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Leviticus 1

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The Lord Calls Moses 1–2

1
And Jehovah called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying, ​
2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man of you offereth an oblation unto Jehovah, ye shall offer your oblation of the cattle, even of the herd and of the flock. ​

Burnt Offering from the Herd 3–9

3
If his oblation be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish: he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before Jehovah. ​
4
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. ​
5
And he shall kill the bullock before Jehovah: and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting. ​
6
And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.
7
And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire;
8
and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
9
but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water. And the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah. ​

Burnt Offering from the Flock 10–13

10
And if his oblation be of the flock, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt-offering; he shall offer it a male without blemish. ​
11
And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before Jehovah: and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood upon the altar round about.
12
And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
13
but the inwards and the legs shall he wash with water. And the priest shall offer the whole, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

Burnt Offering of Fowls 14–17

14
And if his oblation to Jehovah be a burnt-offering of birds, then he shall offer his oblation of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons. ​
15
And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be drained out on the side of the altar; ​
16
and he shall take away its crop with the filth thereof, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes:
17
and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder. And the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Leviticus 1

Verse 1

called unto Moses — Qara, to call out to by name; the Hebrew title of the book is its opening word. The LORD speaks from the tabernacle just after 'the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle' and 'Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation' (Ex 40:34–35). Mo'ed, 'congregation', is an appointed meeting.

Verse 2

your offering — Qorban comes from qarab, to come near, the verb translated 'bring' twice in this verse: an offering is what is brought near to the LORD. The animal is to be 'of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock' (birds are added in v.14); Lev 22:19 names the same animals.

Verse 3

without blemish — Tamim, whole, complete. The burnt sacrifice (olah, an ascending offering) was a male, as the Passover lamb was (Ex 12:5). Christ 'offered himself without spot to God' (Heb 9:14) and is 'a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Pet 1:19). 'Voluntary will' is ratson, acceptance or favour.

Verse 4

put his hand upon the head — Samak, to lean upon, so the offerer presses his weight on the animal. The same act is required of the peace offering (Lev 3:8). Through it the animal stands in his place, 'accepted for him'; 'atonement' is kaphar, to cover or cancel.

Verse 5

sprinkle the blood — Zaraq, to throw or sprinkle. The offerer kills the animal, but only 'the priests, Aaron's sons' bring and sprinkle the blood on the altar. The New Testament speaks of 'the blood of sprinkling' (Heb 12:24) and 'sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ' (1 Pet 1:2).

Verse 9

a sweet savour — Literally a savour of rest (reach nichoach), from the root for rest; the phrase first appears when 'the LORD smelled a sweet savour' after Noah's offering (Gen 8:21). Paul applies it to Christ, who 'hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour' (Eph 5:2).

Verse 10

of the sheep, or of the goats — Keseb is a young sheep, ez a goat. The standard is unchanged from the herd: 'a male without blemish' (v.3). Isaiah pictures the Servant as 'a lamb to the slaughter' (Isa 53:7), and John the Baptist says, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29).

Verse 14

turtledoves, or of young pigeons — Tor and yonah, the birds allowed when the worshipper could not bring a herd or flock animal; the same concession appears in Lev 5:7 and 12:8. Mary offered 'A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons' (Luke 2:24). God accepts 'according to that a man hath' (2 Cor 8:12).

Verse 15

wring off his head — Malaq, to nip or wring off the head of a bird. Here the priest does what the offerer did with the bullock (v.5). The blood is 'wrung out' (matsah, drained) at the altar's side. The sin offering of birds is likewise 'wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder' (Lev 5:8).