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B. Instructions for the Priests

Chapter 6

The Daily Burnt Offering. The Lord said to Moses: [a](A)Give Aaron and his sons the following command: This is the ritual[b] for the burnt offering—the burnt offering that is to remain on the hearth of the altar all night until the next morning, while the fire is kept burning on the altar. The priest, clothed in his linen robe and wearing linen pants underneath, shall take away the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar, and lay them at the side of the altar. Then, having taken off these garments and put on other garments, he shall carry the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. The fire on the altar is to be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest shall put firewood on it. On this he shall lay out the burnt offering(B) and burn the fat of the communion offering. The fire is to be kept burning continuously on the altar; it must not go out.

The Grain Offering.[c] This is the ritual of the grain offering. Aaron’s sons shall offer it before the Lord, in front of the altar. A priest shall then take from the grain offering a handful of bran flour and oil, together with all the frankincense that is on it,(C) and this he shall burn on the altar as a token of the offering, a sweet aroma to the Lord. The rest of it Aaron and his sons may eat; but it must be eaten unleavened in a sacred place:(D) in the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 10 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it to them as their portion from the oblations for the Lord; it is most holy,(E) like the purification offering and the reparation offering. 11 Every male of Aaron’s descendants may eat of it perpetually throughout your generations as their rightful due from the oblations for the Lord. Whatever touches the oblations becomes holy.

High Priest’s Daily Grain Offering.[d] 12 The Lord said to Moses: 13 This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall present to the Lord on the day he is anointed: one tenth of an ephah of bran flour for the regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. 14 You shall bring it well kneaded and fried in oil on a griddle.(F) Having broken the offering into pieces, you shall present it as a sweet aroma to the Lord. 15 The anointed priest descended from Aaron who succeeds him shall do likewise. This is the Lord’s due forever. The offering shall be wholly burned.(G) 16 Every grain offering of a priest shall be a whole offering; it may not be eaten.

Purification Offerings.[e] 17 The Lord said to Moses: 18 (H)Tell Aaron and his sons: This is the ritual for the purification offering. At the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, there also, before the Lord, shall the purification offering be slaughtered. It is most holy.(I) 19 The priest who offers the purification offering shall eat of it; it shall be eaten in a sacred place,(J) in the court of the tent of meeting. 20 Whatever touches its flesh becomes holy. If any of its blood spatters on a garment, the stained part must be washed in a sacred place. 21 A clay vessel in which it has been boiled shall be broken; if it is boiled in a copper vessel, this shall be scoured afterward and rinsed with water.(K) 22 Every male of the priestly line may eat it. It is most holy. 23 But no purification offering of which some blood has been brought into the tent of meeting(L) to make atonement in the sanctuary shall be eaten; it must be burned with fire.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 6:2–6 This passage may have reference to the burnt offering that is offered in the morning and late afternoon each day (cf. Ex 29:38–42; Nm 28:3–8).
  2. 6:2 Ritual: Hebrew torah, which also has the broader meaning of “instruction.” The treatment of sacrifices in chaps. 6–7 recapitulates the offerings treated in 1–5 but now with more emphasis on priestly duties and prerogatives.
  3. 6:7–11 The passage is apparently concerned with the raw grain offering of 2:1–3.
  4. 6:12–16 This seems to refer to a grain offering offered twice daily by the high priest, perhaps identical to the regular grain offering in Nm 4:16 (cf. Neh 10:34). This offering is distinct from the grain offering that accompanies the daily burnt offering.
  5. 6:17–23 There are two types of purification offering: one whose blood is used inside the tent sanctuary (4:1–12, 13–21) and another whose blood was only used at the outer sacrificial altar (4:22–26, 27–31, 32–35). The carcasses of the former, as well as of purification offerings brought by the priests themselves (cf. 8:14–17; 9:8–11), are not eaten by priests but disposed of at the ash heap outside the camp, which itself is set up around the sanctuary (Ex 29:14; Lv 4:11–12, 21; 6:23; 8:17; 9:11; 16:27). The Letter to the Hebrews compares Jesus’ suffering “outside the gate” to the disposal of purification offering carcasses outside the camp (Hb 13:11–13).

[a]The Lord said to Moses: “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord(A) by deceiving a neighbor(B) about something entrusted to them or left in their care(C) or about something stolen, or if they cheat(D) their neighbor, or if they find lost property and lie about it,(E) or if they swear falsely(F) about any such sin that people may commit— when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return(G) what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution(H) in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.(I) And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering,(J) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.(K) In this way the priest will make atonement(L) for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

The Burnt Offering

The Lord said to Moses: “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering(M): 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.(N) 10 The priest shall then put on his linen clothes,(O) with linen undergarments next to his body,(P) and shall remove the ashes(Q) of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 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.(R) 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood(S) and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat(T) of the fellowship offerings(U) on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

The Grain Offering

14 “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering:(V) Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the Lord, in front of the altar. 15 The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense(W) on the grain offering,(X) and burn the memorial[b] portion(Y) on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 16 Aaron and his sons(Z) shall eat the rest(AA) of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast(AB) in the sanctuary area;(AC) they are to eat it in the courtyard(AD) of the tent of meeting.(AE) 17 It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share(AF) of the food offerings presented to me.(AG) Like the sin offering[c] and the guilt offering, it is most holy.(AH) 18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it.(AI) For all generations to come(AJ) it is his perpetual share(AK) of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.[d](AL)’”

19 The Lord also said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he[e] is anointed:(AM) a tenth of an ephah[f](AN) of the finest flour(AO) as a regular grain offering,(AP) half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It must be prepared with oil on a griddle;(AQ) bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken[g] in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 22 The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest(AR) shall prepare it. It is the Lord’s perpetual share and is to be burned completely.(AS) 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

The Sin Offering

24 The Lord said to Moses, 25 “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering:(AT) The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord(AU) in the place(AV) the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area,(AW) in the courtyard(AX) of the tent of meeting.(AY) 27 Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy,(AZ) and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area. 28 The clay pot(BA) 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. 29 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it;(BB) it is most holy.(BC) 30 But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement(BD) in the Holy Place(BE) must not be eaten; it must be burned up.(BF)

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-7 is numbered 5:20-26, and 6:8-30 is numbered 6:1-23.
  2. Leviticus 6:15 Or representative
  3. Leviticus 6:17 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 30
  4. Leviticus 6:18 Or Whoever touches them must be holy; similarly in verse 27
  5. Leviticus 6:20 Or each
  6. Leviticus 6:20 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  7. Leviticus 6:21 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.