Leviticus 17:5-15

5 Therefore the sons of Israel ought to offer their sacrifices to the priest, which they slay in the field, that those be hallowed to the Lord, before the door of the tabernacle of witnessing, and that they offer those peaceable sacrifices to the Lord. (And so the Israelites ought to bring to the Lord the sacrifices which they kill in the field; they shall bring them to the priest, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord.)
6 And the priest shall pour out the blood upon the altar of the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of witnessing; and he shall burn the inner fatness into odour of sweetness to the Lord. (And the priest shall throw the blood against all the sides of the altar of the Lord, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing; and he shall burn the inner fat, to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)
7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices to fiends, with which they did fornication, that is, idolatry; it shall be a lawful thing everlasting to them, and to their after-comers (this shall be an everlasting law for them, and for their after-comers).
8 And thou shalt say to them, A man of the house of Israel, and of the comelings that be pilgrims among you, that offereth a burnt sacrifice, either a slain sacrifice, (And thou shalt say to them, Any Israelite, or a newcomer who is a foreigner, or a stranger, among you, who offereth a burnt sacrifice, or a slain sacrifice,)
9 and bringeth it not to the door of the tabernacle of witnessing (and bringeth it not to the entrance of the Tabernacle of the Witnessing), that it be offered to the Lord, he shall perish from his people.
10 If any man of the sons of Israel, and of the comelings that be pilgrims among you, eateth any blood, I shall set fast my face against his soul, and I shall lose him from his people; (If any Israelite, or a newcomer who is a foreigner, or a stranger, among you, eateth any blood, I shall set my face firmly against that person, and I shall cut him off from his people;)
11 for the life of (the) flesh is in the blood, and I gave that blood to you, (so) that ye cleanse therewith upon mine altar for your souls, and (so) that the blood be sprinkled for [the] sin of the soul.
12 Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, Each living man of you shall not eat blood, neither any of the comelings that be pilgrims among you. (And so I said to the Israelites, None of you shall ever eat blood, nor shall any of the newcomers who be foreigners, or strangers, among you.)
13 Whatever man of the sons of Israel, or of the comelings that be pilgrims with you, taketh a wild beast, either a bird, which it is leaveful to eat (If any Israelite, or a newcomer who is a foreigner among you, taketh a wild beast, or a bird, which it is lawful to eat), whether by hunting, whether by hawking, pour he out the blood thereof, and cover it with earth;
14 for the life of [all] flesh is in (the) blood. Wherefore I said to the sons of Israel, Ye shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of (all) flesh is in the blood, and whoever eateth blood, shall perish.
15 A man that eateth a thing dead by itself, either taken of a beast, as well of men born in the land, as of comelings, he shall wash his clothes, and himself in water, and he shall be defouled, (or unclean,) till to eventide; and by this order, he shall be made clean; (Anyone who eateth a thing that dieth naturally, or is killed by a beast, of those born in the land, as well as newcomers, he shall wash his clothes, and himself in water, and he shall be defiled, or unclean, until the evening; and by this rite, he shall be made clean;)

Leviticus 17:5-15 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.