Leviticus 5:1-19

Leviticus

*Worship the *LORD in the Beauty of *Holiness

Leviticus

Gordon Churchyard

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible, except for the words in brackets (…).

Chapter 5

(For Chapter 5:1-13, please see Chapter 4)

Chapter 5:14 to 6:7

The *Guilt Offering

Chapter 5 verse 14 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v15 A person may *sin *accidentally (like this). He may do something wrong about any (one) of the *LORD’s holy things. He must bring to the *LORD a perfect *ram from the *flock to pay for his *sin. It must have the proper value in silver *shekels. (Check it) by (the standard of) the *shekel in the holy place. It is a *guilt offering.

v16 He must pay for what he has not done properly about the holy things. He must also give one fifth of the value (of the *ram) extra. He must give it all to the priest. (The priest) will make *atonement for him with the *ram as a *guilt offering. Then (God) will forgive him.

v17 A person may *sin, although he does not know it. He may have done something that any (one) of the *LORD’s commands forbids. He is guilty and therefore he is responsible (for his *sin).

v18 He must bring a perfect *ram from the *flock to the priest. It is (his) *guilt offering. It must have the proper value. So the priest will make *atonement for his *accidental *sin. Then (God) will forgive him.

v19 It is a *guilt offering. He is guilty because he has done wrong things against the *LORD.’

Chapter 6 verse 1 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v2-3 ‘A person may *sin against the *LORD. He may not be loyal to the *LORD (in any of these ways).

• He may lie to his neighbour about something that (his neighbour) gave him to look after.

• (He may lie to his neighbour) about something that he stole.

• He may cheat (his neighbour).

• He may find property that somebody lost. Then he lies about it. (v3)

• He may promise something (to somebody), but he does not intend to do it.

• He may do any of the *sins that people often do.

v4 When he does these *sins, then he becomes guilty. He must return what he stole. (He must give back) what he took wrongly. (He must return) what (his neighbour) gave him to look after. (He must give back) the property that he found.

v5 If he made a false promise, (he must do the right thing). He must pay completely (to the owner everything that he took). And he must also add a fifth of its value and he must give it all to the owner. He must do it on the day that he gives his *guilt offering (to the priest).

v6 And as a punishment he must bring his *guilt offering to the priest and to the *LORD. It must be a perfect *ram from the *flock. It must have the proper value.

v7 And so the priest will make *atonement for him in front of the *LORD. Then (God) will forgive him for any of the things that he did. (These things) made him guilty.’

Notes

Chapter 5:15 The *Hebrew word for person here is ‘nephesh’. Read the note on Leviticus 4:2. The wrong things may have included:

• Bad *offerings.

• No *offerings.

Part of the *offerings made wages for the priests. So the ‘nephesh’ may have hurt the priests. So this is a *guilt offering. Read the first note in chapter 4 for an explanation. The *Hebrew word for ‘something wrong’ is ma-al. It means that the ‘nephesh’ (person) does not respect God. He is not behaving like a good *Jew. The *Hebrew word for value means ‘your value’. This probably means that the priest decided the value of the ma-al (the wrong deed). A *ram was a male sheep. A *Hebrew *shekel at this time weighed about 0.4 of an ounce (12 grams).

Note the importance of the proper value. The ma-al (the wrong deed) has a real cost. And its cost matters to God. That is why the priest must check the weight. He must test it against the weight of the *shekel in the holy place.

Bible students have given us some examples of the type of ma-al (wrong deed) that this passage refers to.

• A person might not give something that he promised to give to God Ecclesiastes 5:6).

• A person might eat the *first fruits from his harvest, which belong to God (Exodus 34:26).

• A person might cut the wool from a *first-born sheep (Deuteronomy 15:19).

Verse 16 Bible students do not agree what people did here. Some think that the *sinner gave a *ram and money. Other Bible students think that the *sinner gave the value of the *ram in money and another fifth. And yet other Bible students think that the priest bought the *ram for the *guilt offering with the money. We cannot be sure.

If the ma-al (wrong deed) had an actual value, then probably the *sinner gave a fifth of that value. If so, in those cases he did not give a fifth of the *ram’s value.

Verse 18 Again, as in verse 15, ‘value’ is ‘your value’. Again, the priest must decide. Notice that here there is no need to give one fifth of the value of the *ram extra. This is probably because there is a difference between the *LORD’s things and his commands. In verse 15, the person took something that belonged to the *LORD. In verse 18, he did not. Also, the person or the priest may not know that he has *sinned. In verse 15, the priest knows, even if the *sinner does not!

