Levítico 3
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Levítico 3
The Law of the Peace Offering The Peace Offering Offerings of Well-Being Fellowship Offerings The Communion Sacrifice 3:1-11 3:1-5 3:1-5 3:1-5 3:1-5 3:6-11 3:6-11 3:6-11 3:6 3:7-11 3:12-17 3:12-17 3:12-16a 3:12-17 3:12-16a 3:16b-4:2 3:16b-17 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS This offering (i.e., Lev. 3:1) is the most common of all ANE types of sacrifice. This chapter describes the freewill offering of individuals who seek communion with God, symbolized by a sacred meal. The chapter specifies these types of animal sacrifice (male or female). from the herd, Lev. 3:1-5 from the flock (sheep), Lev. 3:6-11 from the flock (goats), Lev. 3:12-16
Levítico 3:1-11
3:1 "peace offerings" There were three kinds of peace offerings. the thank offering (Lev. 7:11-15; 22:24-30) the vow offering (Lev. 7:16-18; 22:21-25) the freewill offering (Lev. 7:16-18; 22:21-25) The peace offering symbolizes a fellowship meal with Deity. Because the burnt offering, grain offering, and peace offering were all voluntary, they showed the attitude of a human heart toward God. God symbolically ate with the offerer (cf. Lev. 7:11-18), which denoted his/her acceptance. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SACRIFICIAL SYSTEMS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST, V. C. The NOUN "peace offering" (BDB 1023) is from a root with several meanings. Note the following translations. NASB, NKJV, Peshitta "peace offering" NRSV, JPSOA "well being" TEV, NIV "fellowship offering" NJB, Ronald deVaux "common sacrifice" NJB, REB "shared offering" "deliverance" Josephus (Antiq. 3.9.2) "thank offering" The root, שׁלם (BDB 1022) can mean NOUN - be complete or sound (BDB 1022) VERB - completeness, soundness, welfare, peace NOUN - sacrifice for alliance or sacrifice for friendship (BDB 1023) VERB - be in covenant of peace ADJECTIVE - complete, safe, at peace (BDB 1023 I) NOUN - recompense (BDB 1024) See SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE (OT) and SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE (NT). Because of the basic meaning of the root (i.e., complete), some scholars suggest it denotes a concluding sacrifice after other offerings (Wenham, Leviticus, pp. 76-77) from Ugaritic root. ▣ "male or female" In the burnt offering of Leviticus 1 it had to be a male but here, either. ▣ "without defect" See SPECIAL TOPIC: WITHOUT BLEMISH. ▣ "before the Lord" From Lev. 1:3 it is specified that this phrase means at the "door of the Tabernacle." YHWH dwelt with His people over the ark of the covenant (see SPECIAL TOPIC: ARK OF THE COVENANT) in the Holy of Holies (see SPECIAL TOPIC: TABERNACLE OF THE WILDERNESS). For "Lord" see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. 3:2 "lay his hand on the head" See note at Lev. 1:4. ▣ "sprinkle" See full note at Lev. 1:5. ▣ "the altar" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF SACRIFICE. 3:3-4 "the fat" See full note at Lev. 1:8. 3:5 "a soothing aroma" See SPECIAL TOPIC: A SOOTHING AROMA. 3:6 Note the distinction between the herd of Lev. 3:1 (i.e., bull or cow) the flock of Lev. 3:6 (i.e., sheep or goat) ▣ "without defect" See SPECIAL TOPIC: WITHOUT BLEMISH. 3:8 "lay his hand on the head" See full note at Lev. 1:4. ▣ "sprinkle" See full note at Lev. 1:5. 3:9 "the entire fat tail" The sheep of Palestine store their fat in their tails instead of on their intestines. They are called "fat-tailed sheep." This fat was a symbol of the health and vigor of the animal that was reserved for God (as was the blood). 3:11 "as food" This was the ANE view of sacrifice (see SPECIAL TOPIC: SACRIFICIAL SYSTEMS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST), but for Israel it is imagery (i.e., Ps. 50:7-15). The sacrifices were seen as a way to gain or restore favor (Leviticus 1-3) a way to deal with sin (Leviticus 4-5) the offerer the officiating priest YHWH (cf. Lev. 7:11-18; 19:5-8; 22:21-30)
Levítico 3:12-17
3:12-16 The ritual procedures for an animal from the flock parallels the ritual for animals from the herd. 3:17 "It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations" This is a recurrent phrase in the book of Leviticus. It may be the author's way of dividing his book (cf. Lev. 7:36; 10:9; 16:29,34; 17:7; 23:14,21,31,41; 24:3). Be careful of reading the English definition of "perpetual" into the OT. See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam). ▣ "you shall not eat any fat or any blood" The fat was excluded because it represents health and vigor which belongs to God; the blood was excluded because the life was in the blood and the life belongs to God (cf. Gen. 9:4-7; Lev. 7:23,26).