Leviticus 1 Study Notes

1:1 The tent of meeting refers to the tabernacle tent erected under Moses’s supervision at Sinai (Ex 40), not the temporary tent used only for communication (Ex 33:7). Moses must have stood outside the tent (Ex 40:34-35), although later he with Aaron would enter once again (Lv 9:23). The period from the building of the structure to the departure from Sinai was about forty-eight days (Ex 40:2; Nm 10:11), which included all the events of Leviticus and the preparations for departure in Nm 1:1-10:10.

1:2 Brings (Hb qarav) an offering (Hb qorban) is technical jargon describing any gift presented to the Lord (“corban” in Mk 7:11). Livestock (Hb behemah) is the general term for domesticated cattle and sheep, as distinguished from the birds (v. 14).

1:3 The burnt offering (Hb ‘olah) is the first of the five regular offerings: burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt. The first three offerings were voluntary gifts, and the last two were required. The burnt offering was for the general (nonspecific) sinfulness of the offerer. The term ‘olah means “an ascending” (Hb ‘alah; “to ascend”), referring probably to the rising smoke of the burning carcass. The burnt offering was also known as the “whole burnt offering” because it was totally consumed on the altar (v. 9), except the hide (7:8), expressing the person’s total dedication to God. Since it was so commonly associated with the altar of sacrifice, the altar itself was sometimes called “the altar of burnt offering” (4:7).

He . . . he refers to the layperson, not the priests, who are identified as “Aaron’s sons” (vv. 5,7,11). The unblemished male from cattle was considered culturally to be the most valued animal and thus appropriate to be the most costly offering made to God (22:22-24; Mal 1:13-14; 1Pt 1:19). He may be accepted can also be translated “it will be accepted,” indicating the animal, not the offerer. “Accepted” (Hb ratson) means divine favor, indicating that the person received forgiveness (v. 4).

1:4 By laying his hand on the head, the layperson symbolically transferred guilt or identified with the fate of the victim (16:21). The result was to make atonement (Hb kapper), which meant appeasement (propitiation) with God (Gn 32:20) by removing (expiation) sin and impurities (Day of Atonement, Lv 16:30; 23:28; “atoning sacrifice,” Rm 3:25; Heb 9:25).

1:5 The offerer himself slit the bull’s throat (2Kg 10:7; Talmud), and the priest splattered the blood . . . on all sides of the altar, signifying that the animal’s life belonged to God. Before the Lord identified multiple locations: the entrance to the courtyard (4:4,14), the altar area inside the courtyard (4:18), the curtain inside the tent that separated the holy place from the most holy place where the altar of incense stood (4:6-7), and the furniture in the holy place (24:3,6).

1:6 The skinning provided the gift of the hide for the priest (7:8).

1:7-8 Whereas the offerer prepared the animal, the priest prepared the altar and laid the pieces on it.

1:9 Washing the internal organs and legs (lower back legs) removed filth, making the sacrifice ritually fit for God. A fire offering is the traditional translation, but it may be generally “a food offering.” Pleasing aroma is a frequent expression meaning the Lord accepted the gift (vv. 13,17; Gn 8:21; Ex 29:18); fragrant incense (Ex 30:7; Lv 4:7; 16:12) explains the agreeable scent that masked the odor of the burning flesh. The Greek translation of the phrase (osme euodias) is used of the sacrifice of Christ in Eph 5:2 and of Christian giving in Php 4:18.

1:10-13 Sheep were the most common burnt offering. The north side of the altar was especially for the flock (also sin offering, 4:24,29,33), perhaps because less space was needed for them than cattle, which were slaughtered “before the Lord,” that is, on the larger east side facing the entrance to the tent of meeting (1:5).

1:14 Easily domesticated, numerous, and affordable for the poor, these two species of birds were common offerings (5:7; 12:8; 14:21-22; cp. Gn 15:9). Mary offered birds at Jesus’s birth for her purification (Lk 2:22-24).

1:15-17 The blood was too meager to be caught in a receptacle; nevertheless, proper disposal (i.e., squeezing it out, Jdg 6:38) was necessary to show that the life belonged to God (Lv 17:10-17). The place for ashes (lit “fat” because of animal fat deposits) was east of the altar; a priest cleaned off the altar each morning and took the ash heap outside the camp to purge the refuse from God’s sight (6:10-11).