Leviticus 17

The Place of Sacrifice

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the {Israelites}, and you shall say to them, 'This is the word that Yahweh has commanded, saying,

3 "{Any man} from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a sheep or a goat in the camp or who slaughters [it] {outside the camp}

4 and he does not bring it to the tent of assembly's entrance to present an offering to Yahweh {before} Yahweh's tabernacle, then that man shall be accounted bloodguilty--he has poured out blood, and that man shall be cut off from the midst of his people.

5 [This is] so that the {Israelites} may bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing {in the open field} and bring them for Yahweh to [the] tent of assembly's entrance to the priest, and they shall sacrifice fellowship offerings for Yahweh with them.

6 And the priest shall sprinkle the blood on Yahweh's altar [at the] tent of assembly's entrance, and he shall {burn} the fat as an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh.

7 And {they may no longer sacrifice} their sacrifices to the goat-idols after which they were prostituting. This is {a lasting statute} for them {throughout} their generations." '

Instructions Against Eating Blood

8 "And you shall say to them, '[if there is] {anyone} from the house of Israel or from the alien who dwells in their midst who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice

9 and he does not bring it to [the] tent of assembly's entrance to {sacrifice} it for Yahweh, then that man shall be cut off from his people.

10 And [if there is] {anyone} from the house of Israel or from the alien who is dwelling in their midst who eats any blood, then I will set my face against the person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from among his people.

11 Indeed the flesh's life [is] in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, because it [is] the blood with the life that makes atonement.

12 {Therefore} I said to the {Israelites}, '{None of you} may eat blood, nor may the alien who is dwelling in your midst eat blood.'

13 "And [if there is] {anyone} from the {Israelites} or from the alien who is dwelling in their midst who hunts a wild game animal or a bird that may be eaten, then he shall pour out its blood, and he shall cover it with the soil.

14 Indeed, [the] life of all flesh, its blood, [is] in its life, so I said to the {Israelites}, 'You may not eat [the] blood of any flesh, because [the] life of all flesh [is] its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.'

15 "And [if there is] any person who eats a dead body or a mangled carcass, [whether] among the native or among the alien, then he shall wash his garments, and he shall wash [himself] with water, and he shall be unclean until the evening, and he shall be clean.

16 But if he does not wash [his garments] and he does not wash his body, then he shall bear his guilt."

Leviticus 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

All sacrifices to be offered at the tabernacle. (1-9) Eating of blood, or of animals which died a natural death, forbidden. (10-16)

Verses 1-9 All the cattle killed by the Israelites, while in the wilderness, were to be presented before the door of the tabernacle, and the flesh to be returned to the offerer, to be eaten as a peace-offering, according to the law. When they entered Canaan, this only continued in respect of sacrifices. The spiritual sacrifices we are now to offer, are not confined to any one place. We have now no temple or altar that sanctifies the gift; nor does the gospel unity rest only in one place, but in one heart, and the unity of the Spirit. Christ is our Altar, and the true Tabernacle; in him God dwells among men. It is in him that our sacrifices are acceptable to God, and in him only. To set up other mediators, or other altars, or other expiatory sacrifices, is, in effect, to set up other gods. And though God will graciously accept our family offerings, we must not therefore neglect attending at the tabernacle.

Verses 10-16 Here is a confirmation of the law against eating blood. They must eat no blood. But this law was ceremonial, and is now no longer in force; the coming of the substance does away the shadow. The blood of beasts is no longer the ransom, but Christ's blood only; therefore there is not now the reason for abstaining there then was. The blood is now allowed for the nourishment of our bodies; it is no longer appointed to make an atonement for the soul. Now the blood of Christ makes atonement really and effectually; to that, therefore, we must have regard, and not consider it as a common thing, or treat it with indifference.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "And"
• [b]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [c]. Literally "A man a man"
• [d]. Literally "from an outside place of the camp"
• [e]. Literally "to the faces of"
• [f]. Or "and"
• [g]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [h]. Literally "on the faces of the field"
• [i]. Or "they shall bring"
• [j]. Literally "turn into smoke"
• [k]. Literally "not they may sacrifice again"
• [l]. Literally "a statute of eternity" or "a statute of long duration"
• [m]. Literally "to"
• [n]. Literally "A man a man"
• [o]. Or "and"
• [p]. Literally "do" or "make"
• [q]. Or "and"
• [r]. Literally "a man a man"
• [s]. Or "and"
• [t]. Or "and"
• [u]. Or "Because"
• [v]. Literally "Unto thus"
• [w]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [x]. Literally "all of individual self from you not"
• [y]. Or "and not"
• [z]. Literally "a man a man"
• [aa]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [ab]. Or "and"
• [ac]. Or "and"
• [ad]. Or "Because"
• [ae]. Or "and"
• [af]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [ag]. Or "and"
• [ah]. Or "and"
• [ai]. Or "and"
• [aj]. The direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [ak]. Or "And"
• [al]. The direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [am]. Or "and"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 17

In this chapter a law is given, ordering all sorts of persons, Israelites and sojourners, to bring their sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, on pain of being cut off, Le 17:1-9; and a special and particular prohibition of sacrificing to devils is delivered out, Le 17:7; and the eating of blood, and of everything that dies of itself, or is torn with beasts, is forbidden under the above penalty, Le 17:10-16.