Levítico 17
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Levítico 17
NJB (MT versing) Blood for Atonement The Sanctity of Blood Restrictions Upon the Slaughter of Animals The Sacredness of Blood Slaughtering and Sacrifice 17:1-7 17:1-9 17:1-7 17:1-7 17:1-2a 17:2b 17:3-7 17:8-9 17:8-9 17:8-9 17:8-9 17:10-13 17:10-14 17:10-13 17:10-12 17:10-12 17:13-14 17:13-14 17:14-16 17:14-16 17:15-16 17:15-16 17:15-16 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Leviticus 17-20 is a literary unit which deals with ritual laws and procedures for holiness. "Holiness" is the key term in Leviticus. It denotes moral and ceremonial obedience to YHWH's revealed character and laws. YHWH is "Holy" (cf. Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7,26; 21:8; 22:32-33). See SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY. A brief outline of Leviticus 17-20. Leviticus 17 deals with how to treat sacrificial blood and is primarily focused toward laymen. Leviticus 18 deals with the laws regulating human sexuality for covenant people. Leviticus 19 deals with relating to a covenant partner who has sinned. Leviticus 20 deals with the consequences and punishment of the sin of a covenant partner.
Levítico 17:1-7
17:1 This is a recurrent theme in Leviticus. These laws and rules are from YHWH, not Moses. See SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSES' AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH and SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION. 17:2 Moses is commanded to speak to Aaron ‒ Lev. 16:2; 17:2 Aaron and his sons ‒ Leviticus 9; 10:12; 17:2; 22 Aaron's sons ‒ Leviticus 21 the sons of Israel ‒ Leviticus 12; 18; 19; 20; 23; 24; 25-26; 27 In chapters 11; 13; 15 YHWH speaks to both Moses and Aaron. 17:3 "Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters. . ." There are two major discussions here: (1) the ritual slaughtering of clean domestic animals (cf. Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14) and (2) the hunting of clean wild animals (cf. Lev. 17:5,13). Also, there is a distinction in this chapter between the time of the wilderness wandering period, where the Tabernacle was available to all people, and a later time, discussed in detail in Deut. 12:23ff, when the Tabernacle may have been too far away. ▣ "man" In the MT it is "man man," which is an idiom for "any man" (cf. Lev. 17:8,10,13; 15:2; 22:18). 17:4 "bloodguiltiness" Blood had a strange power to the Hebrew mind, Gen. 4:10. It was the essence of life itself, Lev. 17:11,14. Therefore, the life belonged to God and the blood had to be handled in a very precise and reverent way. This not only had to do with kosher cleanliness but also with the significance of life. See SPECIAL TOPIC: BLOOD. 17:6 "sprinkle the blood" See note at Lev. 1:5. ▣ "the altar of the Lord at the doorway" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF SACRIFICE. ▣ "offer up the fat" Two parts of the sacrifice always belonged to YHWH. the fat on the internal organs the blood (cf. Lev. 17:10; see SPECIAL TOPIC: BLOOD) ▣ "a soothing aroma" See SPECIAL TOPIC: A SOOTHING AROMA. ▣ "the Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. 17:7 "goat demons" The term "goat demons" (possibly "hairy goats," BDB 972 III, KB 1341) is used several times. wild animals that lived in the ruins of destroyed, cursed cities and, therefore, could represent the demonic ‒ Isa. 13:21; 34:14 physical representations of animals as pagan idols ‒ 2 Chr. 11:15 This text is referring to covenant partners, so this must refer to idolatry of some of the people of God (cf. Deut. 32:17). It is interesting that Azazel, mentioned in Lev. 16:8 (see note there), is thought by some to be a desert demon. The very fact that the phrase "play the harlot with it" seems to refer, not only to the possibility of idolatry, which is seen as "going a whoring after other gods," but also to fertility worship (cf. Exod. 34:15-16; Lev. 17:7; 20:5; Deut. 31:16; Jdgs. 2:17; 8:27,33). We know that the goat was sometimes worshiped as a fertility god in Egypt and later in both Greek and Roman mythology. See SACRIFICES IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE.
Levítico 17:8-9
17:8 "the aliens who sojourn among them" The Jews had the responsibility to apply the law to all the people who lived in their land. This is a summary of what the alien was responsible for. to keep the Sabbath, Exod. 20:10 to observe the Day of Atonement, Lev. 16:29 no improper slaughter of food animals (here) no idolatry, Lev. 20:2 no blasphemy, Lev. 24:16 17:9 All dead animals for consumption must be brought to the Lord at the Tabernacle. This requirement was to acknowledge YHWH as the giver of life and the only true God (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM) restrict all other kinds of sacrifice to pagan gods ▣ "cut off from his people" This phrase is used several times (i.e., Lev. 7:20-21) and could mean prohibited from the Tabernacle physical excommunication from the camp of Israel an acknowledgment that YHWH would stop his line/descendants by his early death (and/or the children, cf. Exod. 31:14) Whichever it is, it demonstrated that fellowship between YHWH and His people was stopped! See SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY.
Levítico 17:10-13
17:10 "I will set My face" The Jewish Study Bible, p. 248, says this phrase means "I will give it My personal, undivided and immediate attention." This intense imagery is used several times (i.e., Lev. 20:3, 5,6; 26:17; Ps. 34:16; Jer. 21:10; 44:11; Amos 9:4). ▣ "who eats any blood" This had to do with the sanctity of blood because the life belonged to God (cf. Lev. 17:11) 17:11 The Hebrew root, נפשׁ (BDB 659, KB 711), is used three times in this verse (also note Lev. 17:14 and Gen. 9:3-7). "life of the flesh" (BDB 659 CONSTRUCT BDB142) "your souls" "life" KB lists six different ways this general word for life/person is used. "gullet," "throat," or "wind pipe" (Ps. 107:9; Isa. 5:14) "neck" (Ps. 69:1) "breath" (i.e., creatures of this planet that breathe air) humans (Gen. 2:7) animals (Gen. 1:20) a living, breathing creature (Gen. 2:19 people (Lev. 24:17) personality YHWH (Lev. 26:11) covenant person (Lev. 26:15) life (Gen. 9:5; 19:17; Lev. 17:11,14) soul (Exod. 23:9) dead soul (Lev. 19:28) Some of these are overlapping and it is hard to distinguish a difference. See further notes online at Ezek. 18:4, at Ezekiel 18. 17:13 The guidelines here reflect the wilderness wandering period (i.e., presence of the Tabernacle with the camp of Israel), but Deut. 12:15-16,20-27 reflect the post conquest era when Israel is scattered throughout Palestine and some towns are too distant from the Tabernacle to perform these rites (i.e., before the meat went bad in the hot climate).
Levítico 17:14-16
17:14-16 This is a summary on the importance of blood, as well as the consequences and remedy for its abuse. 17:15 There were several levels of "uncleanness." Eating animals that had died or been killed by other animals was a lesser level of uncleanness than eating the blood of a slaughtered animal. The difference being that "the life" of the dead animal was already gone. 17:16 "he shall bear his guilt" The NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 162, makes a good point about this VERB (BDB 669, KB 724). When the SUBJECT is YHWH, it means "remove iniquity" (i.e., Exod. 34:7; Num. 14:18), but when the SUBJECT is a person, it means "bear responsibility" or "bear punishment" (i.e., Exod. 28:43; Lev. 5:1,27; 7:18; 17:16; 19:8; Num. 5:31; 18:1,23). This suggests death (cf. Lev. 5:1-13).