Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NET

Leviticus 7
New English Translation

The Guilt Offering

7 “‘This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy. 2 In the place where they slaughter the burnt offering they must slaughter the guilt offering, and the officiating priest[a] must splash[b] the blood against the altar’s sides. 3 Then the one making the offering[c] must present all its fat: the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, 4 the two kidneys and the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he must remove along with the kidneys).[d] 5 Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar[e] as a gift to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. 6 Any male among the priests may eat it. It must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.[f] 7 The law is the same for the sin offering and the guilt offering;[g] it belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.

Priestly Portions of Burnt and Grain Offerings

8 “‘As for the priest who presents someone’s burnt offering, the hide of that burnt offering which he presented belongs to him. 9 Every grain offering which is baked in the oven or[h] made in the pan[i] or on the griddle belongs to the priest who presented it. 10 Every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs to all the sons of Aaron, each one alike.[j]

The Peace Offering

11 “‘This is the law of the peace-offering sacrifice which he[k] is to present to the Lord. 12 If he presents it on account of thanksgiving,[l] along with the thank-offering sacrifice he must present unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil,[m] and well-soaked,[n] ring-shaped loaves made of choice wheat flour[o] mixed with olive oil. 13 He must present this grain offering[p] in addition to ring-shaped loaves of leavened bread which regularly accompany[q] the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offering. 14 He must present one of each kind of grain offering[r] as a contribution offering[s] to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the peace offering. 15 The meat of his[t] thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day of his offering; he must not set any of it aside until morning.

16 “‘If his offering is a votive or freewill sacrifice,[u] it may be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and also the leftovers from it may be eaten on the next day,[v] 17 but the leftovers from the meat of the sacrifice must be burned up in the fire[w] on the third day. 18 If some of the meat of his peace-offering sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it since it is spoiled,[x] and the person who eats from it will bear his punishment for iniquity.[y] 19 The meat which touches anything ceremonially unclean[z] must not be eaten; it must be burned up in the fire. As for ceremonially clean meat,[aa] everyone who is ceremonially clean may eat the meat. 20 The person who eats meat from the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while that person’s uncleanness persists[ab] will be cut off from his people.[ac] 21 When a person touches anything unclean (whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or an unclean detestable creature)[ad] and eats some of the meat of the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.’”[ae]

Sacrificial Instructions for the Common People: Fat and Blood

22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:[af] 23 “Tell the Israelites, ‘You must not eat any fat of an ox, sheep, or goat. 24 Moreover, the fat of an animal that has died of natural causes[ag] and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be used for any other purpose,[ah] but you must certainly never eat it. 25 If anyone eats fat from the animal from which he presents a gift to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.[ai] 26 And you must not eat any blood of the birds or of the domesticated land animals in any of the places where you live.[aj] 27 Any person who eats any blood—that person will be cut off from his people.’”[ak]

Priestly Portions of Peace Offerings

28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:[al] 29 “Tell the Israelites, ‘The one who presents his peace-offering sacrifice to the Lord must bring part of his offering to the Lord as his sacrifice. 30 With his own hands he must bring the Lord’s gifts. He must bring the fat with the breast[am] to wave the breast as a wave offering before the Lord,[an] 31 and the priest must offer the fat up in smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 The right thigh you must give as a contribution offering[ao] to the priest from your peace-offering sacrifice. 33 The one from Aaron’s sons who presents the blood of the peace offering and fat will have the right thigh as his share, 34 for the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering I have taken from the Israelites out of their peace-offering sacrifices and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the people of Israel as a perpetual allotted portion.’”[ap]

35 This is the allotment of Aaron and the allotment of his sons from the Lord’s gifts on the day Moses[aq] presented them to serve as priests[ar] to the Lord. 36 This is what the Lord commanded to give to them from the Israelites on the day Moses[as] anointed them[at]—a perpetual allotted portion throughout their generations.[au]

