Leviticus 3:16

16 The priest shall burn all this on the altar as a food offering pleasing to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.

Leviticus 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 3:16

And the priest shall burn them upon the altar
Which shows that not the fat only, but the inwards and the kidneys, were burnt also; so Maimonides says F12, that the priest salted the parts, and burned them upon the altar; and the priests might not have the breast and shoulder (which were what belonged to them) until the parts were burnt:

[it is] the food of the offering made by fire;
which the Lord ate of, or accepted of:

for a sweet savour;
as a type of the sweet smelling sacrifice of Christ, with which he is well pleased;

all the fat is the Lord's;
that is, all that was upon the parts mentioned in the several sacrifices of peace offerings, which was to be taken off and burnt: though the Jewish writers understand it of all fat in general, and so interpret the law that follows.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 Ut supra, (Maaseh Hakorbanot) c. 9. sect. 11.

Leviticus 3:16 In-Context

14 and present the following parts as a food offering to the Lord: all the fat on the internal organs,
15 the kidneys and the fat on them, and the best part of the liver.
16 The priest shall burn all this on the altar as a food offering pleasing to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.
17 No Israelite may eat any fat or any blood; this is a rule to be kept forever by all Israelites wherever they live.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.