Leviticus 7 details the laws concerning various offerings and the portions designated for the priests. It begins with the trespass offering, specifying its holiness and priestly consumption. The chapter then outlines the regulations for peace offerings, including different types and strict time limits for eating the flesh. Crucially, it reiterates the prohibitions against consuming fat and blood, with severe penalties for transgression.
If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil.
Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to the LORD. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.
“‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice; and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten:
If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
but the soul who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that belongs to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.
When anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which belong to the LORD, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’”
The fat of that which dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of animals, may be used for any other service, but you shall in no way eat of it.
For whoever eats the fat of the animal, of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, even the soul who eats it shall be cut off from his people.
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD out of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
With his own hands he shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.
For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.’”
This is the anointing portion of Aaron, and the anointing portion of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister to the LORD in the priest’s office;
which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion forever throughout their generations.
This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecration, and of the sacrifice of peace offerings;
which the LORD commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.
Study Notes for Leviticus 7
Verse 1
The trespass offering ('Asham) addresses specific instances of wrongful action against God or neighbor that require restitution. Like the sin offering, it is designated 'most holy,' meaning consumption is restricted to the priests in a sacred location.
Verse 2
The requirement that the trespass offering be slaughtered in the same location as the burnt offering emphasizes the gravity and sacredness of the atonement process, linking it closely to the general sacrificial ritual.
Verse 6
Only male priests (the sons of Aaron) were permitted to eat the meat of the 'most holy' offerings (sin and trespass), symbolizing their unique consecrated status and limiting contact with the sacred food.
Verse 7
This verse establishes that the law governing the distribution of the trespass offering is identical to that of the sin offering: the priest who performs the rite receives the meat as his sustenance.
Verse 8
The skin of the burnt offering was the only part not consumed by fire, and it was given to the officiating priest. This portion provided practical material for clothing or trade, contributing to the priest's livelihood.
Verse 11
The peace offering (Shelamim) is unique because it is the only major sacrifice shared among God (fat), the priest (breast/shoulder), and the worshipper (remaining meat), symbolizing fellowship and communion.
Verse 13
Leavened bread is normally forbidden on the altar, but it is permitted here as a secondary offering alongside the unleavened cakes. This leavened bread was eaten by the priest and the offerer during the celebratory meal.
Verse 15
The thanksgiving peace offering must be consumed entirely on the day of sacrifice. This strict time limit emphasizes the urgency of expressing gratitude and ensures the meat is shared while the celebratory impulse is fresh.
Verse 18
Eating the meat on the third day renders the sacrifice unacceptable and is deemed an 'abomination.' This strict time limit maintains the sanctity of the offering and prevents ritual decay or defilement.
Verse 20
Participation in the sacred meal requires ritual purity. If a person eats the offering while in a state of uncleanness, they violate the holiness of the sacrifice and are subject to being 'cut off' (excommunication or divine judgment).
Verse 21
This verse reiterates the severe penalty for violating the sanctity of the peace offering through contact with human, animal, or object uncleanness, underscoring the necessity of ritual separation.
Verse 23
The fat (suet or internal organ fat) was reserved exclusively for the Lord, as it was considered the choicest part. Eating the fat was forbidden because it was the portion designated for the altar.
Verse 26
The prohibition on consuming blood is fundamental throughout the Torah because the blood represents the life (soul) of the creature. Blood must be reserved solely for the purpose of atonement upon the altar.
Verse 30
The worshipper personally presents the fat (for God) and the breast (for the priest) to the officiating priest. The breast is then ritually ‘waved’ before the Lord, marking its transfer as the priest’s food.
Verse 34
The 'wave breast' and the 'heave shoulder' were designated as permanent, non-negotiable portions for the Aaronic priesthood, establishing a perpetual means of their support and sustenance.
Verse 37
This verse serves as a summary colophon, listing the six main categories of sacrificial and priestly laws detailed across Leviticus 1-7, concluding the initial instruction given to Moses.
Verse 38
The summary emphasizes that these detailed sacrificial regulations were revealed by the LORD to Moses at Mount Sinai, thus placing the entire system under divine authority and covenant mandate.
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