Levítico 7
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Levítico 7
NJB (MT versing) The Priest's Part in the Offerings The Law of the Trespass Offering Instructions to Priests Concerning Sacrifices (6:8-7:38) Repayment Offerings The Rights of the Priests 7:1-10 7:1-10 7:1-6 7:1-6 7:7-10 7:7-10 7:7-10 The Law of Peace Offerings Fellowship Offerings e. the communion sacrifice 7:11-14 7:11-14 7:11-18 7:11-15 7:11-17 7:15-18 7:15-18 7:16-19a General Rules 7:19-21 7:19-21 7:19-21 7:19b-21 7:18-27 Fat and Blood May Not Be Eaten 7:22-27 7:22-27 7:22-27 7:22-27 The Portion of Aaron and His Sons The Priest's Portion 7:28-34 7:28-34 7:28-36 7:28-36 7:28-34 7:35-36 7:35-36 Conclusion 7:37-38 7:37-38 7:37-38 7:37-38 7:35-38 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Exactly when the different rituals were brought together is uncertain. Surely many of them came from the exodus period (Lev. 7:38) but others from later periods. See The Interpreters Bible, vol. 2, pp. 40-41. There are two different terms translated "sacrifice" that need to be distinguished. term used for all animal/blood offerings given to YHWH (BDB 256) term for the act of "slaying" the animal (BDB 1006) Leviticus 6-7 clarifies the information of chapters 1-5. wholly burnt offering ‒ 'ola (BDB 750, cf. Lev. 1:3-17; 6:8-13; 7:8) grain/cereal offering ‒ minha (BDB 585, cf. Lev. 2:1-16; 6:14-23; 7:9-10) peace offering ‒ shelem (BDB 1023, cf. Lev. 3:1-17; 7:11-34) sin offering ‒ hatta't (BDB 308, cf. Lev. 4:1-5:13; 6:24-30) guilt offering ‒ 'asam (BDB 79, cf. Lev. 5:14-6:7; 7:1-7)
Levítico 7:1-10
7:1-10 This paragraph gives more information related to the guilt offering of Lev. 5:14-19. 7:1 "the law" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION. ▣ "it is most holy" The SINGULAR NOUN (BDB 871) is constructed with the PLURAL form plus the ADJECTIVE "most" (BDB 214). See full note at Lev. 6:17 and SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY. 7:2 "sprinkle" See full note at Lev. 4:6. ▣ "blood" See SPECIAL TOPIC: BLOOD. ▣ "the altar" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF SACRIFICE. 7:3 "fat tail" The sheep and goats mentioned were desert animals that stored water and nutrients in their fat tails. This is similar to the camel's hump. 7:4 "kidneys. . .liver" Their inner organs were viewed by Israelites as the seat of the emotions, or possibly, morality (cf. Ps. 26:2; Jer. 11:20; 12:2; 17:10; 20:12). ▣ NASB, NRSV, NJB, JPSOA, REB "the loins" NKJV, Peshitta "the flanks" "sinews" "thighs" BDB loins stupidity confidence KB loins side euphemism for genitals NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 680 sinews tendons not loins 7:5 "Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY. 7:7-8 The officiating priest of the guilt and sin offerings shall have the meat to eat, Lev. 7:7 the skin, Lev. 7:8 7:7 "makes atonement"See SPECIAL TOPIC: ATONEMENT. 7:9-10 There were several ways the grain offering could be prepared. natural (just as it is) baked in the oven (see SPECIAL TOPIC: BAKING BREAD) cooked in a pan cooked on a griddle
Levítico 7:11-14
7:11-21 These three paragraphs (NASB) give more information about the peace offering (cf. Lev. 3:1-17). 7:11-14 These are instructions for the priest on how to perform the "peace offering" (Leviticus 3).
