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Leviticus 7-8
New English Translation

The Guilt Offering

7 “‘This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy. 2 In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering they must slaughter the guilt offering, and the officiating priest[a] must splash[b] the blood against the altar’s sides. 3 Then the one making the offering[c] must present all its fat: the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, 4 the two kidneys and the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he must remove along with the kidneys).[d] 5 Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar[e] as a gift to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. 6 Any male among the priests may eat it. It must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.[f] 7 The law is the same for the sin offering and the guilt offering;[g] it belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.

Priestly Portions of Burnt and Grain Offerings

8 “‘As for the priest who presents someone’s burnt offering, the hide of that burnt offering which he presented belongs to him. 9 Every grain offering which is baked in the oven or[h] made in the pan[i] or on the griddle belongs to the priest who presented it. 10 Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, each one alike.[j]

The Peace Offering

11 “‘This is the law of the peace-offering sacrifice which he[k] is to present to the Lord. 12 If he presents it on account of thanksgiving,[l] along with the thank-offering sacrifice he must present unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil,[m] and well-soaked,[n] ring-shaped loaves made of choice wheat flour[o] mixed with olive oil. 13 He must present this grain offering[p] in addition to ring-shaped loaves of leavened bread which regularly accompany[q] the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offering. 14 He must present one of each kind of grain offering[r] as a contribution offering[s] to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the peace offering. 15 The meat of his[t] thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day of his offering; he must not set any of it aside until morning.

16 “‘If his offering is a votive or freewill sacrifice,[u] it may be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and also the leftovers from it may be eaten on the next day,[v] 17 but the leftovers from the meat of the sacrifice must be burned up in the fire[w] on the third day. 18 If some of the meat of his peace-offering sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it since it is spoiled,[x] and the person who eats from it will bear his punishment for iniquity.[y] 19 The meat which touches anything ceremonially unclean[z] must not be eaten; it must be burned up in the fire. As for ceremonially clean meat,[aa] everyone who is ceremonially clean may eat the meat. 20 The person who eats meat from the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while that person’s uncleanness persists[ab] will be cut off from his people.[ac] 21 When a person touches anything unclean (whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or an unclean detestable creature)[ad] and eats some of the meat of the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.’”[ae]

Sacrificial Instructions for the Common People: Fat and Blood

22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:[af] 23 “Tell the Israelites, ‘You must not eat any fat of an ox, sheep, or goat. 24 Moreover, the fat of an animal that has died of natural causes[ag] and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be used for any other purpose,[ah] but you must certainly never eat it. 25 If anyone eats fat from the animal from which he presents a gift to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.[ai] 26 And you must not eat any blood of the birds or of the domesticated land animals in any of the places where you live.[aj] 27 Any person who eats any blood—that person will be cut off from his people.’”[ak]

Priestly Portions of Peace Offerings

28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:[al] 29 “Tell the Israelites, ‘The one who presents his peace-offering sacrifice to the Lord must bring part of his offering to the Lord as his sacrifice. 30 With his own hands he must bring the Lord’s gifts. He must bring the fat with the breast[am] to wave the breast as a wave offering before the Lord,[an] 31 and the priest must offer the fat up in smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 The right thigh you must give as a contribution offering[ao] to the priest from your peace-offering sacrifice. 33 The one from Aaron’s sons who presents the blood of the peace offering and fat will have the right thigh as his share, 34 for the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering I have taken from the Israelites out of their peace-offering sacrifices and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the people of Israel as a perpetual allotted portion.’”[ap]

35 This is the allotment of Aaron and the allotment of his sons from the Lord’s gifts on the day Moses[aq] presented them to serve as priests[ar] to the Lord. 36 This is what the Lord commanded to give to them from the Israelites on the day Moses[as] anointed them[at]—a perpetual allotted portion throughout their generations.[au]

Summary of Sacrificial Regulations in Leviticus 6:8-7:36

37 This is the law[av] for the burnt offering, the grain offering,[aw] the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering,[ax] and the peace-offering sacrifice, 38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord in the desert of Sinai.

