TRV
Translation
King James Version
And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,
Complete Jewish Bible
the two kidneys, the fat on them near the flanks, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys
Berean Standard Bible
both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys—
American Standard Version
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the loins, and the caul upon the liver, with the kidneys, shall he take away,
World English Bible Messianic
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away,
Geneva Bible (1599)
He shall take away also the two kidneis, and the fat that is vpon them, and vpon the flankes, and the kall vpon the liuer with the kidneis,
Young's Literal Translation
and the two kidneys, and the fat which is on them, which is on the flanks, and the redundance above the liver, (beside the kidneys he doth turn it aside),
Study This Verse
Commentary on Leviticus 4 verses 1–12
1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.
4 And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD.
5 And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:
6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary.
7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8 And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
9 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,
10 As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.
11 And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,
12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
The laws contained in the first three chapters seem to have been delivered to Moses at one time. Here begin the statutes of another session, another day. From the throne of glory between the cherubim God delivered these orders. And he enters now upon a subject more strictly new than those before. Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, it should seem, had been offered before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai; those sacrifices the patriarchs had not been altogether unacquainted with (Gen 8:20; Exo 20:24), and in them they had respect to sin, to make atonement for it, Job 1:5. But the law being now added because of transgressions (Gal 3:19), and having entered, that eventually the offence might abound (Rom 5:20), they were put into a way of making atonement for sin more particularly by sacrifice, which was (more than any of the ceremonial institutions) a shadow of good things to come, but the substance is Christ, and that one offering of himself by which he put away sin and perfected for ever those who are sanctified.
I. The general case supposed we have, Lev 4:2. Here observe, 1. Concerning sin in general, that it is described to be against any of the commandments of the Lord; for sin is the transgression of the law, the divine law. The wits or wills of men, their inventions or their injunctions, cannot make that to be sin which the law of God has not made to be so. It is said likewise, if a soul sin, for it is not sin if it be not some way or other the soul's act; hence it is called the sin of the soul (Mic 6:7), and it is the soul that is injured by it, Pro 8:36. 2. Concerning the sins for which those offerings were appointed. (1.) They are supposed to be overt acts; for, had they been required to bring a sacrifice for every sinful thought or word, the task had been endless. Atonement was made for those in the gross, on the day of expiation, once a year; but these are said to be done against the commandments. (2.) They are supposed to be sins of commission, things which ought not to be done. Omissions are sins, and must come into judgment; but what had been omitted at one time might be done at another, and so to obey was better than sacrifice: but a commission was past recall. (3.) They are supposed to be sins committed through ignorance. If they were done presumptuously, and with an avowed contempt of the law and the Law-maker, the offender was to be cut off, and there remained no sacrifice for the sin, Heb 10:26, Heb 10:27; Num 15:30. But if the offender were either ignorant of the law, as in divers instances we may suppose many were (so numerous and various were the prohibitions), or were surprised into the sin unawares, the circumstances being such as made it evident that his resolution against the sin was sincere, but that he was overtaken in it, as the expression is (Gal 6:1), in this case relief was provided by the remedial law of the sin-offering. And the Jews say, "Those crimes only were to be expiated by sacrifice, if committed ignorantly, for which the criminal was to have been cut off if they had been committed presumptuously."
II. The law begins with the case of the anointed priest, that is, the high priest, provided he should sin through ignorance; for the law made men priests who had infirmity. Though his ignorance was of all others least excusable, yet he was allowed to bring his offering. His office did not so far excuse his offence as that it should be forgiven him without a sacrifice; yet it did not so far aggravate it but that it should be forgiven him when he did bring his sacrifice. If he sin according to the sin of the people (so the case is put, Lev 4:3), which supposes him in this matter to stand upon the level with other Israelites, and to have no benefit of his clergy at all. Now the law concerning the sin-offering for the high priest is, 1. That he must bring a bullock without blemish for a sin-offering (Lev 4:3), as valuable an offering as that for the whole congregation (Lev 4:14); whereas for any other ruler, or a common person, a kid of the goats should serve, Lev 4:23, Lev 4:28. This intimated the greatness of the guilt connected with the sin of a high priest. The eminency of his station, and his relation both to God and to the people, greatly aggravated his offences; see Rom 2:21. 