Leviticus 17:3-13

3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,^[a] a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it

4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people.

5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.

6 The priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols^[b] to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.’

8 “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice

9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD must be cut off from the people of Israel.

10 “ ‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people.

11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.^[c]

12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”

13 “ ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,

Leviticus 17:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. S Leviticus 3:7
• 2. S Leviticus 7:23
• 3. ver 9; 1 Kings 8:4; 2 Chronicles 1:3
• 4. Deuteronomy 12:5-21
• 5. S Genesis 17:14
• 6. S Leviticus 3:1; Ezekiel 43:27
• 7. S Leviticus 4:18
• 8. S Leviticus 3:2
• 9. S Leviticus 1:9; Numbers 18:17
• 10. S Exodus 22:20; 2 Chronicles 11:15
• 11. S Exodus 32:8; Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 32:17; Jeremiah 3:6,9; Ezekiel 23:3; 1 Corinthians 10:20
• 12. S Exodus 12:14
• 13. S Genesis 9:12
• 14. S Leviticus 1:3
• 15. S ver 4
• 16. S Leviticus 3:7
• 17. S Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17; Deuteronomy 12:16,23; 1 Samuel 14:33
• 18. ver 14; Genesis 9:4
• 19. Hebrews 9:22
• 20. Leviticus 7:26; Deuteronomy 12:16; Ezekiel 24:7; Ezekiel 33:25; Acts 15:20

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.
• [b]. Or "the demons"
• [c]. Or "atonement by the life in the blood"