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Leviticus 7 The Laws of Clean and Unclean Animals

1 The Guilt Offering
“‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy:

2 The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides.

3 All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts,

4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys.

5 The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made to the Lord by fire. It is a guilt offering.

6 Any male in a priest’s family may eat it, but it must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.

7 “‘The same law applies to both the sin offering and the guilt offering: They belong to the priest who makes atonement with them.

8 The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide for himself.

9 Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who offers it,

10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

11 The Fellowship Offering
“‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering a person may present to the Lord:

12 “‘If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well-kneaded and mixed with oil.

13 Along with his fellowship offering of thanksgiving he is to present an offering with cakes of bread made with yeast.

14 He is to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings.

15 The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning.

16 “‘If, however, his offering is the result of a vow or is a freewill offering, the sacrifice shall be eaten on the day he offers it, but anything left over may be eaten on the next day.

17 Any meat of the sacrifice left over till the third day must be burned up.

18 If any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who offered it, for it is impure; the person who eats any of it will be held responsible.

19 “‘Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up. As for other meat, anyone ceremonially clean may eat it.

20 But if anyone who is unclean eats any meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, that person must be cut off from his people.

21 If anyone touches something unclean—whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean, detestable thing—and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering belonging to the Lord, that person must be cut off from his people.’”

22 Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden
The Lord said to Moses,

23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.

24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.

25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the Lord must be cut off from his people.

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

27 If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’”

28 The Priests’ Share
The Lord said to Moses,

29 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as his sacrifice to the Lord.

30 With his own hands he is to bring the offering made to the Lord by fire; he is to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering.

31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.

32 You are to give the right thigh of your fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution.

33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering shall have the right thigh as his share.

34 From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.’”

35 This is the portion of the offerings made to the Lord by fire that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests.

36 On the day they were anointed, the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their regular share for the generations to come.

37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering,

38 which the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord, in the Desert of Sinai.

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Analysis of Leviticus Chapter 7

The book of Leviticus serves as a detailed manual for worship and holy living for the Israelites. This book, also known as the third book of the Torah, contains God’s commandments delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai. Chapter 7 specifically deals with the regulations concerning various types of offerings, including guilt offerings, fellowship offerings, and regulations surrounding their consumption.

Verses 1-10: Regulations for the Guilt Offering

The chapter opens by delineating the regulations for the guilt offering, also known as the “trespass offering.” These offerings are to be made for specific transgressions, typically involving the violation of God’s commandments or wrongs committed against another person.

“‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar.’” (Leviticus 7:1-2)

The slaughtering in the same place as the burnt offering signifies the shared procedural sanctity and the central role of sacrificial rites in the purification process. The mention of blood being splashed against the altar emphasizes the seriousness of sin and the necessity of blood for atonement as seen throughout Levitical laws (Leviticus 17:11).

Each part of the sacrificial animal has specified regulations: the fat, kidneys, long lobe of the liver, and the fat tail are to be burned on the altar, symbolizing the offering of the best parts to God, signifying complete devotion and reverence (Leviticus 7:3-5).

“Any male in a priest’s family may eat it, but it must be eaten in the sanctuary area; it is most holy.” (Leviticus 7:6)

The restriction of the consumption of this holy offering to the priestly males and within the sanctuary stresses the sanctity of the sacrifice. It highlights the holiness required of those facilitating atonement on behalf of the people.

Verses 11-21: Regulations for the Fellowship Offering

The text proceeds to describe the regulations for the fellowship or peace offering, which served as a communal meal shared among the offerer, the priests, and God. These offerings represent thanksgiving or fulfillment of a vow, differing in nature from the mandatory guilt and sin offerings.

“‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord: “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast…” (Leviticus 7:11-12)

The mention of unleavened bread symbolizes purity and the absence of sin. The offering of thick loaves, with and without oil, along with thin loaves with oil, signifies the variety and fullness of thanksgiving presented to God. This multiplicity portrays the wholeness of thanksgiving and the gratitude of the offerer.

“The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning.” (Leviticus 7:15)

This rule underscores the need for promptness in consuming the holy meal, reflecting the urgency and immediacy of recognizing God’s grace and provision.

“But if any meat of the fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted.” (Leviticus 7:18)

Consuming the sacrifice beyond the prescribed time results in its nullification, reinforcing the concept of holiness and punctuality in religious practices. These stringent time frames point towards maintaining purity and avoiding any potential corruption that could symbolically or literally defile the sacred offering.

Verses 22-27: Prohibition of Eating Fat and Blood

This section reiterates the prohibition against consuming fat and blood, which is echoed throughout Levitical laws. God’s repeated emphasis serves to remind the Israelites of the sacredness associated with these elements, which belong entirely to Him.

“Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.’” (Leviticus 7:23-24)

The prohibition aims to separate the mundane from the holy, ensuring that what is designated for sacred purposes remains with God. The consumption of blood is particularly abhorred due to its symbolic value as life itself, which only God can rightfully claim ownership over.

Verses 28-36: Allotments for the Priests

The regulations then turn to the portions allocated to the priests from the fellowship offerings. This passage underscores the sustenance provided to the priests as they dedicate their lives to serving God and the Israelite community.

“The breast of the fellowship offering is to be waved before the Lord; it is the food for you and your family.” (Leviticus 7:30)

The specific “wave” offering signifies a token of offering presented before God, symbolic of complete dedication. By giving portions to the priests, the text highlights the communal support system within the Israelite society and ensures that those in religious service are well-provided for.

Verses 37-38: Summary

The chapter concludes by summarizing the various types of offerings and the regulations laid out for each.

“These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the fellowship offering, which the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the Lord.” (Leviticus 7:37-38)

By summarizing all types of offerings in this chapter, the text emphasizes the structured and detailed approach God intended for the Israelites to maintain in their worship and day-to-day religious observances. All these regulations served to maintain a distinct understanding of holiness, sacrifice, and community life centered on God’s commandments.

Conclusion

Leviticus Chapter 7 is not just a series of regulations; it encapsulates profound theological themes. The detailed regulations highlight the holiness required in approaching God, the sacrificial system’s role in maintaining a relationship with Him, and the essential communal support for those dedicated to religious service. By observing these statutes, the Israelites could live in a perpetual state of awareness of God’s holiness and their dependence on His provision and forgiveness. Overall, it projects an image of a community bound by sacred duties, regular interaction with divine grace, and structured worship through defined religious practices.