Leviticus 8, The Anointment of Aaron and His Sons

We have now completed seven chapters of descriptions of ritual sacrifices. Now the priests will be prepared for their duties before the altar.

Leviticus 8:1-4, Bring Aaron

The LORD said to Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting."  

Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly  gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.  

Moses is commanded to bring forward Aaron and his sons, the first generation of priests for the covenant. The entire assembly will join the priests for this anointing.

Leviticus 8:5-13, Anointing Aaron and his sons

Moses said to the assembly, "This is what the LORD has commanded to be done."

Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him. He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. Then he placed the turban on Aaron's head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. 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. He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.

Then he brought Aaron's sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Aaron and his sons are washed and carefully dressed. The tabernacle, altar and utensils are cleansed, sprinkled with oil. 

Leviticus 8:14-23, Sacrifice for the priests

He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it. 

Moses also took all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses. He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Then Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood against the altar on all sides. He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire, as the LORD commanded Moses.

He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 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.  

Moses presents the bull to the priests, then kills it. The fat is burned on the altar. The unclean parts, the hide, skin and the entrails are taken outside the camp and burned. A ram is also butchered and similarly sacrificed. A second ram is sacrificed as a "ordination" offering, special for this case.

Leviticus 8:24-29, Blood on ears, thumbs and big toes

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 sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. Then from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the LORD, he took a cake of bread, and one made with oil, and a wafer; he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering.

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, an offering made to the LORD by  fire. He also took the breast--Moses' share of the ordination ram--and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Moses anoints the priests with blood, a little bit of blood on extremities on the right side of the body, on their ears, thumb and toes. Then special bread is put on the hands of the priests and then waved before the altar. After this the bread is burned. The breast of the ordination lamb is also waved before the altar, as offered to YHWH.

Leviticus 8:30, Garments sprinkled

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

 

Moses anoints the garments of the priests.

Leviticus 8:31-32, Eat the bread

Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, `Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread.

The meat is cooked at the entrance to the Tabernacle and is eaten with the bread.

Leviticus 8:33-36, Seven days

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. What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you. You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the LORD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded."

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

The priests are then secluded in the Tent of Meeting for seven days.

This chapter gives a lengthy description of the work required to make Aaron's sons ready to enter the Tent of Meeting. The sacrifices will begin in the next chapter.

First published August 8, 2025; updated August 8, 2025

Leviticus 7, More on the Various Offerings

In this chapter we wrap up requirements for the guilt, sin and fellowship offerings.

Leviticus 7:1-6, Guilt offering

"`These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides. All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is a guilt offering. Any male in a priest's family may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.  

The guilt offering, recognizing an sin against someone else, involves a bloody killing of the animal before the altar and the blood of the animal then sprinkled across the sides of the altar. All the fat is to be burned and then, now that the sacrifice has made the place holy, the men in the priest's family may eat the slaughtered animal.

Leviticus 7:7-10, Both sin and guilt offering belong to the priest

"`The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them. The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide for himself. Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who offers it, and every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.  

Both sin and guilt offerings go to the priests. In the days of the wilderness wanderings, these priests were the sons of Aaron.

The "sin offering" (chapters 4 and 5) and the "guilt offering" (chapter 6) were very similar and implemented the same way.

Leviticus 7:11-15, Thank offering

"`These are the regulations for the fellowship offering a person may present to the LORD: "`If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well-kneaded and mixed with oil. Along with his fellowship offering of thanksgiving he is to  present an offering with cakes of bread made with yeast. He is to bring one of each kind as an offering, a  contribution to the LORD; it belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning. 

The fellowship offering, an offering of communion with both God and priests, included an offering of thankfulness, with cakes and bread. All of these were to be cooked without yeast and eaten on the day it was offered.

Leviticus 7:16-18, Vow or freewill offering

"`If, however, his offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day he offers it, but anything left over may be eaten on the  next day. Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up. If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who offered it, for it is impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.

A fellowship offering might be made because of a vow made or as an act of free will worship. This offering was similar to the previous one but the meal could be eaten on the first or second day.

Leviticus 7:19-21, 

"`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. But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the LORD, that person must be cut off  from his people. If anyone touches something unclean--whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean, detestable  thing--and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the LORD, that person must be cut off  from his people.'" 

Touching something unclean makes the second object (here, the meat) unclean. And the individual eating unclean meat must be separated from the congregation, as he is also unclean. (Presumably this is an example of an unintentional sin?)

Leviticus 7:22-27, Do not eat the fat

The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: `Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people. And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his  people.'"  

The fat is reserved for burning. It is not to be eaten. And especially important, one was not to eat the blood of any animal. This prohibition was especially strong and even shows upin the New Testament as Gentiles begin to enter the early church (see Acts 15:28-29.)

Leviticus 7:28-35, With his own hands...