Ordination of the Priests

8 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:[ay] 2 “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, the sin offering bull, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, 3 and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.”[az] 4 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation assembled at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 5 Then Moses said to the congregation: “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”

Clothing Aaron

6 So Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. 7 Then he[ba] put the tunic[bb] on Aaron,[bc] wrapped the sash around him,[bd] and clothed him with the robe.[be] Next he put the ephod on him[bf] and placed on him[bg] the decorated band of the ephod, and fastened the ephod closely to him with the band.[bh] 8 He then set the breastpiece[bi] on him and put the Urim and Thummim[bj] into the breastpiece. 9 Finally, he set the turban[bk] on his head and attached the gold plate, the holy diadem,[bl] to the front of the turban just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Anointing the Tabernacle and Aaron, and Clothing Aaron’s Sons

10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them.[bm] 11 Next he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and so anointed the altar, all its vessels, and the washbasin and its stand to consecrate them. 12 He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him. 13 Moses also brought forward Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes around them,[bn] and wrapped headbands on them[bo] just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Consecration Offerings

14 Then he brought near the sin offering bull[bp] and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the sin offering bull, 15 and he slaughtered it.[bq] Moses then took the blood and put it all around on the horns of the altar with his finger and purified the altar,[br] and he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and so consecrated it to make atonement on it.[bs] 16 Then he[bt] took all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat,[bu] and Moses offered it all up in smoke on the altar,[bv] 17 but the rest of the bull—its hide, its flesh, and its dung—he completely burned up[bw] outside the camp just as the Lord had commanded Moses.[bx]

18 Then he presented the burnt offering ram and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 19 and he slaughtered it.[by] Moses then splashed the blood against the altar’s sides. 20 Then he[bz] cut the ram into parts,[ca] and Moses offered the head, the parts, and the suet up in smoke, 21 but the entrails and the legs he washed with water,[cb] and Moses offered the whole ram up in smoke on the altar—it was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma, a gift to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.[cc]

22 Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination,[cd] and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram 23 and he slaughtered it.[ce] Moses then took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe,[cf] on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe[cg] of his right foot. 24 Next he brought Aaron’s sons forward, and Moses put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet, and Moses splashed the rest of the blood against the altar’s sides.

25 Then he took the fat (the fatty tail,[ch] all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat[ci]) and the right thigh,[cj] 26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf, one loaf of bread mixed with olive oil, and one wafer,[ck] and placed them on the fat parts and on the right thigh. 27 He then put all of them on the palms[cl] of Aaron and his sons, who waved[cm] them as a wave offering before the Lord.[cn] 28 Moses then took them from their palms and offered them up in smoke on the altar[co] on top of the burnt offering—they were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was a gift to the Lord. 29 Finally, Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord from the ram of ordination. It was Moses’ share just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Anointing Aaron, his Sons, and their Garments

