Leviticus 3

1 That if his offering is a sacrifice of peaceable things, and he will offer of [the] oxen, he shall offer before the Lord a male, either a female, without wem. (And if his offering is a peace offering, and he will offer it from the oxen, he shall offer before the Lord a male, or a female, without blemish, or without fault.)

2 And he shall set his hand upon the head of his slain sacrifice, which shall be offered in the entering of the tabernacle; and the sons of Aaron, [the] priest(s), shall pour the blood by compass of the altar. (And he shall put his hand on the head of his sacrifice, and shall offer, or shall kill, it at the entrance to the Tabernacle; and the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall throw the blood against all the sides of the altar.)

3 And they shall offer of the sacrifice of peaceable things into offering to the Lord, the fatness that covereth the entrails, and whatever thing of fatness is within; (And they shall offer for the peace offering, as a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, the fat that covereth the innards, and whatever fat is within;)

4 they shall offer [the] two kidneys with the fatness by which the guts called ileum be covered, and the caul of the liver, with the little reins, (or with the kidneys).

5 And they shall burn those on the altar, into burnt sacrifice, when fire is put under the wood, into offering of the sweetest odour to the Lord. (And they shall burn them on the altar, for a burnt sacrifice, when fire is put under the wood, for an offering of the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)

6 Soothly if his offering is of sheep, and a sacrifice of peaceable things, whether he offereth a male or a female, they shall be without wem. (And if his offering for a peace offering is a sheep, whether he offereth a male or a female, they shall be without blemish.)

7 If he offer a lamb before the Lord,

8 he shall set his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, that shall be offered in the porch of the tabernacle of witnessing; and the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof by environ of the altar. (he shall put his hand on the head of his sacrifice, that shall be offered in front of the Tabernacle of the Witnessing; and the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall throw its blood against all the sides of the altar.)

9 And they shall offer of the sacrifice of peaceable things a sacrifice to the Lord, the inner fatness, and all the tail with the reins, and the fatness that covereth the womb, and all the entrails, (And they shall offer for the peace offering, as a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, the inner fat, and all the tail by the kidneys, and the fat that covereth the womb, and all the innards,)

10 and ever either little rein, with the fatness which is beside the guts called (the) ileum, and the caul of the maw, with the little reins. (and the two kidneys, with the fat which is beside the haunches, and the caul of the liver, with the kidneys.)

11 And the priest shall burn them upon the altar, into the feeding, or nourishing, of the fire, and of the offering to the Lord (for a burnt sacrifice to the Lord).

12 If his offering is a goat, and he offereth it to the Lord,

13 he shall set his hand on the head thereof, and he shall offer it in the entry of the tabernacle of witnessing; and the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof by compass of the altar. (he shall put his hand on its head, and he shall offer it at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing; and the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall throw its blood against all the sides of the altar.)

14 And they shall take thereof, into the feeding, or nourishing, of the Lord's fire, the fatness that covereth the womb, and that covereth all the entrails,

15 and the two little reins with the caul that is on those beside the ileum, and the fatness of the maw, with the entrails that cleave to the little reins.

16 And the priest shall burn those on the altar, into the feeding, or nourishing, of the fire, and of sweetest odour (to make the sweetest aroma); all the fatness shall be the Lord's,

17 by everlasting right in generations, and in all your dwelling places, neither in any manner ye shall eat blood, neither fatness. (by an everlasting law for all your generations, in all your dwelling places, for not in any manner shall ye eat any blood, or fat.)

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.

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.