Leviticus 7: The trespass offering, the peace offering, and the priests' share
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Yahweh gives the rules for the trespass offering and says which parts of each offering belong to the priests. He gives the rules for eating the peace offering: for thanksgiving it is eaten the same day, for a vow or a freewill offering by the second day, and anything left on the third day is burned. The Israelites must not eat fat or blood, the breast and the right thigh of the peace offering go to the priests, and the chapter ends by summing up all the offerings Yahweh commanded at Sinai.
Who is speaking?
Yahweh's speech from chapter 6, for Aaron and his sons, goes on to verse 21. In verses 23 to 27 and 29 to 34 Yahweh speaks to Moses again, about fat and blood and about the priests' share. Verses 35 to 38 are the narrator summing up. God's own words are in 32 of the 38 verses. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1“‘This is the law of the trespass offering: It is most holy.God speaks
In plain English: 'This is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: The trespass offering is to be killed in the place where the burnt offering is killed, and its blood is to be sprinkled all around on the altar.
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3He shall offer all of its fat: the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards,God speaks
In plain English: All of its fat is to be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the insides,
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4and he shall take away the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys;God speaks
In plain English: and the two kidneys with the fat on them, by the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he is to take away with the kidneys.
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5and the priest shall burn them on the altar for an offering made by fire to Yahweh: it is a trespass offering.God speaks
In plain English: The priest is to burn them on the altar as an offering made by fire to Yahweh. It is a trespass offering.
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6Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.God speaks
In plain English: Every male among the priests may eat it. It is to be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: The trespass offering is like the sin offering: there is one law for both. It belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.
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8The priest who offers any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.God speaks
In plain English: The priest who offers anyone's burnt offering may keep for himself the skin of the burnt offering he has offered.
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9Every meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is prepared in the pan and on the griddle, shall be the priest’s who offers it.God speaks
In plain English: Every meal offering baked in an oven, and everything made in a pan or on a griddle, belongs to the priest who offers it.
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10Every meal offering, mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as another.God speaks
In plain English: Every meal offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, to each one alike.
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11“‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to Yahweh:God speaks
In plain English: This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that anyone may offer to Yahweh:
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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.God speaks
In plain English: If he offers it as a thanksgiving, he is to offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice cakes without yeast mixed with oil, wafers without yeast spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well mixed with oil.
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13He shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving with cakes of leavened bread.God speaks
In plain English: With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he is to bring his offering with cakes of bread made with yeast.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: From these he is to offer one of each kind as a heave offering (or: a contribution) to Yahweh. It belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
The Hebrew word: "Heave offering" is terumah, which the dictionary gives as "a present (as offered up)".
How it is translated: In Leviticus this Bible says "heave" or "heaved" in all 6 verses that use terumah. In the whole Bible it says so in only 8 of its 63 verses, and most often it says "offering", as in : "take an offering for me".
What changes: Read as "heave offering", it is a part raised up before Yahweh. Read as "contribution", it is the part set aside for the priest, with nothing said about lifting it.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: The meat of his peace offering for thanksgiving is to be eaten on the day it is offered. He must not leave any of it until morning.
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16“‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a free will offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it shall be eaten,God speaks
In plain English: But if the sacrifice he offers is for a vow or is a freewill offering, it is to be eaten on the day he offers it, and what is left of it may be eaten the next day.
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17but what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.God speaks
In plain English: But whatever meat of the sacrifice is left on the third day must be burned with fire.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: If any of the meat of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it will not be counted (or: credited) to the one who offered it. It will be foul meat (or: an abomination), and the person (literally: the soul) who eats any of it will carry his guilt.
The Hebrew words: "Credited" is chashab, to count or reckon, the same word as in : "who credited it to him for righteousness". "Abomination" is piggul, which the dictionary gives as "properly, fetid, i.e. (figuratively) unclean": foul, spoiled meat.