Levítico 7:15-18
7:15-18 These are instructions about how the meat of the peace offering is to be eaten. by whom time of hygienic/health reasons (see R. K. Harrison, Tyndale Commentaries, p. 78) of restrictions on Israelites from Canaanite sacrificial rituals 7:16 There are two types of sacrifices. votive ‒ related to a vow freewill ‒ related to thanking God for His blessing or restoration into His favor 7:18 "should ever be eaten" The NASB adds the italicized word "ever" to indicate an intensified Hebrew grammatical feature (i.e., an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB from the same root, BDB 37, KB 46). This same feature is also in Lev. 7:24, "must certainly not eat it." 7:18-21 There are serious consequences for not obeying YHWH's instructions. Lev. 7:18 ‒ third day meat is unacceptable and offensive to YHWH. One who eats it shall bear his iniquity. Lev. 7:20 ‒ eating a sacrifice in a ceremonially unclean state causes a divinely sent death (i.e., lit. "shall be cut off from his people," Lev. 7:21,25,27; 17:4,9; 18:29; 19:8; 20:17-18; 22:3) Lev. 7:21 ‒ eating food classified as "unclean" (Leviticus 11) is called "detestable thing" (BDB 1054), which may refer to an unclean animal (cf. Lev. 11:10,11,12,13,20,23,41,42) possibly to a pagan sacrifice denoting idolatry 7:18 "reckoned" NKJV, Peshitta "imputed" NRSV, TEV, LXX "credited" "no credit" "not count" "counted to his credit" not accepted not reckoned an offensive thing the person bears his own iniquity ▣ NASB, JPSOA "an offensive thing" NKJV, NRSV, Peshitta "an abomination" "unclean" "as rotten meat" "tainted" "spoiled" "a defilement" The MT has the word לוגפ (BDB 803, KB 909), which seems to be a technical ritual term for "spoiled" or "unclean animal flesh." Lev. 7:18; 19:7 ‒ a peace offering remaining into the third day Isa. 65:4 ‒ broth from an unclean meat Ezek. 4:14 ‒ referring to any type of unclean or improperly prepared meat These are the only occurrences of the word in the OT. ▣ ""shall bear his own iniquity" This is theologically parallel to "be cut off from his people." It if refers to God's actions, it denotes "remove/forgive iniquity" (cf. Exod. 34:7; Num. 14:18; Ps. 32:5; 85:2; Isa. 33:24; Hos 14:2; Mic. 7:18). If it refers to a human person's actions, it denotes that he/she bears his own punishment (cf. Exod. 28:43; Lev. 5:1,17; 7:18; 17:16; 19:8; Num. 5:31; 18:1,23), which involved divine punishment, probably death.
Levítico 7:19-21
7:21 "detestable thing" "abominable unclean thing" NRSV, JPSOA "any unclean creature" "any foul thing" "swarming creature" "creeping thing"
Levítico 7:22-27
7:22 See SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSES' AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH. 7:23-27 Israelites were forbidden to eat the fat of animals from sacrifices found dead torn by beasts the blood excommunicated (driven out of the camp) forfeits his/her life (by divine agency and may include the whole family) 7:24 "but you must certainly not eat it" This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 37, KB 46, cf. Lev. 7:21), which denotes intensity.
Levítico 7:28-34
7:28-34 These are further instructions about the peace offering. the responsibility of the offerer, Lev. 7:29-30 the priest's part of the sacrifice, Lev. 7:31-34 7:30 "presented as a wave offering"This is literally "waved as a wave offering" (BDB 631-632). There has been disagreement on how the piece of meat (or other sacrifice) was "waved" (cf. Exod. 29:24). "up and back," meaning first given to God (i.e., "elevated," NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 335-337), then His giving it back (Egyptian wall reliefs) "side to side," possibly drawing special attention to the gift (rabbinical interpretation, Jewish Study Bible, p. 221) Robert Girdlestone, Synonyms of the OT, p. 203, who suggests that wave offering (tenuphah, BDB 631, KB 682) was "shaking to and fro" heave offering (terumah, BDB 632) was "elevated" S. R. Driver, Introduction to the Literature of the OT, pp. 100-105, suggests that the usage of the word in Exod. 25:2 demonstrates it may come from another Semitic root meaning "additional gift," meaning an added sacrifice Milgrom, quoted in NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 65, thinks the two words denoted different ritual acts tenuphah, BDB 631, KB 682, always occurs in the Tabernacle (i.e., "before the Lord") terumah, BDB 632, is said to be "to the Lord" but never "before the Lord" 7:32 The "breast" (i.e., front half of sacrifice without the shoulders) was given to all male priests but the "thigh" (i.e., the right back leg) was given exclusively to the officiating priest. It was the choice part of the sacrificial animal.
Levítico 7:35-36
7:35 "that which is consecrated" "the consecrated portion" NRSV, REB, NET "the portion allotted" "part of the food offered" "the food burnt" "prerequisites" "the anointing" "the portion of the anointing" the priest's initial anointing the priest's portion from the sacrifice he performed 7:36 Notice that two phrases/words which denote an ongoing ritual/ordinance occur together. "forever," BDB 761; cf. Lev. 3:17; 6:18,22; 7:34,35; 10:9,15; 16:29,31,34; 17:7; 23:14,21,31,41; 24:7,8,9; 25:32,34,46); see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam) "throughout their generations," cf. Lev. 3:17; 6:11; 7:36; 10:9; 17:7; 21:17; 22:3; 23:14, 21,31,41,45; 24:3; 25:30
Levítico 7:37-38
7:37-38 This is a summary statement concluding chapters 1-7. 7:37 NASB, TEV, REB "the ordination offering" "the consecrations" NRSV, JPSOA "the offering of ordination" "investiture sacrifice" "the consecration" the setting/placing of jewels in a setting ‒ Exod. 23:7; 35:9,27 the initial offering of the installation of priests to their office and duties ‒ Lev. 7:37; 8:22,29,33; Exod. 29:22,25,27,31 7:38 "at Mount Sinai" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE LOCATION OF MT. SINAI. ▣ "the wilderness of Sinai" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE WILDERNESSES OF THE EXODUS.