The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: `Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the LORD is to bring part of it as his sacrifice to the LORD. With his own hands he is to bring the offering made to the LORD by fire; he is to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the LORD as a wave offering. The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution. The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share.

From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.'" This is the portion of the offerings made to the LORD by  fire that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day  they were presented to serve the LORD as priests.  

Someone offering a fellowship offering is to be brought by an individual, with his own hands, and he it personally wave the breast of the meat before the altar. 

Leviticus 7:36-38, Offerings for all of Israel

On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their regular share for the generations to come. These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering, which the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the Desert of Sinai.   

We have now completed seven chapters of descriptions of ritual sacrifices.  Versions of this will continue into Jesus's day.

First published August 7, 2025; updated August 7, 2025

Leviticus 6, Priest Preparation for Different Offerings

The previous passages have covered a variety of sacrifices for sin.

Leviticus 6:1-7, Theft and deception

 The LORD said to Moses: "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do-- when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt  offering.  And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to  the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty."  

Theft and deception are sins. A guilt ("reparation", ashmah) offering included reparation for some act of damage -- generally a full reparation plus 20% penalty -- along with an animal sacrifice were included.

Here the animal sacrificed was a ram wthout defect.

Leviticus 6:8-13, The fire on the altar

The LORD said to Moses: "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. The 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. Then 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. 

The 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. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.  

The altar hearth, on which the burnt offerings are made, is to be kept burning throughout the night. It is never to go out. 

The act of carrying the ashes of the fire outside the camp requires a change of clothes. The priest, in good linen clothes, collects that ashes from the altar. But then to remove the ashes from the camp, he dresses in ordinary clothes and carries them out.

Leviticus 6:14-23, The grain offering

"`These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron's sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar. The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and 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. Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the  generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy.'" 

The LORD also said to Moses, "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 fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the LORD's regular share and is to be burned completely. Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten."  

The grain offerings of chapter 2 are reviewed. The unburnt portion will be eaten by the sons of Aaron.

Leviticus 6:24-30, Sin offering an holiness

The LORD said to Moses, "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. The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. The 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. Any male in a priest's family may eat it; it is most holy. But 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.   

The "most holy" sin offering of chapters 4 and 5 is reviewed and expectations for the priests are described. The requirements include careful cleaning of the dishes involved in the sacrifice.

First published August 6, 2025; updated August 6, 2025

Leviticus 5, Examples of Unintentional Sins

The previous chapter described sacrifices to cover unintentional sins, breaking the sacrifices into four groups, depending on whether the sin was committed by a priest, the community as a whole, a community leader or some other individual within the community. Now we look at various ways a sin might be unintentional.

Leviticus 5:1-6, Examples of unintentional sins

 "`If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.

"`Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean--whether the carcasses of unclean wild animals or of unclean livestock or of unclean creatures that move along the ground--even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.

"`Or if he touches human uncleanness--anything that would make him unclean--even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.

"`Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil--in any matter one might carelessly  swear about--even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty. 

"`When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must  confess in what way he has sinned and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him  for his sin.  

Unintentional sins may include failure to speak up about a public charge in which he has evidence, or touching something unclean, whether livestock or human, or making a foolish oath. In each case, the guilt appears when the individual becomes aware of his error. A female lamb or goat is to be sacrificed.

Leviticus 5:7-13, If too poor to provide a lamb

 "`If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for his sin--one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not severing it completely, and is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.  

"`If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He must not put oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. It is a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.'" 

If the individual is too poor to sacrifice a lamb, he can bring two doves or pigeons. Failing that, he can bring an tenth of an ephah (that is, about 3 pounds) of grain, as a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:14-19, Sin against the holy things

 The LORD said to Moses: When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things, add a fifth of the value to that and give it all to the priest, who will make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be  forgiven. 

"If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; he has been guilty of wrongdoing against the LORD."   

An unintentional sin might be against something in the temple worship. If so, the sacrifice includes a ram from the flock, along with a payment in value to the object damaged, plus 20%.

First published August 5, 2025; updated August 5, 2025

Leviticus 4, Unintentional Sins

YHWH is instructing Moses on the sacrificial system of the covenant. Here are covered "unintentional sins", that is, breaks in the covenant that were done in ignorance and discovered later.

Leviticus 4:1-12, Unintentional sins by a priest

The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: `When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands--

"`If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He is to present the bull at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD. 

Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and carry it into the Tent of Meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the bull's blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering--the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys--  just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. 

But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the inner parts and offal--that is, all the rest of the bull--he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are  thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap. 

A purification (or "sin", chatta'ah) offering was offered to atone for an "unintentional sin" or some type of uncleanness.  Examples of "unintentional sins" will be given in the next chapter. (This concept may be strange to the modern mind, as we tend to speak of "mistakes" or "errors of judgment.")