Summary of Sacrificial Regulations in Leviticus 6:8-7:36

37 This is the law[av] for the burnt offering, the grain offering,[aw] the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering,[ax] and the peace-offering sacrifice, 38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord in the desert of Sinai.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the officiating priest) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This priest was responsible for any actions involving direct contact with the altar (e.g., the splashing of the blood).
  2. Leviticus 7:2 tn See the note on Lev 1:5.
  3. Leviticus 7:3 tn Heb “then he.” This pronoun refers to the offerer, who was responsible for slaughtering the animal. Contrast v. 2 above and v. 5 below.
  4. Leviticus 7:4 tn See the notes on Lev 3:3-4.
  5. Leviticus 7:5 tn See the note on Lev 1:9 above.
  6. Leviticus 7:6 tn Heb “holiness of holinesses [or holy of holies] it is”; NAB “most sacred”; TEV “very holy.”
  7. Leviticus 7:7 tn Heb “like the sin offering like the guilt offering, one law to them.”
  8. Leviticus 7:9 tn Heb “and” rather than “or” (cf. also the next “or”).
  9. Leviticus 7:9 tn Heb “and all made in the pan”; cf. KJV “fryingpan”; NAB “deep-fried in a pot.”
  10. Leviticus 7:10 tn Heb “a man like his brother.”
  11. Leviticus 7:11 tn This “he” pronoun refers to the offerer. Smr and LXX have plural “they.”
  12. Leviticus 7:12 tn Or “for a thank offering.”
  13. Leviticus 7:12 tn See the notes on Lev 2:4.
  14. Leviticus 7:12 tn See the note on Lev 6:21 [6:14 HT].
  15. Leviticus 7:12 tn Heb “choice wheat flour well-soaked ring-shaped loaves.” See the note on Lev 2:1.
  16. Leviticus 7:13 tn The rendering “this [grain] offering” is more literally “his offering,” but it refers to the series of grain offerings listed just previously in v. 12.
  17. Leviticus 7:13 tn The words “which regularly accompany” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity.sn The translation “[which regularly accompany]…” is based on the practice of bringing bread (and wine) to eat with the portions of the peace-offering meat eaten by the priests and worshipers (see v. 14 and Num 15:1-13). This was in addition to the memorial portion of the unleavened bread that was offered to the Lord on the altar (cf. Lev 2:2, 9, and the note on 7:12).
  18. Leviticus 7:14 tn Here the Hebrew text reads “offering” (קָרְבָּן, qorban), not “grain offering” (מִנְחָה, minkhah), but in this context the term refers once again to the list in 7:12.
  19. Leviticus 7:14 tn The term rendered “contribution offering” is תְּרוּמָה (terumah), which generally refers to that which is set aside from the offerings to the Lord as prebends for the officiating priests (cf. esp. Lev 7:28-34 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 4:335-37). Cf. TEV “as a special contribution.”
  20. Leviticus 7:15 tn In the verse “his” refers to the offerer.
  21. Leviticus 7:16 tn For the distinction between votive and freewill offerings see the note on Lev 22:23 and the literature cited there.
  22. Leviticus 7:16 tn Heb “and on the next day and the left over from it shall be eaten.”
  23. Leviticus 7:17 tn Heb “burned with fire,” an expression which is sometimes redundant in English, but here means “burned up,” “burned up entirely” (likewise in v. 19).
  24. Leviticus 7:18 tn Or “desecrated,” or “defiled,” or “forbidden.” For this difficult term see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:422. Cf. NIV “it is impure”; NCV “it will become unclean”; NLT “will be contaminated.”
  25. Leviticus 7:18 tn Heb “his iniquity he shall bear” (cf. Lev 5:1); NIV “will be held responsible”; NRSV “shall incur guilt”; TEV “will suffer the consequences.”
  26. Leviticus 7:19 tn The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation both here and in the following sentence to clarify that the uncleanness involved is ritual or ceremonial in nature.
  27. Leviticus 7:19 tn The Hebrew has simply “the flesh,” but this certainly refers to “clean” flesh in contrast to the unclean flesh in the first half of the verse.
  28. Leviticus 7:20 tn Heb “and his unclean condition is on him.”
  29. Leviticus 7:20 sn The exact meaning of this penalty clause is not certain. It could mean that he will be executed, whether by God or by man, he will be excommunicated from sanctuary worship and/or community benefits (cf. TEV, CEV), or his line will be terminated by God (i.e., extirpation), etc. See J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 100; J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:457-60; and B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 241-42 for further discussion.
  30. Leviticus 7:21 sn For these categories of unclean animals see Lev 11.
  31. Leviticus 7:21 sn For the interpretation of this last clause see the note on Lev 7:20.
  32. Leviticus 7:22 sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT] above.