30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments. 31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded,[cp] saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’ 32 but the remainder of the meat and the bread[cq] you must burn with fire. 33 And you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent for seven days, until the day when your days of ordination are completed, because you must be ordained over a seven-day period.[cr] 34 What has been done[cs] on this day the Lord has commanded to be done[ct] to make atonement for you. 35 You must reside at the entrance of the Meeting Tent day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the Lord so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things the Lord had commanded through[cu] Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the officiating priest) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This priest was responsible for any actions involving direct contact with the altar (e.g., the splashing of the blood).
  2. Leviticus 7:2 tn See the note on Lev 1:5.
  3. Leviticus 7:3 tn Heb “then he.” This pronoun refers to the offerer, who was responsible for slaughtering the animal. Contrast v. 2 above and v. 5 below.
  4. Leviticus 7:4 tn See the notes on Lev 3:3-4.
  5. Leviticus 7:5 tn See the note on Lev 1:9 above.
  6. Leviticus 7:6 tn Heb “holiness of holinesses [or holy of holies] it is”; NAB “most sacred”; TEV “very holy.”
  7. Leviticus 7:7 tn Heb “like the sin offering like the guilt offering, one law to them.”
  8. Leviticus 7:9 tn Heb “and” rather than “or” (cf. also the next “or”).
  9. Leviticus 7:9 tn Heb “and all made in the pan”; cf. KJV “fryingpan”; NAB “deep-fried in a pot.”
  10. Leviticus 7:10 tn Heb “a man like his brother.”
  11. Leviticus 7:11 tn This “he” pronoun refers to the offerer. Smr and LXX have plural “they.”
  12. Leviticus 7:12 tn Or “for a thank offering.”
  13. Leviticus 7:12 tn See the notes on Lev 2:4.
  14. Leviticus 7:12 tn See the note on Lev 6:21 [6:14 HT].
  15. Leviticus 7:12 tn Heb “choice wheat flour well-soaked ring-shaped loaves.” See the note on Lev 2:1.
  16. Leviticus 7:13 tn The rendering “this [grain] offering” is more literally “his offering,” but it refers to the series of grain offerings listed just previously in v. 12.
  17. Leviticus 7:13 tn The words “which regularly accompany” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity.sn The translation “[which regularly accompany]…” is based on the practice of bringing bread (and wine) to eat with the portions of the peace-offering meat eaten by the priests and worshipers (see v. 14 and Num 15:1-13). This was in addition to the memorial portion of the unleavened bread that was offered to the Lord on the altar (cf. Lev 2:2, 9, and the note on 7:12).
  18. Leviticus 7:14 tn Here the Hebrew text reads “offering” (קָרְבָּן, qorban), not “grain offering” (מִנְחָה, minkhah), but in this context the term refers once again to the list in 7:12.
  19. Leviticus 7:14 tn The term rendered “contribution offering” is תְּרוּמָה (terumah), which generally refers to that which is set aside from the offerings to the Lord as prebends for the officiating priests (cf. esp. Lev 7:28-34 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 4:335-37). Cf. TEV “as a special contribution.”
  20. Leviticus 7:15 tn In the verse “his” refers to the offerer.
  21. Leviticus 7:16 tn For the distinction between votive and freewill offerings see the note on Lev 22:23 and the literature cited there.
  22. Leviticus 7:16 tn Heb “and on the next day and the left over from it shall be eaten.”
  23. Leviticus 7:17 tn Heb “burned with fire,” an expression which is sometimes redundant in English, but here means “burned up,” “burned up entirely” (likewise in v. 19).
  24. Leviticus 7:18 tn Or “desecrated,” or “defiled,” or “forbidden.” For this difficult term see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:422. Cf. NIV “it is impure”; NCV “it will become unclean”; NLT “will be contaminated.”
  25. Leviticus 7:18 tn Heb “his iniquity he shall bear” (cf. Lev 5:1); NIV “will be held responsible”; NRSV “shall incur guilt”; TEV “will suffer the consequences.”
