Leviticus 7

1 This the law of the sacrifice of peace-offering, which they shall bring to the Lord.

2 If a man should offer it for praise, then shall he bring, for the sacrifice of praise, loaves of fine flour made up with oil, and unleavened cakes anointed with oil, and fine flour kneaded with oil.

3 With leavened bread he shall offer his gifts, with the peace-offering of praise.

4 And he shall bring one of all his gifts, a separate offering to the Lord: it shall belong to the priest who pours forth the blood of the peace-offering.

5 And the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offering of praise shall be his, and it shall be eaten in the day in which it is offered: they shall not leave of it till the morning.

6 And if it be a vow, or he offer his gift of his own will, on whatsoever day he shall offer his sacrifice, it shall be eaten, and on the morrow.

7 And that which is left of the flesh of the sacrifice till the third day, shall be consumed with fire.

8 And if he do at all eat of the flesh on the third day, it shall not be accepted for him that offers: it shall not be reckoned to him, it is pollution; and whatsoever soul shall eat of it, shall bear his iniquity.

9 And whatsoever flesh shall have touched any unclean thing, it shall not be eaten, it shall be consumed with fire; every one that is clean shall eat the flesh.

10 And whatsoever soul shall eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offering which is the Lord's, and his uncleanness be upon him, that soul shall perish from his people.

11 And whatsoever soul shall touch any unclean thing, either of the uncleanness of a man, or of unclean quadrupeds, or any unclean abominable thing, and shall eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offering, which is the Lord's, that soul shall perish from his people.

12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

13 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no fat of oxen or sheep or goats.

14 And the fat of such animals as have died of themselves, or have been seized of beasts, may be employed for any work; but it shall not be eaten for food.

15 Every one that eats fat off the beasts, from which he will bring a burnt-offering to the Lord—that soul shall perish from his people.

16 Ye shall eat no blood in all your habitations, either of beasts or of birds.

17 Every soul that shall eat blood, that soul shall perish from his people.

18 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

19 Thou shalt also speak to the children of Israel, saying, He that offers a sacrifice of peace-offering, shall bring his gift to the Lord also from the sacrifice of peace-offering.

20 His hands shall bring the burnt-offerings to the Lord; the fat which is on the breast and the lobe of the liver, he shall bring them, so as to set them for a gift before the Lord.

21 And the priest shall offer the fat upon the altar, and the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons,

22 and ye shall give the right shoulder for a choice piece to the priest of your sacrifices of peace-offering.

23 He that offers the blood of the peace-offering, and the fat, of the sons of Aaron, his shall be the right shoulder for a portion.

24 For I have taken the wave-breast and shoulder of separation from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons, a perpetual ordinance from the children of Israel.

25 This is the anointing of Aaron, and the anointing of his sons, of the burnt-offerings of the Lord, in the day in which he brought them forward to minister as priests to the Lord;

26 as the Lord commanded to give to them in the day in which he anointed them of the sons of Israel, a perpetual statute through their generations.

27 This the law of the whole-burnt-offerings, and of sacrifice, and of sin-offering, and of offering for transgression, and of the sacrifice of consecration, and of the sacrifice of peace-offering;

28 as the Lord commanded Moses in the mount Sina, in the day in which he commanded the children of Israel to offer their gifts before the Lord in the wilderness of Sina.

Leviticus 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

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)

Verses 1-10 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.

Verses 11-27 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.

Verses 28-34 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!

Verses 35-38 Solemn acts of religious worship are not things which we may do or not do at our pleasure; it is at our peril if we omit them. An observance of the laws of Christ cannot be less necessary than of the laws of Moses.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 7

The several things contained in this chapter are the law of the trespass offering, Le 7:1-7 the portion the priests had in the burnt offerings and meat offerings, Le 7:8-10 the law of the peace offerings, whether by way of thanksgiving, or a vow, or voluntary oblation, Le 7:11-21 the prohibition of fat and blood, Le 7:22-27 the parts the priests should have in the peace offerings, the breast and right shoulder, Le 7:28-36 and the chapter is concluded with a recapitulation of the various things contained in this and the preceding chapters, Le 7:37,38.