Leviticus 6 Study Notes

6:1 The third case was a breach of trust that involved the misappropriation of another person’s property. Since it most likely involved an oath in the Lord’s name, the crime also ultimately offended the Lord. If the defrauded person was dead and a relative could not be repaid, then the priest as the representative of God received the compensation (Nm 5:5-10). Sin against a neighbor was considered a sin against the Lord (Ex 20:16; Lv 19:18; Mt 22:39).

6:2-3 Six examples are listed: the illegal withholding of another’s property received through (1) a deposit given for safekeeping, (2) an investment made in a business, (3) theft, (4) property falsely acquired through defrauding a neighbor, (5) keeping lost property, and (6) swearing against a neighbor falsely.

6:5 On the day shows the immediate effect of the guilty conscience of the offender whose restitution demonstrated genuine remorse. Nm 5:7 requires the offender to confess his sin.

6:7 The Suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ, was the ultimate “guilt offering” (Is 53:10) that provided full forgiveness. Because of sin against the Lord and their neighbors, people have a debt to God, but Jesus has made the ransom payment (Mk 10:45). Restitution must precede the act of worship (Mt 5:23-26).

6:8-7:38 The previous descriptions of the five offerings were addressed primarily to everyday Israelites, but these regulations are directed primarily to the priests. Also, instructions on the procedure for the guilt offering appear for the first time (7:1-7).

6:8-13 On the burnt offering, see note at 1:3.

6:9 The daily burnt offering (Ex 29:42-43; Nm 28:3,6,10), known as the tamid (“continually,” Lv 6:13) offering, provided for the roasting of the meat all night until morning; the phrase kept burning describes the perpetual flame on the altar (vv. 12-13). The eternal flame came from the Lord (see note at 9:24), indicating perpetual cleansing and intercession.

6:10-11 Special holy garments were required of the priest (Ex 28:42-43) when handling the ashes in the sacred courtyard. Other clothes were appropriate since the priest left the sacred precinct; yet, even outside, the ashes were to remain in a ceremonially clean place, or the designated “ash heap” (4:12).

6:14-23 This passage probably describes the layperson’s private grain offering, although it may refer to the daily grain offering of Israel presented by the priest that accompanied the daily burnt offering. On the private grain offering, see 2:1-16 and note at 2:1; on the daily offering, compare Ex 29:40-41; Nm 28:4-8.

6:14 The word law (Hb torah) can mean “instruction.”

6:15 On the memorial portion, see note at 2:2.

6:16-17 Only the priests were qualified to eat the remainder of the sacrifice, which they consumed in the courtyard (2:11). In the NT, the same principle applied to Christian leaders who received their livelihood from the gifts of the parishioners (1Co 9:14; 1Tm 5:17-18).

6:17 Especially holy (Hb qodesh qadashim) refers to the offerings from which the priests received their sustenance (vv. 25-26; 2:3; 7:1,6; Nm 18:8-10); therefore, these sacrifices could only be consumed in the sanctuary courtyard.

6:18 The permanent portion identified this food as one of many divine gifts for the service of the priests (v. 29; 7:6,34; 24:9; Nm 18). Anything . . . will become holy describes the resulting state of someone who handled the grain or meat (in the case of an animal offering) or something that came into contact with it (for other occasions, see Ex 29:37; Nm 16:37-38; cp. the opposite state, Lv 11:24 and see note at Hg 2:13).

6:19-23 The daily grain offering of the high priest had its beginning with the ordination service of Aaron and his sons (8:1-8; Ex 29:1-9).

6:20 The amount corresponded to the daily grain offering of Israel (Ex 29:40; Nm 28:5) and the sin offering of the very poor (Lv 5:11). It was offered twice per day by the high priest.

6:22-23 The successor to Aaron as high priest would make the offering at the altar. The burning of the entire offering indicated that the priest could not benefit from the offering made for himself; this was a perpetual reminder to the priest and congregation that he must be dedicated totally to the Lord. These twice-daily offerings contrast with the high priesthood of Jesus, who offered the perfect sacrifice of himself once for all time (Heb 7:27).

6:24-30 The purpose of this segment was to protect the holiness of the offering and to warn those who might desecrate the meat through unlawful consumption. On the sin offering, see chap. 4.

6:25 Most holy (or “especially holy”; see v. 29) indicates that the priest was the recipient of the meat. The place for slaughter of the sacrificial animal must be on the north side of the altar, just as with animals from the flock (1:11; 4:24,29,33).

6:26 The officiating priest must consume the meat, showing divine acceptance of the gift, but he could share it with other priests (v. 29; see note at v. 30). The location was in the courtyard of the tent of meeting (cp. v. 16), meaning that the meat was not taken home for family members to eat.

6:27 Since this offering was holy, anything the meat touched would become holy. The priest became holy through contact with the sacrifice. Special cautions were in order for the animal’s disposal since it was for the forgiveness of sin. Inevitably, blood splattered on the priest’s clothes when he sprinkled the blood on the altar (4:6,17; 5:9; 16:14-15,19); the cleaning of the garments must be in a holy place, which was inside the courtyard.

6:28 Since a clay pot used in this sacrifice was made of porous material that absorbed the animal’s blood, it could not be used again, but a bronze pot could be scoured and rinsed with water.

6:30 The exception to the priestly consumption of the offering was that a priest could not benefit from a sin offering given for himself. When the priest took the blood inside the sacred tent, or the holy place, that was the sin offering to atone for the sins of the priest and the congregation (cp. 4:5,16). The carcass was therefore burned on the ash heap (4:12,21).