  26. Leviticus 7:19 tn The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation both here and in the following sentence to clarify that the uncleanness involved is ritual or ceremonial in nature.
  27. Leviticus 7:19 tn The Hebrew has simply “the flesh,” but this certainly refers to “clean” flesh in contrast to the unclean flesh in the first half of the verse.
  28. Leviticus 7:20 tn Heb “and his unclean condition is on him.”
  29. Leviticus 7:20 sn The exact meaning of this penalty clause is not certain. It could mean that he will be executed, whether by God or by man, he will be excommunicated from sanctuary worship and/or community benefits (cf. TEV, CEV), or his line will be terminated by God (i.e., extirpation), etc. See J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 100; J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:457-60; and B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 241-42 for further discussion.
  30. Leviticus 7:21 sn For these categories of unclean animals see Lev 11.
  31. Leviticus 7:21 sn For the interpretation of this last clause see the note on Lev 7:20.
  32. Leviticus 7:22 sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT] above.
  33. Leviticus 7:24 tn Heb “carcass,” referring to the carcass of an animal that has died on its own, not the carcass of an animal slaughtered for sacrifice or killed by wild beasts. This has been clarified in the translation by supplying the phrase “of natural causes”; cf. NAB, TEV “that has died a natural death.”
  34. Leviticus 7:24 tn Heb “shall be used for any work”; cf. NIV, NLT “may be used for any other purpose.”
  35. Leviticus 7:25 sn See the note on Lev 7:20.
  36. Leviticus 7:26 tn Heb “and any blood you must not eat in any of your dwelling places, to the bird and to the animal.”
  37. Leviticus 7:27 sn See the note on Lev 7:20.
  38. Leviticus 7:28 sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT].
  39. Leviticus 7:30 tn Heb “on the breast.”
  40. Leviticus 7:30 tc Many Hebrew mss and some versions (esp. the LXX) limit the offerings in the last part of this verse to the fat portions, specifically, the fat and the fat lobe of the liver (see the BHS footnote). The verse is somewhat awkward in Hebrew but nevertheless correct.tn Heb “the breast to wave it, a wave offering before the Lord.” Other possible translations are “to elevate the breast [as] an elevation offering before the Lord” (cf. NRSV) or “to present the breast [as] a presentation offering before the Lord.” See J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 91, J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:430-31, 461-72, and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:63-67.
  41. Leviticus 7:32 tn Older English versions (e.g., KJV, ASV) translate this Hebrew term (תְּרוּמָה, terumah) “heave offering,” derived from the idea of “to raise, to lift” found in the verbal root (cf. NAB “a raised offering”). “Contribution offering” is a better English rendering because it refers to something “taken out from” (i.e., “lifted up from”; cf. the Hebrew term הֵרִים (herim) in, e.g., Lev 2:9; 4:8, etc.) the offering as a special contribution to the specific priest who presided over the offering procedures in any particular instance (see the next verse and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 4:335-37). Cf. TEV “as a special contribution”; NCV, NLT “as a gift.”
  42. Leviticus 7:34 tn Or “a perpetual regulation”; cf. NASB “as their due forever”; NRSV “as a perpetual due”; NLT “their regular share.”
  43. Leviticus 7:35 tn Heb “the day he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  44. Leviticus 7:35 tn Heb “in the day of he presented them to serve as priests to the Lord.” The grammar here is relatively unusual. First, the verb “presented” appears to be in the perfect rather than the infinitive (but see GKC 531), the latter being normal in such temporal expressions. Second, the active verb form appears to be used as a passive plural (“they were presented”). However, if it is translated active and singular then Moses would be the subject: “on the day he [Moses] offered them [Aaron and his sons].”
