Leviticus 3

The Law of Peace Offerings

1 'Now if his offering is a ¹sacrifice of peace offerings, if he is going to offer out of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it ²without defect before the LORD.

2 '³He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and ⁴slay it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

3 'From the sacrifice of the peace offerings he shall present an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.

5 'Then ⁵Aaron's sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar ⁶on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; ⁷it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

6 'But if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, he shall offer it, male or female, ⁸without defect.

7 'If he is going to offer ⁹a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it ¹⁰before the LORD,

8 and ¹¹he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and ¹²slay it before the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons shall ¹³sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

9 'From the ¹⁴sacrifice of peace offerings he shall bring as an offering by fire to the LORD, its fat, the entire fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

10 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove ¹⁵with the kidneys.

11 'Then the priest shall offer it up in smoke ¹⁶on the altar as ¹⁷food, an offering by fire to the LORD.

12 'Moreover, if his offering is ¹⁸a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD,

13 and he shall lay his hand on its head and slay it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

14 'From it he shall present his offering as an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

15 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove ¹⁹with the kidneys.

16 'The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; ²⁰all fat is the LORD'S.

17 'It is a ²¹perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat ²²or any blood.' "

PREVIOUS Leviticus 2 NEXT Leviticus 4

Leviticus 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The peace-offering of the herd. (1-5) The peace-offering of the flock. (6-17)

Verses 1-5 The peace-offerings had regard to God as the giver of all good things. These were divided between the altar, the priest, and the owner. They were called peace-offering, because in them God and his people did, as it were, feast together, in token of friendship. The peace-offerings were offered by way of supplication. If a man were in pursuit of any mercy, he would add a peace-offering to his prayer for it. Christ is our Peace, our Peace-offering; for through him alone it is that we can obtain an answer of peace to our prayers. Or, the peace-offering was offered by way of thanksgiving for some mercy received. We must offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually, by Christ our Peace; and then this shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock.

Verses 6-17 Here is a law that they should eat neither fat nor blood. As for the fat, it means the fat of the inwards, the suet. The blood was forbidden for the same reason; because it was God's part of every sacrifice. God would not permit the blood that made atonement to be used as a common thing, ( Hebrews 10:29 ) ; nor will he allow us, though we have the comfort of the atonement made, to claim for ourselves any share in the honour of making it. This taught the Jews to observe distinction between common and sacred things; it kept them separate from idolaters. It would impress them more deeply with the belief of some important mystery in the shedding of the blood and the burning the fat of their solemn sacrifices. Christ, as the Prince of peace, "made peace with the blood of his cross." Through him the believer is reconciled to God; and having the peace of God in his heart, he is disposed to follow peace with all men. May the Lord multiply grace, mercy, and peace, to all who desire to bear the Christian character.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 22

1. Leviticus 7:11-34; Leviticus 17:5
2. Leviticus 1:3; Leviticus 22:20-24
3. Leviticus 1:4
4. Ex 29:11, 16, 20
5. Leviticus 7:28-34
6. Exodus 29:38-42; Numbers 28:3-10
7. Numbers 15:8-10; Numbers 28:12-14
8. Leviticus 3:1; Leviticus 22:20-24
9. Numbers 15:4, 5; Numbers 28:4-8
10. Leviticus 17:8, 9; 1 Kings 8:62
11. Leviticus 1:4
12. Leviticus 3:2
13. Leviticus 1:5
14. Leviticus 17:5; Numbers 7:88; 1 Samuel 10:8; 2 Samuel 6:17; 1 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 8:63, 64; 1 Chronicles 16:1
15. Leviticus 3:4, 15
16. Leviticus 3:5
17. Leviticus 3:16; Leviticus 21:6, 8, 17, 22
18. Numbers 15:6-11
19. Leviticus 3:4; Leviticus 7:4
20. Leviticus 7:23-25
21. Leviticus 6:18, 22; Leviticus 7:34, 36; Leviticus 10:9, 15; Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 17:7; Leviticus 23:14, 21; Leviticus 24:3
22. Leviticus 7:26; Leviticus 17:10-16

Footnotes 4

[a]. Or "appendage on"
[b]. Lit "the fat tail, entire"
[c]. Or "appendage on"
[d]. Or "appendage on"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 3

This chapter contains the law of the peace offerings, and gives an account what they consisted of, and of the various rites and ceremonies used at them, as of the bullock and the rites appertaining to that, Le 3:1-5 and of the lamb, and of the rites peculiar to it, Le 3:6-11 and of the goat, and of the rites belonging to it, Le 3:12-16 and the chapter is concluded with a law forbidding the eating of fat and blood throughout their dwellings for ever, Le 3:17.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible