Leviticus 9:11

And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.

And the flesh {H1320} and the hide {H5785} he burnt {H8313} with fire {H784} without {H2351} the camp {H4264}.

The meat and the skin were burned up completely outside the camp.

But he burned up the flesh and the hide outside the camp.

And the flesh and the skin he burnt with fire without the camp.

Commentary

Leviticus 9:11 describes a specific detail of the sin offering performed by Aaron, the newly consecrated High Priest, on the eighth day of the Tabernacle's inauguration. This verse states, "And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp." It highlights a crucial aspect of the purification rites in ancient Israel, emphasizing the complete removal of sin's residue.

Context of the Verse

This verse is part of the narrative in Leviticus chapter 9, which details Aaron's first official acts as High Priest, making atonement for himself and the people of Israel. The sacrifices described here include a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering. Specifically, verse 11 refers to the disposal of the sin offering for the people (as mentioned in Leviticus 9:10). According to the detailed instructions given earlier in the book, particularly in Leviticus 4:11-12 and Leviticus 4:21, certain sin offerings, especially those for the High Priest or the whole congregation, required the entire carcass (flesh, hide, and all) to be carried outside the camp to a clean place and burned.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Purity and Separation: The act of burning the sin offering "without the camp" underscored the absolute necessity of removing impurity from the holy presence of God within the Tabernacle. Sin was so defiling that its very residue could not remain within the consecrated living space of the Israelites.
  • Thorough Atonement: This disposal method signified a complete and final removal of the sin that the offering represented. The fire consumed it completely, symbolizing the thoroughness of God's cleansing when atonement was made.
  • Foreshadowing Christ's Sacrifice: This Old Testament practice serves as a profound type or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice. Just as the sin offering was taken outside the camp, Jesus suffered "outside the gate" of Jerusalem, bearing the sins of humanity away from the holy city, thereby purifying His people with His own blood (Hebrews 13:12).

Linguistic Insight

The phrase "without the camp" (Hebrew: miแธฅutz lammaแธฅaneh, ืžึดื—ื•ึผืฅ ืœึทืžึผึทื—ึฒื ึถื”) is crucial. It literally means "from outside the encampment." This wasn't merely a convenient disposal site but a divinely ordained location that emphasized the separation of sin and its consequences from the community in which God dwelt. It highlights a definitive boundary between the sacred and the profane, and the necessity of expelling defilement.

Practical Application

For believers today, Leviticus 9:11 reminds us of several truths:

  1. The extreme seriousness of sin in God's eyes, requiring complete removal and purification.
  2. The profound depth of Christ's sacrifice, which perfectly fulfilled the ancient sin offerings by bearing our sin outside the "camp" of God's presence.
  3. A call to holiness and separation from the world's defilements, as we are called to "go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach" (Hebrews 13:13). This encourages us to align ourselves with Christ, even if it means facing rejection or discomfort from the world.
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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Leviticus 4:11

    And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,

  • Leviticus 4:12

    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.

  • Leviticus 8:17

    But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses.

  • Leviticus 16:27

    And the bullock [for] the sin offering, and the goat [for] the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy [place], shall [one] carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.

  • Leviticus 16:28

    And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

  • Hebrews 13:11

    For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

  • Hebrews 13:12

    Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
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