  33. Leviticus 7:24 tn Heb “carcass,” referring to the carcass of an animal that has died on its own, not the carcass of an animal slaughtered for sacrifice or killed by wild beasts. This has been clarified in the translation by supplying the phrase “of natural causes”; cf. NAB, TEV “that has died a natural death.”
  34. Leviticus 7:24 tn Heb “shall be used for any work”; cf. NIV, NLT “may be used for any other purpose.”
  35. Leviticus 7:25 sn See the note on Lev 7:20.
  36. Leviticus 7:26 tn Heb “and any blood you must not eat in any of your dwelling places, to the bird and to the animal.”
  37. Leviticus 7:27 sn See the note on Lev 7:20.
  38. Leviticus 7:28 sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT].
  39. Leviticus 7:30 tn Heb “on the breast.”
  40. Leviticus 7:30 tc Many Hebrew mss and some versions (esp. the LXX) limit the offerings in the last part of this verse to the fat portions, specifically, the fat and the fat lobe of the liver (see the BHS footnote). The verse is somewhat awkward in Hebrew but nevertheless correct.tn Heb “the breast to wave it, a wave offering before the Lord.” Other possible translations are “to elevate the breast [as] an elevation offering before the Lord” (cf. NRSV) or “to present the breast [as] a presentation offering before the Lord.” See J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 91, J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:430-31, 461-72, and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:63-67.
  41. Leviticus 7:32 tn Older English versions (e.g., KJV, ASV) translate this Hebrew term (תְּרוּמָה, terumah) “heave offering,” derived from the idea of “to raise, to lift” found in the verbal root (cf. NAB “a raised offering”). “Contribution offering” is a better English rendering because it refers to something “taken out from” (i.e., “lifted up from”; cf. the Hebrew term הֵרִים (herim) in, e.g., Lev 2:9; 4:8, etc.) the offering as a special contribution to the specific priest who presided over the offering procedures in any particular instance (see the next verse and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 4:335-37). Cf. TEV “as a special contribution”; NCV, NLT “as a gift.”
  42. Leviticus 7:34 tn Or “a perpetual regulation”; cf. NASB “as their due forever”; NRSV “as a perpetual due”; NLT “their regular share.”
  43. Leviticus 7:35 tn Heb “the day he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  44. Leviticus 7:35 tn Heb “in the day of he presented them to serve as priests to the Lord.” The grammar here is relatively unusual. First, the verb “presented” appears to be in the perfect rather than the infinitive (but see GKC 531), the latter being normal in such temporal expressions. Second, the active verb form appears to be used as a passive plural (“they were presented”). However, if it is translated active and singular then Moses would be the subject: “on the day he [Moses] offered them [Aaron and his sons].”
  45. Leviticus 7:36 tn Heb “the day he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  46. Leviticus 7:36 tn Heb “which the Lord commanded to give to them in the day he anointed them from the children of Israel.” Thus v. 36 is tied syntactically to v. 35 (see the note there).
  47. Leviticus 7:36 tn Heb “for your generations”; cf. NIV “for the generations to come”; TEV “for all time to come.”
  48. Leviticus 7:37 sn The Hebrew term translated “law” (תוֹרָה [torah]) occurs up to this point in the book only in Lev 6:9 [6:2 HT], 14 [7 HT], 25 [18 HT], 7:1, 7, 11, and here in 7:37. This suggests that Lev 7:37-38 is a summary of only this section of the book (i.e., Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT]-7:36), not all of Lev 1-7.
  49. Leviticus 7:37 tc In the MT only “the grain offering” lacks a connecting ו (vav). However, many Hebrew mss, Smr, LXX, Syriac, and a ms of Tg. Onq. have the ו (vav) on “the grain offering” as well.
  50. Leviticus 7:37 sn The inclusion of the “ordination offering” (מִלּוּאִים, milluʾim; the term apparently comes from the notion of “filling [of the hand],” cf. Lev 8:33) here anticipates Lev 8. It is a kind of peace offering, as the regulations in Lev 8:22-32 will show (cf. Exod 29:19-34). In the context of the ordination ritual for the priests it fits into the sequence of offerings as a peace offering would: sin offering (Lev 8:14-17), burnt and grain offering (Lev 8:18-21), and finally peace (i.e., ordination) offering (Lev 8:22-32). Moreover, in this case, Moses received the breast of the ordination offering as his due since he was the presiding priest over the sacrificial procedures (Lev 8:29; cf. Lev 7:30-31), while Aaron and his sons ate the portions that would have been consumed by the common worshipers in a regular peace-offering procedure (Exod 29:31-34; cf. Lev 7:15-18). For a general introduction to the peace offering see the note on Lev 3:1.
Listen to Leviticus 7
Close NIV