Chapter 6:2 All the *sins in verses 2-3 are against people. But they are also against the *LORD, because the people are the *LORD’s people. If we steal from other people, we are in fact stealing from the *LORD. This verse again uses the *Hebrew word ma-al, as in Leviticus 5:15.

Verses 5-6 He must do everything before he brings his *ram to the priest. (See also Matthew 5:23-24.) A *ram is a male sheep. The priest must decide how valuable it must be as in 5:15. So the *sinner must return what he took wrongly. Also, he must bring the *ram as a punishment.

Something to do

1. Study these verses about how a Christian should behave: Romans 12:17; Ephesians 4:25; Philippians 4:8; Titus 2:9-10. Then read 1 Corinthians 12:26.

2. If you have not obeyed the verses above, then confess your *sin to God. Tell him that you are sorry. Do what you can to make things right.

Chapter 6

(For Chapter 6:1-7, please see Chapter 5)

Chapter 6:8 to 7:21

Further Rules about the *Offerings

Chapter 6:8 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v9 ‘Give this command to Aaron and to his sons. Say (to them): These are the rules for the *whole offering. The *whole offering must remain on the *altar fire all night until morning. The fire must continue to burn on the *altar.

v10 The priest must then put on his *linen clothes. He must wear *linen *underclothes next to his body. He must take away the ashes of the *whole offering, which the fire has burned on the *altar. He must put them at the side of the *altar.

v11 Then he must take off these clothes and he must put on other (clothes). He must carry the ashes outside the camp, to a place that (his) religion considers to be *clean.

v12 The fire on the *altar must continue to burn. It must not go out. Every morning, the priest must add wood to the fire. He must arrange the *whole offering on the fire. He must burn the *fat from the *peace offerings on it.

v13 The fire must always burn on the *altar. It must not go out.

v14 These are the rules for the *corn offering. Aaron’s sons must bring it to the *LORD, in front of the *altar.

v15 The priest must take in his hand some of the *finest flour and *oil. He must also take all of the *incense that is on the *corn offering. He must burn them on the *altar as a reminder. They will make a smell that pleases the *LORD.

v16 Aaron and his sons must eat the rest of it. But they must eat it without *yeast in a place that is holy. They must eat it in the yard outside the *meeting tent.

v17 They must not bake it with *yeast. I have given it to them. It is their share of the *offerings that people burn to me on the fire (outside the *meeting tent). It is very, very holy, like the *sin and *guilt offerings.

v18 Any male *descendant of Aaron may eat it. When people make *offerings to the *LORD by fire, (Aaron’s *descendants will burn them). But this is the regular share of those *offerings that Aaron’s *descendants will receive in future centuries. Whoever touches it will become holy.’

v19 The *LORD also said (this) to Moses.

v20 ‘This is the *offering that Aaron and his sons must bring to the *LORD. They must do this on the day when people *anoint him. (They must bring) one tenth of an *ephah of *finest flour as a regular *corn offering. (They must bring) half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening.

v21 Prepare it with *oil on a flat pan. Mix it well. Then break the *corn offering into pieces and burn it for the *LORD. Its smell will please him.

v22 The son (of the chief priest) who will be the next chief priest must prepare it. It is the *LORD’s regular share. (The priest) must burn it completely.

v23 (They) must burn every priest’s *corn offering completely. Nobody must eat it.’

v24 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v25 ‘Tell Aaron and his sons that these are the rules for the *sin offering. They must kill the *sin offering in front of the *LORD. (They must do it) in the place where they kill the *whole offering. It is very, very holy.

v26 The priest who offers it must eat it. He must eat it in a holy place, in the yard by the *meeting tent.

v27 Whatever touches any part of the meat will become holy. And if anyone spills any of the blood onto their clothes, they must wash the clothes in a holy place.

v28 The priest must break the *clay pot that he cooked the meat in. But if he cooked it in a metal pot, he must clean it well. Afterwards, he must clean the pot again with water.

v29 Any male member of a priest’s family may eat it. It is very, very holy.

v30 But the priests must not eat any *sin offering if they have taken its blood into the *meeting tent. It makes *atonement (for the *sinner) in the holy place. They must burn that *sin offering.’

