Leviticus 3

1 "'If a person's fellowship offering to the Lord is from the herd, it may be a male or female, but it must have nothing wrong with it.

2 The person must put his hand on the animal's head and kill it at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. Then Aaron's sons, the priests, must sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.

3 From the fellowship offering he must make a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. He must offer the fat of the animal's inner organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them),

4 both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.

5 Then the priests will burn these parts on the altar, on the whole burnt offering that is on the wood of the fire. It is an offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

6 "'If a person's fellowship offering to the Lord is a lamb or a goat, it may be a male or female, but it must have nothing wrong with it.

7 If he offers a lamb, he must bring it before the Lord

8 and put his hand on its head. Then he must kill the animal in front of the Meeting Tent, and the priests must sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

9 From the fellowship offering the person must make a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. He must bring the fat, the whole fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the fat of the inner organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them),

10 both kidneys with the fat that is on them, near the lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.

11 Then the priest will burn these parts on the altar as food; it will be an offering made by fire to the Lord.

12 "'If a person's offering is a goat, he must offer it before the Lord

13 and put his hand on its head. Then he must kill it in front of the Meeting Tent, and the priests must sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

14 From this offering the person must make a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. He must offer all the fat of the goat's inner organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them),

15 both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.

16 The priest will burn these parts on the altar as food. It is an offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.

17 "'This law will continue for people from now on, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or blood.'"

PREVIOUS Leviticus 2 NEXT Leviticus 4

Leviticus 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The peace-offering of the herd. (1-5) The peace-offering of the flock. (6-17)

Verses 1-5 The peace-offerings had regard to God as the giver of all good things. These were divided between the altar, the priest, and the owner. They were called peace-offering, because in them God and his people did, as it were, feast together, in token of friendship. The peace-offerings were offered by way of supplication. If a man were in pursuit of any mercy, he would add a peace-offering to his prayer for it. Christ is our Peace, our Peace-offering; for through him alone it is that we can obtain an answer of peace to our prayers. Or, the peace-offering was offered by way of thanksgiving for some mercy received. We must offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually, by Christ our Peace; and then this shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock.

Verses 6-17 Here is a law that they should eat neither fat nor blood. As for the fat, it means the fat of the inwards, the suet. The blood was forbidden for the same reason; because it was God's part of every sacrifice. God would not permit the blood that made atonement to be used as a common thing, ( Hebrews 10:29 ) ; nor will he allow us, though we have the comfort of the atonement made, to claim for ourselves any share in the honour of making it. This taught the Jews to observe distinction between common and sacred things; it kept them separate from idolaters. It would impress them more deeply with the belief of some important mystery in the shedding of the blood and the burning the fat of their solemn sacrifices. Christ, as the Prince of peace, "made peace with the blood of his cross." Through him the believer is reconciled to God; and having the peace of God in his heart, he is disposed to follow peace with all men. May the Lord multiply grace, mercy, and peace, to all who desire to bear the Christian character.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 3

This chapter contains the law of the peace offerings, and gives an account what they consisted of, and of the various rites and ceremonies used at them, as of the bullock and the rites appertaining to that, Le 3:1-5 and of the lamb, and of the rites peculiar to it, Le 3:6-11 and of the goat, and of the rites belonging to it, Le 3:12-16 and the chapter is concluded with a law forbidding the eating of fat and blood throughout their dwellings for ever, Le 3:17.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible