Leviticus6

Leviticus chapter six details further laws concerning offerings and priestly duties. It begins by outlining the restitution and trespass offering required for sins committed against a neighbour, emphasizing restoration of what was taken plus an additional fifth part. The chapter then provides specific instructions for the priests regarding the burnt offering, including the maintenance of the perpetual altar fire. Finally, it details the laws for the meat offering and the sin offering, specifying how they are to be prepared, consumed by the priests, and handled due to their extreme holiness.
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Restitution for Trespass Against a Neighbor

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And the LORD said to Moses,
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“If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor ​
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or finds lost property and lies about it and swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that a man might commit—
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once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,
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or anything else about which he has sworn falsely. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value, and pay it to the owner on the day he acknowledges his guilt. ​
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Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock.
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In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.” ​

Laws for the Offerings: The Burnt Offering

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Then the LORD said to Moses, ​
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“Command Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the hearth of the altar all night, until morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. ​
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And the priest shall put on his linen robe and linen undergarments, and he shall remove from the altar the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed and place them beside it. ​
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Then he must take off his garments, put on other clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place.
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The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add wood to the fire, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. ​
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The fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished. ​

Laws for the Offerings: The Grain Offering

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Now this is the law of the grain offering: Aaron’s sons shall present it before the LORD in front of the altar.
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The priest is to remove a handful of fine flour and olive oil, together with all the frankincense from the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
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Aaron and his sons are to eat the remainder. It must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. ​
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It must not be baked with leaven; I have assigned it as their portion of My offerings made by fire. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. ​
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Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the offerings made by fire to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will become holy.”

The Offering of the Anointed Priest

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Then the LORD said to Moses,
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“This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must present to the LORD on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ​
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It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle; you are to bring it well-kneaded and present it as a grain offering broken in pieces, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
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The priest, who is one of Aaron’s sons and will be anointed to take his place, is to prepare it. As a permanent portion for the LORD, it must be burned completely.
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Every grain offering for a priest shall be burned completely; it is not to be eaten.” ​

Laws for the Offerings: The Sin Offering

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And the LORD said to Moses,
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“Tell Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, the sin offering shall be slaughtered before the LORD; it is most holy. ​
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The priest who offers it shall eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
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Anything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. ​
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The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water.
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Any male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy.
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But no sin offering may be eaten if its blood has been brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it must be burned. ​

Study Notes for Leviticus 6

Verse 2

This section concludes the law of the trespass offering (Asham), specifically addressing sins of misappropriation, theft, or deceit where a neighbor is financially harmed. The focus is on violating trust.

Verse 5

Crucially, atonement requires not only the restoration of the principal amount stolen or withheld, but also a penalty of one-fifth (20%) added. This ensures justice is served before spiritual forgiveness is granted.

Verse 7

The priest makes atonement only after the required restitution (v. 5) and the offering (v. 6) are presented. This sequence demonstrates that true repentance involves righting the wrong done to one’s neighbor.

Verse 8

This marks the beginning of a new major section (Lev 6:8–7:38), known as the 'Torah of the Offerings,' which details the specific procedures and priestly prerogatives for handling the sacrifices.

Verse 9

The burnt offering (Olah) must burn throughout the night. This continuous burning symbolized the complete, uninterrupted dedication of the worshiper to the LORD.

Verse 10

The priest must wear specific sacred linen garments when handling the holy ashes, emphasizing the necessity of ritual purity even during the mundane task of cleaning the altar.

Verse 12

The fire on the altar was considered sacred, having been initially ignited by divine fire (Lev 9:24). The priests were commanded to continuously maintain this sacred fire, symbolizing God’s constant presence and acceptance.

Verse 13

The requirement that the fire 'shall ever be burning' (perpetual fire) highlights the continuous readiness required of the priests and the constant need for atonement and communion with God.

Verse 16

Unlike the burnt offering (which was wholly consumed), the priests received the remainder of the grain offering as their sustenance. It had to be eaten in the sacred precincts due to its holiness.

Verse 17

The Grain Offering is designated 'most holy' (qodesh qodeshim), placing it on the same level of sanctity as the sin and trespass offerings, requiring strict handling and consumption only by consecrated priests.

Verse 20

This describes a mandatory perpetual offering required of the High Priest, offered daily (half in the morning, half at night). It served as a personal dedication ritual upon his anointing.

Verse 23

The Grain Offering of the priest must be entirely burned and not eaten. Priests were forbidden from consuming offerings made for their own behalf or atonement, ensuring integrity in their service.

Verse 25

The Sin Offering (Hattat) is also designated 'most holy.' It was slaughtered in the same location as the burnt offering, emphasizing the seriousness and immediate necessity of dealing with sin.

Verse 27

This verse addresses the 'contagious' nature of holiness. Anything that touches the sacrificial flesh becomes holy, necessitating careful washing or destruction of vessels to manage the sacred substance.

Verse 30

This provides a critical exception: if the blood of the sin offering was taken into the Holy Place (the Tent of Meeting) for reconciliation (as on the Day of Atonement), the flesh could not be eaten by the priests but had to be burned outside the camp.

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