Notes

The rules in Leviticus 1:1-6 are for the *worshipper. Here are further rules for the priests. They were the men who worked near and in the *meeting tent. Later, they worked in the House of God in Jerusalem. This house had the same things in it as the *meeting tent.

Chapter 6:8-13 Further rules for the *whole offering

There are three important further rules.

• The fire on the *altar must burn all night, verse 9. In fact, it must never go out, verse 13. This rule would continuously remind the *Israelites of the importance of the *sacrifices. They carried out these *sacrifices because of God’s great kindness. He would forgive people because of the *sacrifices. He would have *fellowship with them because of the *sacrifices.

• The priest must wear *linen clothes to take the ashes from the *whole offering away from the *altar. This includes clothes next to his body, what we now call *underclothes. People make *linen clothes from a plant called flax. But the priest must put on other clothes to take the ashes outside the camp.

• He must burn the *fat of the *peace offering on top of the *whole offering, verse 12. This would make the *whole offering easier to burn. The passage does not explain the reason for this rule. But it seems right that the *peace offering should be close to the *whole offering. People gave *whole offerings in order to offer the whole of themselves to God. And the *peace offering was evidence that God had accepted their *offering. Now they could have *fellowship with God.

This particular *whole offering was probably the one in Exodus 29:38-42. The priests offered it in the morning and at night for all the people. This was in addition to the *whole offerings that people gave (Leviticus chapter 1). They would probably give their own *whole offerings on special occasions, for example, birthdays. (Compare Job 1:4-5 which probably describes a much earlier period of time.)

Chapter 6:14-23 Further rules for the *corn offering

Verses 14-18 These are further rules for the *corn offering that we read about in chapter 2. The priests burn a small part of it on the *altar as a ‘reminder’. Read the note on Leviticus 2:2. The rest is food for the priests and their male *descendants.

*Jews discussed the last sentence of verse 18 for many years after – see Haggai 2:12.

Verses 19-23 This is about the priests’ *corn offering. We have not read about this *offering before. It is different from the usual *corn offering, because nobody eats this one. The priests must burn it all on the *altar.

The chief priest made this *offering on the first day of his service. That was the day when people *anointed him. It seems that the chief priest made a *corn offering each day afterwards. And it seems that each priest made a *corn offering on his first day of service, but not afterwards.

‘*Anoint’ means ‘pour *oil onto’. The *oil was not fuel oil. The *oil came from a fruit called the olive. The *Jews *anointed men when they became priests or kings. The *Hebrew word for *anoint gives us our word ‘messiah’. Some Bible Students think that they only *anointed the chief priest during Moses’ life. Later, they *anointed all priests. For ‘*ephah’ read the note on 5:11.

Chapter 6:24-30 Further rules for the *sin offering

‘Holy’ in these verses does not mean ‘very, very good’. It means that it now belongs to the *LORD. It is part of the place of their religion, the *meeting tent. The ‘holy place’ in this chapter means in the yard round the *meeting tent.

The passage distinguishes between two different types of *sin offering. The priests must not eat the *sin offerings that are for *atonement in the holy place, verse 30. We read about those *sin offerings in 4:1-21. But the priests do eat other *sin offerings, although they are very, very, holy. These probably included *sin offerings that the priests offered regularly on behalf of all the *Israelites. The priests ate these *offerings to show that God accepted the *offerings. And he was allowing the priests to have *fellowship with him.

Chapter 7:1 ‘ “These are the rules for the *guilt offering, which is very, very holy.

v2 (The priest) must kill the *guilt offering in the place where he kills the *whole offering. He must splash its blood against all the sides of the *altar.

v3 He must offer all its *fat (to the *LORD). (This includes) the *fat tail and the *fat that covers the parts inside (the animal).

v4 (He must offer) both the *kidneys with the *fat that is on them near the legs. (The priest) must also remove (the *fat) that covers the *liver with the *kidneys.

v5 Then the priest must burn them on the *altar. They are an *offering that he makes to the *LORD on the fire. It is a *guilt offering.

v6 Any male person in a priest’s family may eat it. But (because) it is very, very holy, he must eat it in a holy place.

v7 (The priests) must use the same rules for the *sin offering as they use for the *guilt offering. The parts (that they do not burn) belong to the priest. He (is the priest) that has made *atonement with them.

v8 The priest who offers a *whole offering for anyone may keep the (animal’s) leather for himself.

v9 Every *corn offering belongs to the priest who offered it. This includes (corn) that they baked in an oven. (And it includes corn that) they cooked on a flat pan.

v10 Every *corn offering belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron. It does not matter whether it has *oil in it or not.

v11 These are the rules for a *peace offering that a person may give to the *LORD.

v12 He may offer it to say ‘thank you’ (to the *LORD). If so, then with this ‘thank-you’ *offering he must also offer (these things).