2. The hand of the offerer must be laid upon the head of the offering (Lev 4:4), with a solemn penitent confession of the sin he had committed, putting it upon the head of the sin-offering, Lev 16:21. No remission without confession, Psa 32:5; Pro 28:13. It signified also a confidence in this instituted way of expiating guilt, as a figure of something better yet to come, which they could not stedfastly discern. He that laid his hand on the head of the beast thereby owned that he deserved to die himself, and that it was God's great mercy that he would please to accept the offering of this beast to die for him. The Jewish writers themselves say that neither the sin-offering nor the trespass-offering made atonement, except for those that repented and believed in their atonement. 3. The bullock must be killed, and a great deal of solemnity there must be in disposing of the blood; for it was the blood that made atonement, and without shedding of blood there was no remission, Lev 4:5-7. Some of the blood of the high-priest's sin-offering was to be sprinkled seven times before the veil, with an eye towards the mercy-seat, though it was veiled: some of it was to be put upon the horns of the golden altar, because at that altar the priest himself ministered; and thus was signified the putting away of that pollution which from his sins did cleave to his services. It likewise serves to illustrate the influence which Christ's satisfaction has upon the prevalency of his intercession. The blood of his sacrifice is put upon the altar of his incense and sprinkled before the Lord. When this was done the remainder of the blood was poured at the foot of the brazen altar. By this rite, the sinner acknowledged that he deserved to have his blood thus poured out like water. It likewise signified the pouring out of the soul before God in true repentance, and typified our Saviour's pouring out his soul unto death. 4. The fat of the inwards was to be burnt upon the altar of burnt-offering, Lev 4:8-10. By this the intention of the offering and of the atonement made by it was directed to the glory of God, who, having been dishonoured by the sin, was thus honoured by the sacrifice. It signified the sharp sufferings of our Lord Jesus, when he was made sin (that is, a sin-offering) for us, especially the sorrows of his soul and his inward agonies. It likewise teaches us, in conformity to the death of Christ, to crucify the flesh. 5. The head and body of the beast, skin and all, were to be carried without the camp, to a certain place appointed for that purpose, and there burnt to ashes, Lev 4:11, Lev 4:12. This was very significant, (1.) Of the duty of repentance, which is the putting away of sin as a detestable thing, which our soul hates. True penitents say to their idols, "Get you hence; what have we to do any more with idols?" The sin-offering is called sin. What they did to that we must do to our sins; the body of sin must be destroyed, Rom 6:6. (2.) Of the privilege of remission. When God pardons sin he quite abolishes it, casts it behind his back. The iniquity of Judah shall be sought for and not found. The apostle takes particular notice of this ceremony, and applies it to Christ (Heb 13:11-13), who suffered without the gate, in the place of a skull, where the ashes of dead men, as those of the altar, were poured out.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–12. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Leviticus 4:9 provides meticulous instructions for the sin offering, specifying the removal and burning of the two kidneys, the fat upon them by the flanks, and the caul (omentum) above the liver, with the kidneys. These particular fatty portions were considered the choicest parts of the animal, designated exclusively for the Lord and consumed by fire on the altar of burnt offering, underscoring the sanctity of the sacrifice and the complete dedication of the best to God in atonement for unintentional sin.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is an integral part of the detailed regulations for the "sin offering" (Hebrew: chatta'th) found in Leviticus 4. The chapter outlines specific procedures for various categories of unintentional sin, ranging from a priest (Leviticus 4:3), to the whole congregation (Leviticus 4:13), a ruler (Leviticus 4:22), and a common person (Leviticus 4:27). Following the laying on of hands and the manipulation of the blood, the instructions turn to the disposal of the animal's body. While the flesh of certain sin offerings was eaten by the priests, and others were taken outside the camp to be burned, specific fatty portions, as detailed in this verse, were always offered to the Lord on the altar, paralleling similar directives for the peace offering in Leviticus 3:16-17. This consistent emphasis highlights God's unique claim over the most vital parts of the sacrifice.
Historical & Cultural Context: In ancient Near Eastern sacrificial systems, the offering of animal fat was a common practice, often associated with the most valuable and sacred parts of the animal. However, Israel's sacrificial system, as prescribed by God, was unique in its meticulous detail and theological significance. The prohibition against consuming fat (specifically the internal, rich fat, chelev) and blood was a distinctive feature of the Mosaic Law, emphasizing the sanctity of life and the exclusive claim God had over these elements (Leviticus 3:17). The kidneys and the fatty caul above the liver were considered prime organs, vital to life and rich in fat, making them particularly suitable as a "food offering" ('ishsheh) to the Lord. This practice underscored the concept of offering the "firstfruits" and the "best" to God, acknowledging His supreme ownership and worthiness of the highest honor in a culture where such offerings were central to religious and social life. The detailed anatomical instructions reflect the precision demanded by a holy God in the worship of His covenant people.
