering I have taken from the Israelites out of their peace-offering sacrifices and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the people of Israel as a perpetual allotted portion.’”

35This is the allotment of Aaron and the allotment of his sons from the Lord’s gifts on the day Moses presented them to serve as priests to the Lord.

36This is what the Lord commanded to give to them from the Israelites on the day Moses anointed them—a perpetual allotted portion throughout their generations.

37This is the law for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the peace-offering sacrifice,

38which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord in the desert of Sinai.

1“‘This is the law of the trespass offering. It is most holy.

2In the place where they kill the burnt offering, he shall kill the trespass offering; and its blood he shall sprinkle around on the altar.

3He shall offer all of its fat: the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards,

4and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, shall he take away;

5and the priest shall burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to Yahweh: it is a trespass offering.

6Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.

7“‘As is the sin offering, so is the trespass offering; there is one law for them. The priest who makes atonement with them shall have it.

8The priest who offers any man’s burnt offering, even the priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.

9Every meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the pan, and on the griddle, shall be the priest’s who offers it.

10Every meal offering, mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as another.

11“‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to Yahweh.

12If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil.

13With cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving.

14Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to Yahweh. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.

15The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.

16“‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice; and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten:

17but what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.

18If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it shall not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.

19“‘The meat that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. As for the meat, everyone who is clean may eat it;

20but the soul who eats of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that belongs to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.

21When anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which belong to Yahweh, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”

22Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

23“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat.

24The fat of that which dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of animals, may be used for any other service, but you shall in no way eat of it.

25For whoever eats the fat of the animal, of which men offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people.

26You shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or of animal, in any of your dwellings.

27Whoever it is who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”

28Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

29“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to Yahweh shall bring his offering to Yahweh out of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.

30With his own hands he shall bring the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before Yahweh.

31The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.

32The right thigh you shall give to the priest for a heave offering out of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.

33He among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion.

34For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.’”

35This is the anointing portion of Aaron, and the anointing portion of his sons, out of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister to Yahweh in the priest’s office;

36which Yahweh commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion forever throughout their generations.

37This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecration, and of the sacrifice of peace offerings;

38which Yahweh commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God completes the instructions for the guilt offering and peace offering, specifying the priests' portions and forbidding eating fat or blood.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch, written during the wilderness period (approximately 1445-1405 BC). Hebrew title: "Vayikra" — "And He called." God speaks from the newly completed Tabernacle, giving Israel instructions for worship, sacrifice, and holy living.
Historical Context: Chapter 7 concludes the entire offering section that began in chapter 1. It provides priestly regulations for the guilt/trespass offering (vv.1-10), then gives detailed laws for the peace offering (vv.11-36), and closes with a summary statement covering all the offerings (vv.37-38). The peace offering is unique among the sacrifices because it is the only offering where the worshipper eats a portion — it is a communal meal shared between God (the fat burned on the altar), the priest (breast and right thigh), and the worshipper (the remaining flesh). This makes it a picture of fellowship and communion. Three categories of peace offering are distinguished: thanksgiving (todah), vow (neder), and freewill (nedabah). The chapter also contains absolute prohibitions against eating fat and blood — commands that carry the penalty of being "cut off" from the people.
The Law of the Guilt/Trespass Offering (vv.1-10): Killed where the burnt offering is killed (v.2). Blood sprinkled on the altar (v.2). All fat offered: fat tail, fat covering entrails, kidneys, liver lobe (vv.3-4). Burned on the altar as a fire offering (v.5). Eaten by male priests in a holy place (v.6). Same law as sin offering — priest who atones receives it (v.7). Priest receives the skin of burnt offerings (v.8). Priest receives baked/prepared grain offerings; dry/oil-mixed grain offerings shared equally among all priests (vv.9-10).
The Law of the Peace Offering (vv.11-21): Three categories: (1) Thanksgiving (vv.12-15) — offered with unleavened cakes, wafers, and fried cakes, PLUS leavened bread (v.13). Must be eaten the same day (v.15). The urgency: gratitude should be immediate and shared. (2) Vow or Freewill (vv.16-17) — may be eaten over two days. Remainder burned on the third day (v.17). (3) Penalty for violation: eating on the third day — the offering is not accepted, not credited, becomes an "abomination" (v.18). Unclean flesh must be burned (v.19). Eating while unclean results in being "cut off from his people" (vv.20-21).
Prohibition of Fat and Blood (vv.22-27): No fat of ox, sheep, or goat to be eaten (v.23). Fat of dead/torn animals may be used for other purposes but not eaten (v.24). Penalty: cut off from the people (v.25). No blood of any kind — fowl or beast (v.26). Penalty: cut off (v.27). The fat belongs to God (burned on the altar). The blood belongs to God (it is the life — Leviticus 17:11). Man may not consume what belongs to God.
The Wave Offering and Heave Offering (vv.28-36): The worshipper brings the offering with his own hands (v.30) — personal involvement required. The fat burned on the altar; the breast waved before the LORD and given to Aaron's sons (vv.30-31). The right thigh/shoulder given as a heave offering to the officiating priest (vv.32-33). Wave breast and heave thigh: a perpetual statute for priestly provision (v.34). This is their "portion of the anointing" (v.35).
Summary Statement (vv.37-38): "This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings" (v.37). Given at Mount Sinai in the wilderness (v.38). This closes the entire sacrificial legislation of Leviticus 1-7.

Map & Geography

  • Sinai (v.38): Mountain where God gave Moses the Law.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik highlights the peace offering as the only sacrifice where the worshipper eats — making it a picture of communion and fellowship. He notes the three categories (thanksgiving, vow, freewill) and the urgency of the same-day eating requirement for thanksgiving offerings.
  • Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "The Peace Offering and the Feast" "The peace offering is the feast of reconciliation. God takes His portion — the fat upon the altar. The priest takes his — the breast and the shoulder. And the worshipper sits down to eat with God. This is fellowship. This is communion. This is what the Lord's Table pictures for us: Christ our peace offering has been slain, and now we feast together with God upon the sacrifice. His own hands shall bring it — you cannot worship by proxy. Your own hands, your own heart, your own will must be engaged in the offering."

Reflection

  • 1. The peace offering is a MEAL with God (vv.11-15). The Lord's Supper is the NT fulfillment — we feast with God on the sacrifice of Christ. Do you approach communion as a meal of fellowship, or merely a ritual?
  • 2. "His own hands shall bring the offerings" (v.30). Worship cannot be delegated. You cannot hire someone to pray for you, give for you, or worship for you. Your own hands must be involved. Is your worship personal and engaged, or passive and distant?
  • 3. Three motivations for peace offerings: thanksgiving (gratitude), vow (faithfulness), freewill (spontaneous love). Which motivates your worship most? Which is lacking?
  • 4. Eating while unclean brings judgment (v.20). Paul warns: "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself" (1 Cor 11:29). Communion requires self-examination. Do you examine yourself before approaching God's table?
  • 5. Fat and blood belong to God alone (vv.23-27). The best belongs to Him. The life belongs to Him. Are you keeping for yourself what rightfully belongs to God — your best time, your best energy, your very life?