• Cakes of bread (that he) mixed with *oil but not with *yeast.

• Thin biscuits (that he) made without *yeast. He must spread *oil on them.

• Cakes of bread (that he) made with the *finest flour. He must mix the flour and *oil well.

v13 With his ‘thank-you’ *peace offering, he must give (another) *offering. It is cakes of bread that (he has) made with *yeast.

v14 He must bring one of each kind as an *offering. It is something that he gives to the *LORD. It will belong to the priest who splashed the blood of the *peace offerings.

v15 (The offerer) must eat the meat of his ‘thank-you’ *peace offering on the day that he offers it. He must leave none of it until the morning.

v16 But there is (an exception). His *offering may be the result of a special promise. Or it may be an *offering that he just wants to make. Then he must eat the *offering on the day that he offers it. But he may eat any of it that remains on the next day.

v17 He must burn any meat from the *offering that remains until the third day.

v18 If anyone eats meat from the *peace offering on the third day, (God) will not accept it. (God) will not consider that the offerer has given (a proper *offering. The *offering) is not *clean. (God will make) anyone who eats any of it responsible.

v19 Nobody may eat any meat that touches anything *unclean. They must burn it. However, anyone whom (his) religion (considers) *clean may eat other meat.

v20 But nobody who is *unclean may eat any meat from the *peace offering. (If he does, the *LORD) will *cut him off from his people. (The *peace offering) belongs to the *LORD.

v21 Someone may touch something that is *unclean. (It may be) of human origin. Or (it may be) an animal that is *unclean. (Or, it may be) *unclean because it is really nasty. If he then eats any of the meat from the *peace offering, (the *LORD) will *cut him off from his people. (The *peace offering) belongs to the *LORD.” ’

Chapter 7:1-6 Further rules for the *guilt offering

We have read about the *guilt offering in 5:14 to 6:7. This passage shows what the priests must do with the *ram. The priests must offer all the fat, including the inner parts, to the *LORD. There is a similar rule for the *peace offering in 3:14-15 and for the *sin offerings in chapter 4.

Further rules include what to do with the meat after they have burned the *fat, *liver and *kidneys. The men in the priests’ families can eat the meat. The *liver and *kidneys are important parts inside an animal.

Chapter 7:7-10 Parts of the *offerings that belong to the priests

God allows the priests to receive something from each type of *offering. They even receive something from the *whole offering: the animal’s leather. So God provides for his priests: the *offerings become their meat, their bread, and even their clothes.

The offerer knew that the priests accepted the *offering on God’s behalf. This was clear because the priests took the proper parts for themselves. And the priests knew that God approved of them. This was clear because he was sharing his gifts with them.

Chapter 7:11-21 Further rules for the *peace offering

The *peace offering is an animal: cow, *bull, *ram, sheep or goat, Leviticus chapter 3. But the *peace offering may be to say ‘thank you’ to the *LORD for something. Then the offerer must also give an *offering of cakes, bread and biscuits.

The offerer receives back the meat from his *peace offering. He can eat it with his friends and family. But they must eat all the meat on that day. They cannot keep any of it.

However, sometimes there is an exception (verse 16). Then the offerer could eat some of the meat on the next day. But he must burn any that remains on the third day. This may be for their health. But clearly there is a more serious meaning too. If they do eat it on the third day, God will not accept any of the *offering. God only accepted fresh meat; and so we must offer our thanks to him for his daily kindness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

The word ‘*unclean’ in verses 19-21 means this. The *unclean person cannot come near to the *meeting tent. ‘Cut off’ means that the *LORD would punish that person. It may mean that the person would die. Or it may mean that the person must not still live among the *Israelites. The really nasty animal in verse 21 may be something that slides along the ground, like a snake. Bible students are not sure what it was.