  45. Leviticus 7:36 tn Heb “the day he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  46. Leviticus 7:36 tn Heb “which the Lord commanded to give to them in the day he anointed them from the children of Israel.” Thus v. 36 is tied syntactically to v. 35 (see the note there).
  47. Leviticus 7:36 tn Heb “for your generations”; cf. NIV “for the generations to come”; TEV “for all time to come.”
  48. Leviticus 7:37 sn The Hebrew term translated “law” (תוֹרָה [torah]) occurs up to this point in the book only in Lev 6:9 [6:2 HT], 14 [7 HT], 25 [18 HT], 7:1, 7, 11, and here in 7:37. This suggests that Lev 7:37-38 is a summary of only this section of the book (i.e., Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT]-7:36), not all of Lev 1-7.
  49. Leviticus 7:37 tc In the MT only “the grain offering” lacks a connecting ו (vav). However, many Hebrew mss, Smr, LXX, Syriac, and a ms of Tg. Onq. have the ו (vav) on “the grain offering” as well.
  50. Leviticus 7:37 sn The inclusion of the “ordination offering” (מִלּוּאִים, milluʾim; the term apparently comes from the notion of “filling [of the hand],” cf. Lev 8:33) here anticipates Lev 8. It is a kind of peace offering, as the regulations in Lev 8:22-32 will show (cf. Exod 29:19-34). In the context of the ordination ritual for the priests it fits into the sequence of offerings as a peace offering would: sin offering (Lev 8:14-17), burnt and grain offering (Lev 8:18-21), and finally peace (i.e., ordination) offering (Lev 8:22-32). Moreover, in this case, Moses received the breast of the ordination offering as his due since he was the presiding priest over the sacrificial procedures (Lev 8:29; cf. Lev 7:30-31), while Aaron and his sons ate the portions that would have been consumed by the common worshipers in a regular peace-offering procedure (Exod 29:31-34; cf. Lev 7:15-18). For a general introduction to the peace offering see the note on Lev 3:1.
  51. Leviticus 8:1 sn Lev 8 is the fulfillment account of the ordination legislation recorded in Exod 29, and is directly connected to the command to ordain the tabernacle and priesthood in Exod 40:1-16 as well as the partial record of its fulfillment in Exod 40:17-38.
  52. Leviticus 8:3 sn For “tent of meeting” see the note on Lev 1:1 above.
  53. Leviticus 8:7 sn Here Moses actually clothes Aaron (cf. v. 13 below for Aaron’s sons). Regarding the various articles of clothing see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 111-12 and esp. J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:501-13.
  54. Leviticus 8:7 sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). Traditionally this has been translated “coat” (so KJV, ASV), but that English word designates an outer garment.
  55. Leviticus 8:7 tn Heb “on him”; the referent (Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. Leviticus 8:7 tn Heb “girded him with the sash” (so NASB); NCV “tied the cloth belt around him.”sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).
  57. Leviticus 8:7 sn The robe was a long shirt-like over-garment that reached down below the knees. Its hem was embroidered with pomegranates and golden bells around the bottom (Exod 28:4, 31-35; 29:5; 39:22-26).
  58. Leviticus 8:7 sn The ephod was an apron like garment suspended from shoulder straps. It draped over the robe and extended from the chest down to the thighs (Exod 28:4, 6-14, 25-28; 29:5; 39:2-7).
  59. Leviticus 8:7 tn Heb “girded him with.”
  60. Leviticus 8:7 sn The decorated band of the ephod served as a sort of belt around Aaron’s body that would hold the ephod closely to him rather than allowing it to hang loosely across his front (Exod 28:8, 27; 29:5; 39:5, 20).
  61. Leviticus 8:8 sn The breastpiece was made of the same material as the ephod and was attached to it by means of gold rings and chains on its four corners (Exod 28:15-30; 29:5; 39:8-21). It had twelve stones attached to it (representing the twelve tribes of Israel), and a pocket in which the Urim and Thummim were kept (see following).
  62. Leviticus 8:8 sn The Urim and Thummim were two small objects used in the casting of lots to discern the will of God (see Exod 28:30; Num 27:21; Deut 33:8; 1 Sam 14:41 in the LXX and 28:6; Ezra 2:63 and Neh 7:65). It appears that by casting them one could obtain a yes or no answer, or no answer at all (1 Sam 28:6; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 111-12). See the extensive discussion in J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:507-11.
  63. Leviticus 8:9 tn Although usually thought to be a “turban” (and so translated by the majority of English versions) this object might be only a “turban-like headband” wound around the forehead area (HALOT 624 s.v. מִצְנֶפֶת).sn The turban consisted of wound-up linen (cf. Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:31; Lev 16:4).
  64. Leviticus 8:9 sn The gold plate was attached as a holy diadem to the front of the turban by means of a blue cord, and had written on it “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36-37; 39:30-31). This was a particularly important article of high priestly clothing in that it served as the main emblem indicating Aaron’s acceptable representation of Israel before the Lord (Exod 28:38).
  65. Leviticus 8:10 sn The expression “and consecrated it” refers to the effect of the anointing earlier in the verse (cf. “to consecrate them/him” in vv. 11 and 12). “To consecrate” means “to make holy” or “make sacred”; i.e., put something into the category of holy/sacred as opposed to common/profane (see Lev 10:10 below). Thus, the person or thing consecrated is put into the realm of God’s holy things.
  66. Leviticus 8:13 tc The MT has here “sash” (singular), but the context is clearly plural and Smr has it in the plural.tn Heb “girded them with sashes” (so NAB, NASB); NRSV “fastened sashes around them.”
  67. Leviticus 8:13 tn Heb “wrapped headdresses to them”; cf. KJV “bonnets”; NASB, TEV “caps”; NIV, NCV “headbands”; NAB, NLT “turbans.”sn Notice that the priestly garments of Aaron’s sons are quite limited compared to those of Aaron himself, the high priest (cf. vv. 7-9 above). The terms for “tunic” and “sash” are the same but not the headgear (cf. Exod 28:40; 29:8-9; 39:27-29).
  68. Leviticus 8:14 sn See Lev 4:3-12 above for the sin offering of the priests. In this case, however, the blood manipulation is different because Moses, not Aaron (and his sons), is functioning as the priest. On the one hand, Aaron and his sons are, in a sense, treated as if they were commoners so that the blood manipulation took place at the burnt offering altar in the court of the tabernacle (see v. 15 below), not at the incense altar inside the tabernacle tent itself (contrast Lev 4:5-7 and compare 4:30). On the other hand, since it was a sin offering for the priests, therefore, the priests themselves could not eat its flesh (Lev 4:11-12; 6:30 [23 HT]), which was the normal priestly practice for sin offerings of commoners (Lev 6:26 [19], 29 [22]).
  69. Leviticus 8:15 sn Contrary to some English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT), Aaron (not Moses) most likely slaughtered the bull, possibly with the help of his sons, although the verb is singular, not plural. Moses then performed the ritual procedures that involved direct contact with the altar. Compare the pattern in Lev 1:5-9, where the offerer does the slaughtering and the priests perform the procedures that involve direct contact with the altar. In Lev 8 Moses is functioning as the priest in order to consecrate the priesthood. The explicit reintroduction of the name of Moses as the subject of the next verb seems to reinforce this understanding of the passage (cf. also vv. 19 and 23 below).
  70. Leviticus 8:15 tn The verb is the Piel of חָטָא (khataʾ, “to sin”) and means “to de-sin” the altar. This verse is important for confirming the main purpose of the sin offering, which was to purify the tabernacle and its furniture from impurity. See the note on Lev 4:3.
  71. Leviticus 8:15 tn Similar to v. 10 above, “and consecrated it” refers to the effect of the blood manipulation earlier in the verse. The goal here was to consecrate the altar in order that it might become a place on which it would be appropriate “to make atonement” before the Lord.