How it is translated: Piggul is in only 4 verses of the Bible. This Bible says "abomination" in 2 of them, both in Leviticus: this one and .
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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;God speaks
In plain English: Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned with fire. As for the meat, anyone who is clean may eat it.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: But the person who eats meat of the peace offering that belongs to Yahweh while he is unclean, that person is to be cut off from his people.
The Hebrew words: "Soul" is nephesh, a living being or person, as in . "Cut off" is karat, which the dictionary gives as "to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy".
How it is translated: In Leviticus this Bible says "cut" in 19 of the 20 verses that use karat.
Good to know: The text does not say here how a person is cut off. Readers take it as being put to death, as being sent away from the people, or as an end that God himself brings, as in , where Yahweh says he "will cut him off".
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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.’”God speaks
In plain English: If anyone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean detestable thing, and then eats meat of the peace offering that belongs to Yahweh, that person is to be cut off from his people.'"
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22Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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23“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat.God speaks
In plain English: "Speak to the Israelites and say, 'You must not eat any fat of cattle, sheep, or goats.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: The fat of an animal that dies by itself, and the fat of one torn by wild animals, may be used for any other work, but you must never eat it.
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25For whoever eats the fat of the animal which men offer as an offering made by fire to Yahweh, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people.God speaks
In plain English: Whoever eats the fat of an animal from which an offering made by fire is brought to Yahweh, that person is to be cut off from his people.
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26You shall not eat any blood, whether it is of bird or of animal, in any of your dwellings.God speaks
In plain English: You must not eat any blood, whether of bird or of animal, anywhere you live.
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27Whoever it is who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”God speaks
In plain English: Whoever eats any blood, that person is to be cut off from his people.'"
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28Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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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.God speaks
In plain English: "Speak to the Israelites and say, 'Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh is to bring part of it to Yahweh as his offering.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: With his own hands he is to bring Yahweh's offerings made by fire. He is to bring the fat with the breast, so that the breast can be waved as a wave offering (or: an elevation offering) before Yahweh.
The Hebrew word: "Wave offering" is tenufah. It is related to nuf, which the dictionary gives as "to quiver (i.e. vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro)".
How it is translated: This Bible says "wave" or "waved" in all 13 verses of Leviticus that use tenufah.
What changes: Read as "waved", the breast is moved to and fro before Yahweh. Some Bibles say "elevation offering": the breast is lifted up before Yahweh and then given to the priests. The text does not describe the movement.
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31The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.God speaks
In plain English: The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.
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32The right thigh you shall give to the priest for a heave offering out of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.God speaks
In plain English: You are to give the right thigh (or: right leg) to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
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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.God speaks
In plain English: The one among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the peace offerings is to have the right thigh as his share.
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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.’”God speaks
In plain English: For I have taken the waved breast and the heaved thigh from the Israelites, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their share forever from the Israelites.'"
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35This is the consecrated portion of Aaron, and the consecrated 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;
In plain English: This is the portion (literally: the anointing portion) of Aaron and of his sons from Yahweh's offerings made by fire, on the day he presented them to serve Yahweh as priests,
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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.
In plain English: which Yahweh commanded the Israelites to give them on the day he anointed them. It is their share forever, for all their generations.
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37This is the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecration, and the sacrifice of peace offerings
In plain English: This is the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecration (or: ordination) offering, and the sacrifice of peace offerings,
The Hebrew word: "Consecration" is millu'im, which the dictionary gives as "a fulfilling", and also "consecration (also concretely, a dedicatory sacrifice)".
Good to know: The rules for this offering were given in to , and chapter 8 tells how it was carried out for Aaron and his sons ( to ). The meaning "a fulfilling" matches , where "consecrate them" is in Hebrew "fill their hand".
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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.
In plain English: which Yahweh commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Good to know: says Yahweh spoke from the Tent of Meeting, and this verse says he commanded these things on Mount Sinai, in the wilderness of Sinai. The text does not explain how the two fit together. Israel is still camped at Sinai, and leaves in .
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