Chapter 7

(For Chapter 7:1-21, please see Chapter 6)

Chapter 7:22-38

Rules about Blood, and Rules for the Priests

v22 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v23 ‘Say this to the *Israelites. “Do not eat any *fat from cows, *bulls, sheep or goats.

v24 (You may find a tame) animal that a wild animal has hurt. (Or you may find) an animal that is already dead. You may use its *fat for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.

v25 Someone may eat the *fat from a type of animal that you may offer on the *altar to the *LORD. (The *LORD) will *cut off that person from his people.

v26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.

v27 If anyone eats blood, (the *LORD) will *cut off that person from his people” ’.

v28 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v29 ‘Say this to the *Israelites. “Anyone who brings a *peace offering to the *LORD must bring part of it. That part is a special gift to the *LORD.

v30 With his own hands, he must bring the *offering that he will make to the *LORD on the fire. He must bring the *fat and the breast. He must wave the breast in front of the *LORD as a *wave offering.

v31 The priest must burn the *fat on the *altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.

v32 You must give the right leg of your *peace offerings to the priest. It is your gift to him.

v33 A son of Aaron will offer the blood and the *fat of the *peace offering. He must have the right leg as his share.

v34 I have taken these parts of the *Israelites’ *peace offerings. And I have given these parts to Aaron the priest and to his sons.

• The breast that (the offerer) waves.

• The leg that (the offerer) gives.

These parts will be their regular share from the *Israelites.” ’

v35 This is the share that was for Aaron and his sons. (It was their share) of the *offerings (that people made) to the *LORD on the fire. (The fire was on the *altar.) This happened on the day that (Aaron and his sons) came to the *LORD to serve him as priests.

v36 The *LORD ordered the *Israelites to give them this as their regular share. He did this on the day when they became priests. (The *Israelites had to do this) for all their *descendants (in future centuries).

v37 These are the rules for the *whole offering, *corn offering, *sin offering, *guilt offering, *ordination offering and *peace offering.

v38 The *LORD gave these rules to Moses on the mountain called Sinai. He did it on the day when he ordered the *Israelites to bring their *offerings to the *LORD. That was in the desert near Sinai.

Notes

Verse 23 The *Hebrew words for *Israelites means ‘sons of *Israel’. They were the *descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A *descendant is someone in your family that lives after you do.

Verse 24 Bible students have given us some examples of the uses for this *fat. They include its use in medicines, bandages, candles, and as oil. People could also use it to start fires.

Verse 25 The *Hebrew words for ‘on the *altar’ really mean ‘on the fire’. This fire was on the *altar. Notice this. This rule was only about the types of animals that the *Jews could offer as *sacrifices (*cattle, sheep and goats). That *fat belongs to God. But the *Jews could eat the *fat from other clean animals.

Verses 26-27 The passage emphasises blood. Blood is important. Life is in blood, Leviticus 17:11, and life belongs to God.

Verse 30 The breast is of course a piece of meat from the front of the animal’s body, near the animal’s heart. This part of the animal belonged to the priest. A recent *Jewish Rabbi has described the *wave offering. One waves the meat up and down, and left and right. For a *Jew, this reminds him that everything in heaven and earth belongs to God. He waves the meat to give it to God. But God gives that meat to the priest.

So the piece of meat that was closest to the heart belonged to the priest. *Jews considered that the heart was very special and important. People believed that you thought with your heart. And they believed that you felt love in your heart. So the gift of the meat that was closest to the heart was an expression of love.

In time, there were wicked priests. It is interesting that they refused to obey this particular rule (1 Samuel 2:12-14). They felt no love for the people whom they served.

Verse 32 They thought that the right leg was one of the best bits of meat on an animal. 1 Samuel 9:24 says that Samuel gave it to Saul. It was special!

Verses 35-36 These verses tell us that the priests would always have a share of the food. This meant that they could always be busy in the *meeting tent, or, later, in God’s house in Jerusalem.

Verses 37-38 *Ordination is what happened to a man in order to appoint him a priest. There is more about this in Leviticus chapter 8.

R.K. Harrison, in the IVP *Commentary on Leviticus, points out an interesting fact. There are very few problems with the *Hebrew words of Leviticus Chapter s 1 to 7. This probably means that these Chapter s were very important to the *Jews. So the *Jews copied them most carefully.

Something to do

1. Below is a table. This sort of table is a series of boxes. It makes it easy to see and to understand information. Read through Leviticus Chapter s 1 to 7 to find the information to fill in the boxes.

