Leviticus6
New International Version
1The Lord said to Moses:
2“If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor,
3or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit—
4when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found,
5or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.
6And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.
7In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”
8The Lord said to Moses:
9“Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.
10The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar.
11Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean.
12The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it.
13The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
14“‘These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the Lord, in front of the altar.
15The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
16Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in the sanctuary area; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the tent of meeting.
17It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the food offerings presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy.
18Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. For all generations to come it is his perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.’”
19The Lord also said to Moses,
20“This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.
21It must be prepared with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
22The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.
23Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”
24The Lord said to Moses,
25“Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy.
26The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting.
27Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area.
28The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water.
29Any male in a priest’s family may eat it; it is most holy.
30But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned up.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 6.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Concerning trespasses against our neighbour. (1–7). Concerning the burnt-offering. (8–13). Concerning the meat-offering. (14–23). Concerning the sin-offering. (24–30).
vv1-7
Though all the instances relate to our neighbour, yet it is called a trespass against the Lord. Though the person injured be mean, and even despicable, yet the injury reflects upon that God who has made the command of loving our neighbour next to that of loving himself. Human laws make a difference as to punishments; but all methods of doing wrong to others, are alike violations of the Divine law, even keeping what is found, when the owner can be discovered. Frauds are generally accompanied with lies, often with false oaths. If the offender would escape the vengeance of God, he must make ample restitution, according to his power, and seek forgiveness by faith in that one Offering which taketh away the sin of the world. The trespasses here mentioned, still are trespasses against the law of Christ, which insists as much upon justice and truth, as the law of nature, or the law of Moses.
vv8-13
The daily sacrifice of a lamb is chiefly referred to. The priest must take care of the fire upon the altar. The first fire upon the altar came from heaven, ch. 9:24; by keeping that up continually, all their sacrifices might be said to be consumed with the fire from heaven, in token of God's acceptance. Thus should the fire of our holy affections, the exercise of our faith and love, of prayer and praise, be without ceasing.
vv14-23
The law of the burnt-offerings put upon the priests a great deal of care and work; the flesh was wholly burnt, and the priests had nothing but the skin. But most of the meat-offering was their own. It is God's will that his ministers should be provided with what is needful.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
חָטָא: properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn
מָעַל: properly, to cover up; used only figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. treacherously
מַעַל: treachery, i.e. sin
כָּחַשׁ: to be untrue, in word (to lie, feign, disown) or deed (to disappoint, fail, cringe)
עָמִית: companionship; hence (concretely) a comrade or kindred man
פִּקָּדוֹן: a deposit
גָּזֵל: robbery, or (concretely) plunder
אוֹ: desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if
Cross References
Leviticus 6Direct parallel linking trespasses against a neighbor with trespasses committed against the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament fulfillment of the law that sin offerings whose blood entered the sanctuary must be burned outside.
Reconciliation and restitution to man must accompany and precede worship/offerings to God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The original fire from heaven that must be kept burning perpetually on the altar.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Explains why the priests were commanded to eat the sin offering to bear the iniquity of the congregation.
Confirms the principle of contagious holiness where whatever touches the altar or offering becomes holy.
The explicit law requiring the great Day of Atonement sin offerings to be burned outside the camp.
Lying to men in secret matters is lying directly to the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The foundational law of the daily morning and evening continual burnt offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prescription for the continual daily burnt offering of two lambs.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The specification for the linen garments and breeches to cover the priest's flesh.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Carrying ashes/sacrifices outside the camp prefigures Christ suffering outside the gate.
Confirms that the sin and trespass offerings are reserved for the priests as most holy.
Specifies the north side of the altar as the place where the sacrifice is killed before Yahweh.
Parallel rule requiring earthen vessels containing unclean things to be broken, highlighting purification standards.
Reiterates that every male among the priests may eat the most holy things within the court.
Links trespasses (ma'al) against the Lord in holy things to trespasses in social dealings.
The civic law requiring the restoration of lost property to one's neighbor.
The legal procedure and oath of the Lord regarding lost or disputed property.
Details the priests' portion of the most holy grain and sin offerings.
Establishes that whatever touches the altar or most holy things shall be holy.
Identifies the pan-baked grain offering, explaining its preparation and oil mixture details.
Establishes that the sin offering is slain in the place of the burnt offering.
Specifies that the most holy gifts must be eaten only by males in a holy place.
Haggai's theological query about whether holy flesh on a garment transmits holiness to other foods.
Parallels the breaking of earthen vessels and rinsing of wooden vessels for purifications.
Zacchaeus's voluntary fourfold restitution demonstrates genuine repentance in action.
Ezekiel's temple vision confirms that priests shall eat the meat, sin, and trespass offerings.
Connects these washings and vessel purifications to the temporary 'carnal ordinances' imposed until reformation.