Leviticus 17

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

2 Speak thou to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel (and to all the Israelites), and say thou to them, This is the word which the Lord commanded, and said,

3 Each man of the house of Israel shall be guilty of blood, or (of) great sin, if he slayeth an ox, or a sheep, either a goat, in the tents, either out of the tents (inside, or outside, the camp),

4 and offereth not an offering to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of witnessing (and then bringeth it not as an offering to the Lord to the entrance of the Tabernacle of the Witnessing); (it is) as if he shedded (out) man's blood, (and) so he shall perish from the midst of his people.

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;)

16 that if he washeth not his clothes, or his body, he shall bear his wickedness. (but if he washeth not his clothes, or his body, he shall bear his wickedness.)

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.

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.