Leviticus 7
New International Version

The Guilt Offering

7 “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering,(A) which is most holy: 2 The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar. 3 All its fat(B) shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the internal organs, 4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.(C) 5 The priest shall burn them on the altar(D) as a food offering presented to the Lord. It is a guilt offering. 6 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it,(E) but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.(F)

7 “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering[a](G) and the guilt offering:(H) They belong to the priest(I) who makes atonement with them.(J) 8 The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide(K) for himself. 9 Every grain offering baked in an oven(L) or cooked in a pan(M) or on a griddle(N) belongs to the priest who offers it, 10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with olive oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

The Fellowship Offering

11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:

12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering(O) they are to offer thick loaves(P) made without yeast(Q) and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves(R) made without yeast and brushed with oil,(S) and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving(T) they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast.(U) 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning.(V)

16 “‘If, however, their offering is the result of a vow(W) or is a freewill offering,(X) the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day they offer it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.(Y) 17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.(Z) 18 If any meat of the fellowship offering(AA) is eaten on the third day, the one who offered it will not be accepted.(AB) It will not be reckoned(AC) to their credit, for it has become impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.(AD)

19 “‘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. 20 But if anyone who is unclean(AE) eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, they must be cut off from their people.(AF) 21 Anyone who touches something unclean(AG)—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature that moves along the ground[b]—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord must be cut off from their people.’”

Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.(AH) 24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals(AI) may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be[c] presented to the Lord must be cut off from their people. 26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood(AJ) of any bird or animal. 27 Anyone who eats blood(AK) must be cut off from their people.’”

The Priests’ Share

28 The Lord said to Moses, 29 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the Lord. 30 With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the Lord; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering.(AL) 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar,(AM) but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.(AN) 32 You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.(AO) 33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share. 34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh(AP) that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons(AQ) as their perpetual share from the Israelites.’”

35 This is the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests. 36 On the day they were anointed,(AR) the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their perpetual share for the generations to come.

37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering,(AS) the grain offering,(AT) the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering(AU) and the fellowship offering, 38 which the Lord gave Moses(AV) at Mount Sinai(AW) in the Desert of Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:7 Or purification offering; also in verse 37
  2. Leviticus 7:21 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac and Targum (see 5:2); most Hebrew manuscripts any unclean, detestable thing
  3. Leviticus 7:25 Or offering is
Next
Leviticus 6
Leviticus 8
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV