Leviticus7
King James Version · Public Domain
1Likewise 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 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 is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away:
5And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a trespass offering.
6Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.
7As the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith 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 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 as much as another.
11And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the Lord.
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 for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
14And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the Lord, and 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 the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.
16But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
17But the remainder 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 at all 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, all that be clean shall eat thereof.
20But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
21Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain unto the Lord, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
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 it shall be cut off from his people.
26Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.
27Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
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 for a wave offering before the Lord.
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 for an heave offering 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 shoulder for his part.
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 is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the Lord in the priest's office;
36Which the Lord commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.
37This 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;
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.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 7.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Concerning the trespass-offering. (1–10). Concerning the peace-offering. (11–27). The wave and heave offerings. (28–34). The conclusion of these institutions. (35–38).
vv1-10
In the sin-offering and the trespass-offering, the sacrifice was divided between the altar and the priest; the offerer had no share, as he had in the peace-offerings. The former expressed repentance and sorrow for sin, therefore it was more proper to fast than feast; the peace-offerings denoted communion with a reconciled God in Christ, the joy and gratitude of a pardoned sinner, and the privileges of a true believer.
vv11-27
As to the peace-offerings, in the expression of their sense of mercy, God left them more at liberty, than in the expression of their sense of sin; that their sacrifices, being free-will offerings, might be the more acceptable, while, by obliging them to bring the sacrifices of atonement, God shows the necessity of the great Propitiation. The main reason why blood was forbidden of old, was because the Lord had appointed blood for an atonement. This use, being figurative, had its end in Christ, who by his death and blood-shedding caused the sacrifices to cease. Therefore this law is not now in force on believers.
vv28-34
The priest who offered, was to have the breast and the right shoulder. When the sacrifice was killed, the offerer himself must present God's part of it; that he might signify his cheerfully giving it up to God. He was with his own hands to lift it up, in token of his regard to God as the God of heaven; and then to wave it to and fro, in token of his regard to God as the Lord of the whole earth. Be persuaded and encouraged to feed and feast upon Christ, our Peace-offering. This blessed Peace-offering is not for the priests only, for saints of the highest rank and greatest eminence, but for the common people also. Take heed of delay. Many think to repent and return to God when they are dying and dropping into hell; but they should eat the peace-offering, and eat it now. Stay not till the day of the Lord's patience be run out, for eating the third day will not be accepted, nor will catching at Christ when thou art gone to hell! (Le 7:35-38)
Key Words
תּוֹרָה: a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch
אָשָׁם: guilt; by implication, a fault; also a sin-offering
קֹדֶשׁ: a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
מָקוֹם: properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind)
שָׁחַט: to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre)
עֹלָה: a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke)
דָּם: blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)
זָרַק: to sprinkle (fluid or solid particles)
סָבִיב: (as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around
מִזְבֵּחַ: an altar
Cross References
Leviticus 7Direct parallel establishing the law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving on the same day.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Establishes the foundational perpetual prohibition against eating fat and blood.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Identifies the priest who makes atonement as the one entitled to eat the sin/trespass offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Traditional patriarchal link for the priest receiving the animal skin, tracing back to Adam's garments.
Supported by JFB
Another distinct offering where leavened bread is explicitly permitted, showing leaven is not inherently evil.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The original Noahic covenant prohibition of eating flesh with its lifeblood.
Supported by Matthew Henry
States the severe penalty of cutting off anyone who consumes blood.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The exact ritual instructions for removing and burning the fat, kidneys, and liver caul.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Specifies that the holy portion must be eaten by the male priests in a holy place.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct law parallel for eating vow and voluntary peace offerings over two days, burning remaining flesh.
Supported by John Calvin
Warns of being cut off for approaching holy things while having ceremonial uncleanness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels prohibition of eating beasts that die of themselves or are torn.
Supported by JFB
Prescribes the wave breast and heave shoulder ritual during priestly consecration.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Confirms the priest's right to eat the sin offering in holy place.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Aligns the waved breast and right shoulder with the priests' inheritance.
Supported by JFB
Establishes that the law of the trespass offering matches the law of the sin offering.
Supported by John Calvin
Sacerdotally outlines the reserved most holy offerings given to Aaron and his sons as their portion.
Supported by JFB
Details the preparation of meat offerings (oven, pan, fryingpan) that belong to the priest.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The perpetual statute assigning the heave and wave peace offerings as the priests' portion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Reiterates the key sacrificial principle: 'all the fat is the Lord's.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Confirms the priest's portions as a perpetual due by reason of anointing.
Supported by JFB
Describes the historical anointing and presentation of Aaron and his sons.
Supported by JFB
New Testament parallel: those who minister at the altar feed from the altar's sacrifices.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Exhorts believers to offer up a continual sacrifice of praise, fulfillment of the peace/thanksgiving offering.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Spiritual parallel regarding examining oneself before partaking, avoiding eating the holy feast unworthily.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Contrasts godly observance with Eli's sons' sinful demands for raw fat.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Commands that flesh torn of beasts in the field be cast to dogs.
Supported by JFB
Reinforces the command to pour blood out upon the earth like water.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reiterates the prohibition against eating anything with the blood.
Supported by John Calvin
Defines what constitutes touching an unclean thing and incurring guilt.
Supported by Matthew Poole