*Offering	What the offerer must bring	What the offerer and priest do	Does its smell please the *LORD?	Who, if anyone, eats the *offering?	What does this *offering mean to Christians?
*Whole offering
*Corn offering
*Peace offering
*Sin offering
*Guilt offering

The answer to the question on the right is either ‘*fellowship’ or ‘forgiveness’. ‘Forgiveness’ means that God has forgiven us. You may have to draw your own table if this one is not big enough!

2. Consider the ‘fire that never goes out’. For the *Jews, it meant that God’s house was in the middle of their camp. He was living among them. And he permitted them to offer *sacrifices so that they could have *fellowship with him. For Christians, it means that Jesus is continuously praying for them, Hebrews 7:24-25. It probably has many more meanings. Can you think of any?

3. It is the Holy Spirit that makes a Christian holy. It does not happen when he touches holy things. Read Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3:18.

4. Read Acts 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:13; 1 Corinthians 10:18 and 1 Timothy 5:17-18. Compare them with Leviticus 7:1-10.

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
holiness ~ the quality of somebody who is holy, or very, very good.

holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. Or, a description of something that belongs to God.

'guilt offering ~ an offering by someone who is responsible for certain wrong acts. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

offering ~ gift.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
ram ~ a male sheep.
flock ~ a group of sheep or goats.
shekel ~ a weight that is 0.4 of an ounce (12 grams).'guilt offering ~ an offering by someone who is responsible for certain wrong acts. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

offering ~ gift.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.
accidental ~ a description of an act that a person did not do on purpose.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
offering ~ gift.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

'first fruits ~ the first fruits or grains that you pick each year.'first-born ~ the first baby that is born in a human family. Or, the first young animal to be born to its mother.
sinner ~ a person who sins.

sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
offering ~ gift.'whole offering ~ an offering that the priests burned completely on the altar. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

offering ~ gift.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
linen ~ a material that people make from a plant called flax: it was usually white.
underclothes ~ clothes that people wear next to their bodies.
clean ~ suitable for God or for God’s people. A clean person could go to God’s house to worship him.

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
fat ~ part of an animal’s body that is not red meat, nor skin, nor bone. Fat is an oily substance.
peace ~ absence of war. Or, the calm and content attitude that one receives because of a right relationship with God and with other people.'corn offering ~ a gift of grain to the LORD. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

'finest flour ~ in Leviticus, the best quality flour. People put it through the mill until it was like powder.
oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
yeast ~ the substance that makes bread ‘rise’, that is, to get bigger in the oven.'meeting tent ~ the special tent where God met with Moses. The priests could enter it to worship; they burnt sacrifices on the altar in front of it.

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
descendant ~ members of your family who live after you live.
anoint ~ to pour oil onto someone in order to appoint that person for a special task. The Jews did this when they made someone into a priest or king.

oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
ephah ~ 8 cups full of flour.
clay ~ a type of earth that people use to make pots.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
fellowship ~ a special type of friendship between God and his people. Or, the special type of friendship that God’s people have with each other.
anointed ~ the past form of the word ‘anoint’; also, a description of someone whom people have appointed to do a special task by a ceremony with oil.

anoint ~ to pour oil onto someone in order to appoint that person for a special task. The Jews did this when they made someone into a priest or king.

oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
anoint ~ to pour oil onto someone in order to appoint that person for a special task. The Jews did this when they made someone into a priest or king.

oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
kidney ~ an important inner part of an animal’s body.
liver ~ an important inner part of an animal’s body.
unclean ~ unsuitable for God or for God’s people. When someone was unclean, that person was unable to worship at God’s house.

worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.'cut off ~ to give someone a punishment that separates that person from his family or nation. That punishment may be death. But it may be to force that person to live abroad.'wave offering ~ a gift that the priest waves in front of the LORD.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
ordination ~ the ceremony to appoint a man to be a priest.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
cattle ~ a number of cows and bulls.

bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.
Jewish ~ a word that describes Jews and what they do.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
ordination ~ the ceremony to appoint a man to be a priest.
commentary ~ notes about a book in the Bible.'whole offering ~ an offering that the priests burned completely on the altar. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

offering ~ gift.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.

'corn offering ~ a gift of grain to the LORD. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.

Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.

Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.

Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
peace ~ absence of war. Or, the calm and content attitude that one receives because of a right relationship with God and with other people.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.'guilt offering ~ an offering by someone who is responsible for certain wrong acts. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

offering ~ gift.

sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.