Key Themes: Leviticus 4:9 contributes significantly to several key themes within the book of Leviticus and the broader Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of Holiness, emphasizing God's absolute purity and the necessity for His people to approach Him according to His precise standards. The meticulous instructions for the sin offering underscore the Gravity of Sin, even unintentional sin, and its defiling effect, requiring a divinely appointed means of Atonement. The designation of the choicest fatty portions as belonging exclusively to God highlights the theme of Divine Ownership and the principle of offering the "best" to the Lord, a concept also seen in the peace offering where "all the fat is the Lord's" (Leviticus 3:16). This also points to the theme of Sacrifice and Substitution, where an innocent animal's life and choicest parts are given in place of the sinning individual, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice to come.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Leviticus 4:9 primarily employs Symbolism and Meticulous Detail. The offering of the "fat" (cheleb), kidneys, and the fatty caul above the liver is highly symbolic. These parts represent the choicest, most vital, and richest elements of the animal, symbolizing the worshiper's offering of their absolute best to God. The act of burning these specific portions on the altar signifies a complete dedication and consumption by divine fire, representing God's acceptance of the offering and His exclusive claim over the "best" of creation. The extreme Meticulous Detail in specifying these anatomical parts underscores God's absolute holiness and the precision required in approaching Him. It conveys the gravity of sin, even unintentional sin, and the seriousness with which God's commands regarding atonement and worship were to be observed. This level of detail also highlights the divine origin of the law, as such precise anatomical instructions would have been beyond human invention for a comprehensive sacrificial system.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 4:9, within the broader context of the sin offering, profoundly illustrates God's absolute holiness, the gravity of sin (even unintentional), and the necessity of a divinely prescribed means of atonement. The designation of the choicest fatty portions—the kidneys, their fat, and the caul above the liver—as God's exclusive portion ("all the fat is the Lord's," Leviticus 3:16) emphasizes the principle of offering the "best" to God as an act of worship, surrender, and recognition of His supreme worth. This practice foreshadows a deeper spiritual truth: true worship involves giving God our most vital and cherished aspects, acknowledging that everything we have ultimately belongs to Him. The meticulous nature of the command also speaks to God's character as one who cares deeply about the specifics of how His people approach Him and live in covenant relationship, ensuring that even unintentional sin is met with a holy and righteous response.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The detailed instructions in Leviticus 4:9, though part of an ancient sacrificial system, offer timeless principles for our walk with God today. They remind us that God is holy and that our approach to Him, whether in worship or daily living, should be marked by reverence and intentionality. The concept of offering the "best" to God, symbolized by the choicest fatty portions, challenges us to examine what we truly prioritize in our lives. Are we giving God our leftovers, or are we dedicating our prime time, talents, resources, and deepest affections to Him? This verse calls us to a life of wholehearted devotion, recognizing that true worship is not merely ritualistic but involves the surrender of our innermost being, our "kidneys" and "fat." It also underscores the seriousness of sin, even the sins we commit unknowingly, prompting us to cultivate a sensitive conscience and rely daily on God's grace for forgiveness and cleansing, understanding that God's justice requires a perfect offering.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why were specific parts like the fat and kidneys offered to God, and not eaten?
Answer: The internal fat (cheleb), kidneys, and the fatty caul above the liver were considered the choicest and most vital parts of the animal, symbolizing its richness and life force. In the Mosaic Law, these specific fatty portions, along with the blood, were explicitly designated as belonging exclusively to the Lord (Leviticus 3:16). This prohibition against human consumption and the command to offer them to God served several purposes: it emphasized God's absolute holiness and His supreme ownership over all life; it symbolized offering the "best" and most valuable part of the sacrifice to Him; and it set Israel apart from surrounding cultures that might have consumed these parts, reinforcing their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh. The burning of these parts on the altar created a "pleasing aroma" to the Lord, signifying His acceptance of the offering.
Does this Old Testament command about animal sacrifices still apply to believers today?
Answer: No, the Old Testament sacrificial system, including the specific commands in Leviticus 4, does not apply to believers today in a literal sense. These animal sacrifices were a temporary provision under the Old Covenant, designed to foreshadow and point to the ultimate, perfect, and once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As the New Testament teaches, Jesus became the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering His own life as the final atonement for sin (Hebrews 9:26-28). His sacrifice fulfilled all the requirements of the Old Testament offerings, rendering them obsolete. Today, believers are called to offer "spiritual sacrifices"—our bodies as living sacrifices, praise, and good deeds (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 4:9, with its meticulous instructions for offering the choicest fatty portions of the sin offering, finds its profound and ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant, including the sin offering, were imperfect and temporary, requiring repeated blood-shedding to cover sins (Hebrews 10:1-4). They served as a shadow pointing to the perfect substance yet to come. Jesus, as the spotless Lamb of God, offered Himself as the ultimate sin offering, not for His own sins, but for the sins of humanity (1 Peter 2:24). Just as the "fat" and vital organs were the "best" offered to God in the Old Testament, Christ offered His perfect, sinless life—His very best, indeed His very all—as a complete and final atonement. His sacrifice was a "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2), perfectly pleasing to the Father, fulfilling all the types and shadows of the Levitical system. Through His once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, Jesus "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26), making further animal sacrifices unnecessary and providing eternal redemption and direct access to God for all who believe (Hebrews 10:10-14).