The priest who commits an unintentional sin may atone for it with a sacrifice of a young perfect bull. The blood of the bull is carried into the Tent of Meeting and sprinkled before the ark in front of the curtain of gthe sanctuary. Some of the blood is to be also put on the horns of the altar and some poured out at the base of the altar. Fat is removed and burned; the rest of the bull: hide, head, legs, inner parts... is to be taken outside the camp.

The burned fat (the best part of the animal) is burned as a symbolic means of communicating the new purity of the sinner up to God. In this way, it was viewed as giving a fragrant incense to God.

Leviticus 4:13-31, Unintentional sins by the community

"`If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty. When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.

The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull's head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD. Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull's blood into the Tent of Meeting. He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain. He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of  the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the  altar, and dowith this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. 

In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as  he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community. 

It is not just an individual who can commit an unintentional sin. An entire community can do this. When the community becomes aware of their sin, they sacrifice a young bull, in the manners described previously.

Leviticus 4:22-26, Unintentional sins by a community leader

"`When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. He is to lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering.

Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the  altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make  atonement for the man's sin, and he will be forgiven. 

A community leader can commit an unintentional sin. To atone for it, he must sacrifice a male goat.

Leviticus 4:27-35, Unintentional sins by a commoner

"`If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring  as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 

"`If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he is to bring a female without defect. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

A member of the communinty, who is not a leader, will sacrifice a female goat or a female lamb.

First published August 4, 2025; updated August 4, 2025

Leviticus 3, Fellowship Offerings

A fellowship offering (or "peace offering", shelem -- note the similarity to the greeting shalom) was an act of communion, in which the family ate with the priests, representing communion with God. A fellowship offering could be a way of expressing thanks to God for some particular blessing.

Leviticus 3:1-5, An animal offered in a fellowship offering

"`If someone's offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the LORD an animal without defect. He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar on all sides. From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron's sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the  burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

As before, the offered animal was to be perfect, without defect. Note the details in cooking the animal, removing the kidneys, burning the fat. 

Leviticus 3:6-16, Lambs or goats 

"`If he offers an animal from the flock as a fellowship offering to the LORD, he is to offer a male or female  without defect.  

If he offers a lamb, he is to present it before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the LORD by fire: its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made to the LORD by fire.

"`If his offering is a goat, he is to present it before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. From what he offers he is to make this offering to the LORD by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. 

All the fat is the LORD's. 

Every time an animal is sacrificed, the person making the sacrifice is to place his hand on the animal's head, apparently signifying substitution.

The fat (cheleb) was considered the best part of the animal and that part was to be burned as an offering to God.

Leviticus 3:17, No fat or blood

"`This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come,  wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.'"   

The people are no to eat fat or blood. The prohibition against blood continues into the New Testament (see Acts 15:19-21.)

First published August 2, 2025; updated August 2, 2025

Leviticus 2, Grain Offerings

What does it take for Moses (or any other priest) to get close to God, to enter the Tent of Meeting in the ancient nation of Israel? Precise and careful sacrifiece

Leviticus 2:1-3, A pleasing aroma

"`When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his  offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the  LORD.  

The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the  LORD by fire.  

The grain ("tribute", minchah) offering, not an offering of blood, was to be mixed with oil and incense, to be burned as an incense of worship. What is not burned is given to the priests, for their food.

Harris says that "memorial" could also be interpreted as "petition" -- this may have been an offering made for a particular request or need.

Leviticus 2:4-10, Without yeast

"`If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it is to  consist of fine flour: cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil, or wafers made without yeast and spread with  oil. 

If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be  made of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast.  Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.  

If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it is to be made of fine flour and oil.   

Bring the grain offering made of these things to the LORD; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar.  He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by  fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the  LORD by fire.  

Grain offering, baked in an oven, is be given in a way similar to the previous description: it is mixed with oil and incense and a portion burned as an offering of pleasant incense while the rest is given to the priests. Here, since baking is involved, we have a restriction prohibiting yeast. It is not clear why yeast is prohibited, but food without yeast points back to the hurried flight from Egypt (Exodus 12:8, 15-20.)

Leviticus 2:11-13, No yeast or honey

"`Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in an offering made to the LORD by fire. You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma.

Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain  offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

The prohibition of yeast continues. Here, added to the "no yeast" command is a statement that there should be no honey and that the offering should be seasoned with salt. The prohibition of honey may just be for the portion that is burned.

Leviticus 2:14-16, New grain

 "`If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire. Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall burn the memorial portion of the crushed  grain and the oil, together with all the incense, as an  offering made to the LORD by fire.   

A grain offering of "firstfruits", the first part of the harvest, is also to be offered, roasted with oil, burned as incense. Hzrris says that the incense would have been "bitter and nauseous to the taste and thus not fit for food."

First published August 1, 2025; updated August 1, 2025