Leviticus 7:8

8 The skin of an animal offered as a burnt offering belongs to the priest who offers the sacrifice.

Leviticus 7:8 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 7:8

And the priest that offereth any man's burnt offering
In which the flesh was wholly burnt, and nothing of it remained to requite the priest for his trouble, as in other offerings:

even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt
offering, which he hath offered;
in some cases the skin itself was burnt, and then he could have nothing, see ( Leviticus 4:11 Leviticus 4:12 ) but in others the skin was reserved for the priest. There seems to be an emphasis upon the phrase "to himself", and may signify, that though in other things other priests might partake with him, yet not in this; and so Maimonides F26 observes, that the skin was not given to every priest, but to him that offered the sacrifice; and elsewhere F1 he says, the skins of light holy things are the owner's, but the skins of the most holy things are the priest's. And some have thought this law has some respect to the case of Adam, and is agreeable thereunto; who having offered sacrifice according to divine directions given him, had coats made for him and his wife of the skins of the slain beasts; and it was usual with the Heathen priests to have the skins of the sacrifices, and in which they slept in their temples and others also were desirous of the same, in order by dreams or otherwise to get knowledge of things future; (See Gill on Amos 2:8).


FOOTNOTES:

F26 In Misn. Challah, c. 4. sect. 9.
F1 In Misn. Zebachim, c. 12. sect. 3.

Leviticus 7:8 In-Context

6 Any male of the priestly families may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place, because it is very holy.
7 There is one regulation that applies to both the sin offering and the repayment offering: the meat belongs to the priest who offers the sacrifice.
8 The skin of an animal offered as a burnt offering belongs to the priest who offers the sacrifice.
9 Every grain offering that has been baked in an oven or prepared in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who has offered it to God.
10 But all uncooked grain offerings, whether mixed with oil or dry, belong to all the Aaronite priests and must be shared equally among them.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.