  72. Leviticus 8:16 tn Again, Aaron probably performed the slaughter and collected the fat parts (v. 16a), but Moses presented it all on the altar (v. 16b; cf. the note on v. 15 above).
  73. Leviticus 8:16 sn See Lev 3:3-4 for the terminology of fat and kidneys here.
  74. Leviticus 8:16 tn Heb “toward the altar” (see the note on Lev 1:9).
  75. Leviticus 8:17 tn Heb “he burned with fire,” an expression which is sometimes redundant in English, but here means “burned up,” “burned up entirely.”
  76. Leviticus 8:17 sn See Lev 4:11-12, 21; 6:30 [23 HT].
  77. Leviticus 8:19 tn Aaron probably did the slaughtering (cf. the notes on Lev 8:15-16 above).
  78. Leviticus 8:20 tn Again, Aaron probably cut the ram up into parts (v. 20a), but Moses presented them on the altar (v. 20b; cf. the note on v. 15 above).
  79. Leviticus 8:20 tn Heb “cut it into its parts.” One could translate here, “quartered it” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:133; cf. Lev 1:6, 12 above).
  80. Leviticus 8:21 tn Again, Aaron probably did the washing (v. 21a), but Moses presented the portions on the altar (v. 21b; cf. the note on v. 15 above).
  81. Leviticus 8:21 tn See Lev 1:9, 13.
  82. Leviticus 8:22 tn For “ordination offering” see Lev 7:37.
  83. Leviticus 8:23 tn Again, Aaron probably did the slaughtering (cf. the notes on Lev 8:15-16 above).
  84. Leviticus 8:23 tn Heb “on the lobe of the ear of Aaron, the right one.”
  85. Leviticus 8:23 tn The term for “big toe” (בֹּהֶן, bohen) is the same as that for “thumb.” It refers to the larger appendage on either the hand or the foot.
  86. Leviticus 8:25 tn See Lev 3:9.
  87. Leviticus 8:25 tn See Lev 8:16.
  88. Leviticus 8:25 tn See Lev 7:32-34.
  89. Leviticus 8:26 tn See Lev 2:4.
  90. Leviticus 8:27 sn The “palms” refer to the up-turned hands, positioned in such a way that the articles of the offering could be placed on them.
  91. Leviticus 8:27 tn Heb “and he waved.” The subject of the verb “he waved” is Aaron, but Aaron’s sons also performed the action (see “Aaron and his sons” just previously). See the similar shifts from Moses to Aaron as the subject of the action above (vv. 15, 16, 19, 20, 23), and esp. the note on Lev 8:15. In the present translation this is rendered as an adjectival clause (“who waved”) to indicate that the referent is not Moses but Aaron and his sons. Cf. CEV “who lifted it up”; NAB “whom he had wave” (with “he” referring to Moses here).
  92. Leviticus 8:27 sn See Lev 7:30-31, 34.
  93. Leviticus 8:28 tn Heb “toward the altar” (see the note on Lev 1:9).
  94. Leviticus 8:31 tn Several major ancient versions have the passive form of the verb (see BHS v. 31 note c; cf. Lev 8:35; 10:13). In that case we would translate, “just as I was commanded.”
  95. Leviticus 8:32 tn Heb “but the remainder in the flesh and in the bread”; NAB, CEV “what is left over”; NRSV “what remains.”
  96. Leviticus 8:33 tn Heb “because seven days he shall fill your hands”; KJV “for seven days shall he consecrate you”; CEV “ends seven days from now.” sn It is apparent that the term for “ordination offering” (מִלֻּאִים, milluʾim; cf. Lev 7:37 and the note there) is closely related to the expression “he shall fill (Piel מִלֵּא, milleʾ) your hands” in this verse. Some derive the terminology from the procedure in Lev 8:27-28, but the term for “hands” there is actually “palms.” It seems more likely that it derives from the notion of putting the priestly responsibilities (or possibly its associated prebends) under their control (i.e., “filling their hands” with authority; see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:538-39). The command “to keep the charge of the Lord” in v. 35 and the expression “by the hand of Moses” (i.e., under the authoritative hand of Moses, v. 36) may also support this interpretation.
  97. Leviticus 8:34 tn Heb “just as he has done” (cf. the note on v. 33).
  98. Leviticus 8:34 tn Heb “the Lord has commanded to do” (cf. the note on v. 33).
  99. Leviticus 8:36 tn Heb “by the hand of” (so KJV).
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Leviticus 7-8
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The Guilt Offering

7 “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering,(A) which is most holy: 2 The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar. 3 All its fat(B) shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, 4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.(C) 5 The priest shall burn them on the altar(D) as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. 6 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it,(E) but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.(F)

7 “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering[a](G) and the guilt offering:(H) They belong to the priest(I) who makes atonement with them.(J) 8 The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide(K) for himself. 9 Every grain offering baked in an oven(L) or cooked in a pan(M) or on a griddle(N) belongs to the priest who offers it, 10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

The Fellowship Offering

11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:

12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering(O) they are to offer thick loaves(P) made without yeast(Q) and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves(R) made without yeast and brushed with oil,(S) and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving(T) they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.(U) 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.(V)

16 “‘If, however, their offering is the result of a vow(W) or is a freewill offering,(X) the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.(Y) 17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.(Z) 18 If any meat of the fellowship offering(AA) is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted.(AB) It will not be reckoned(AC) to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.(AD)

19 “‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it. 20 But if anyone who is unclean(AE) eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, they must be cut off from their people.(AF) 21 Anyone who touches something unclean(AG)—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature that moves along the ground[b]—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord must be cut off from their people.’”

Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.(AH) 24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals(AI) may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be[c] presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people. 26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood(AJ) of any bird or animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood(AK) must be cut off from their people.’”

The Priests’ Share

28 The Lord said to Moses, 29 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the Lord. 30 With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the Lord; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering.(AL) 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar,(AM) but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.(AN) 32 You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.(AO) 33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. 34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh(AP) that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons(AQ) as their perpetual share from the Israelites.’”

35 This is the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests. 36 On the day they were anointed,(AR) the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their perpetual share for the generations to come.

37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering,(AS) the grain offering,(AT) the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering(AU) and the fellowship offering, 38 which the Lord gave Moses(AV) at Mount Sinai(AW) in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.(AX)

The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons(AY)

8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Bring Aaron and his sons,(AZ) their garments,(BA) the anointing oil,(BB) the bull for the sin offering,[d](BC) the two rams(BD) and the basket containing bread made without yeast,(BE) 3 and gather the entire assembly(BF) at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” 4 Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

5 Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.(BG)” 6 Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.(BH) 7 He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also fastened the ephod with a decorative waistband, which he tied around him.(BI) 8 He placed the breastpiece(BJ) on him and put the Urim and Thummim(BK) in the breastpiece. 9 Then he placed the turban(BL) on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the sacred emblem,(BM) on the front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses.(BN)

10 Then Moses took the anointing oil(BO) and anointed(BP) the tabernacle(BQ) and everything in it, and so consecrated them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.(BR) 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed(BS) him to consecrate him.(BT) 13 Then he brought Aaron’s sons(BU) forward, put tunics(BV) on them, tied sashes around them and fastened caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.(BW)

14 He then presented the bull(BX) for the sin offering,(BY) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.(BZ) 15 Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood,(CA) and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar(CB) to purify the altar.(CC) He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it.(CD) 16 Moses also took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. 17 But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its intestines(CE) he burned up outside the camp,(CF) as the Lord commanded Moses.

18 He then presented the ram(CG) for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 19 Then Moses slaughtered the ram and splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat.(CH) 21 He washed the internal organs and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

22 He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination,(CI) and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.(CJ) 23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.(CK) 24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.(CL) 25 After that, he took the fat(CM), the fat tail, all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26 And from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took one thick loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf,(CN) and he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved them before the Lord(CO) as a wave offering. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. 29 Moses also took the breast, which was his share of the ordination ram,(CP) and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses.

30 Then Moses(CQ) took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments(CR) and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated(CS) Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.

31 Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting(CT) and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ 32 Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. 33 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days.(CU) 34 What has been done today was commanded by the Lord(CV) to make atonement for you. 35 You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires,(CW) so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.”

36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:7 Or purification offering; also in verse 37
  2. Leviticus 7:21 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac and Targum (see 5:2); most Hebrew manuscripts any unclean, detestable thing
  3. Leviticus 7:25 Or offering is
  4. Leviticus 8:2 Or purification offering; also in verse 14
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