Leviticus 7

1 "`Likewise this is the law of the trespass offering (it is most holy):

2 In 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.

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

4 and 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.

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

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

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

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

9 And all the meat offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying pan and in the pan, shall be the priest's who offereth it.

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

11 "`And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer unto the LORD:

12 If 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.

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

14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for a heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest's who sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.

15 And 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.

16 But 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.

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

18 And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is 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.

19 "`And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire; and as for the flesh, all who are clean shall eat thereof.

20 But 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.

21 Moreover 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.'"

22 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

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

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

25 For 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.

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

27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.'"

28 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

29 "Speak 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 from the sacrifice of his peace offerings.

30 His 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 as a wave offering before the LORD.

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

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

33 He among the sons of Aaron who offereth the blood of the peace offerings and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.

34 For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken from the children of Israel from 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.'"

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

36 which the LORD commanded to be given them by the children of Israel on the day that He anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.

37 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,

38 which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day that He commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai.

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.