Leviticus 17
Proper Place and Method of Sacrifice
1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which the LORD has commanded:
3Whatever man there is of the house of Israel who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,
4and hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to the LORD before the LORD’s tabernacle: blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood. That man shall be cut off from among his people.
5This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the LORD, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD.
6The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the LORD’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.
7They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’
8“You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people.
10“‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.
12Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”
13“‘Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust.
14For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”
15“‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean.
16But if he doesn’t wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.’”
Leviticus 17 establishes strict regulations governing sacrifice and the consumption of blood among the Israelites. God commands that all animal sacrifices must be brought to the Tent of Meeting rather than offered in open fields or to goat idols, with violations punishable by being cut off from the community. The chapter emphasizes that blood contains life and serves as the means of atonement, therefore prohibiting its consumption while requiring proper handling of hunted animals and carcasses.
Context
This chapter transitions from the Day of Atonement rituals in chapter 16 to broader regulations governing Israel's sacrificial system and dietary laws.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-7Centralized Sacrifice RequiredAll animal slaughter must occur at the Tent of Meeting to prevent idolatrous worship of goat demons.
- 8-9Universal ApplicationThe sacrifice regulations apply equally to Israelites and foreigners living among them.
- 10-12Prohibition Against Consuming BloodBlood is forbidden as food because it contains life and serves as the means of atonement on the altar.
- 13-14Proper Handling of Hunted AnimalsBlood from hunted game must be poured out and covered with dust rather than consumed.
- 15-16Regulations for Naturally Dead AnimalsThose who eat animals that died naturally or were torn by beasts must undergo purification rituals.
Proper Place and Method of Sacrifice
17:1–17:16Laws requiring all animal sacrifices to be brought to the tabernacle and prohibiting consumption of blood. These regulations centralize worship and prevent idolatrous practices while emphasizing blood's sacred role in atonement.
person_contrast
Moses receives divine commands about sacrifice centralization here, yet this represents one of only seven passages where he directly addresses Israel's tendency toward idolatrous worship practices.
Leviticus 17:3
Leviticus 22:27lexical“When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother. From the eighth day on it shall be…
Numbers 18:17lexical“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy…
Leviticus 7:23lexical“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat.
Deuteronomy 14:4lexicalThese are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
Leviticus 1:10lexical“‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male witho…
Leviticus 17:4
Leviticus 1:3lexical“‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door…
Leviticus 3:2lexicalHe shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the pri…
Leviticus 4:18lexicalHe shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the Tent of Meeting; and t…
Leviticus 4:7lexicalThe priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the Tent…
Leviticus 1:5lexicalHe shall kill the bull before the LORD. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around…
Leviticus 17:5
Numbers 6:18lexicalThe Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his…
2 Chronicles 30:22lexicalHezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throu…
1 Samuel 10:8lexical“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices…
1 Kings 8:63lexicalSolomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, twenty two thousand head of cattle a…
2 Chronicles 33:16lexicalHe built up the LORD’s altar, and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving on it, and commanded Judah t…
Leviticus 17:6
Numbers 18:17lexical“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy…
Leviticus 1:5lexicalHe shall kill the bull before the LORD. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around…
Leviticus 3:2lexicalHe shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the pri…
Leviticus 4:31lexicalAll its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall b…
Leviticus 3:16lexicalThe priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat…
Leviticus 17:7
Exodus 34:15lexical“Don’t make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they play the prostitute after their gods, and sacrifice t…
Exodus 27:21lexicalIn the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the covenant, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from ev…
Leviticus 23:31lexicalYou shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Leviticus 23:21lexicalYou shall make proclamation on the same day that there shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall do no regular work.…
Leviticus 23:14lexicalYou must not eat bread, or roasted grain, or fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of yo…
Leviticus 17:8
Numbers 15:14lexicalIf a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an…
Numbers 19:10lexicalHe who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the chil…
Joshua 20:9lexicalThese were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kil…
Numbers 15:29lexicalYou shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, a…
Leviticus 18:26lexicalYou therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-b…
Leviticus 17:10
Joshua 20:9lexicalThese were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kil…
Numbers 19:10lexicalHe who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the chil…
Leviticus 16:29lexical“It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls…
Exodus 12:49lexicalOne law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.”
Numbers 15:29lexicalYou shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, a…
Leviticus 17:12
Joshua 20:9lexicalThese were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kil…
Leviticus 19:34lexicalThe stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as y…
Numbers 19:10lexicalHe who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the chil…
Leviticus 18:26lexicalYou therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-b…
Numbers 15:29lexicalYou shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, a…
Leviticus 17:13
Ezekiel 24:7lexical“‘“For the blood she shed is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She didn’t pour it on the ground, to cov…
Numbers 15:14lexicalIf a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an…
Joshua 20:9lexicalThese were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kil…
Jeremiah 7:6lexicalif you don’t oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and don’t shed innocent blood in this place, and don’…
Jeremiah 22:3lexicalThe LORD says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no…
Leviticus 17:15
Numbers 19:19lexicalThe clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day. On the seventh day, he shall pu…
Leviticus 11:40lexicalHe who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass sha…
Leviticus 11:25lexicalWhoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 11:28lexicalHe who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.
Leviticus 15:21lexicalWhoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 17:16
Leviticus 15:7lexical“‘He who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclea…
Leviticus 16:26lexical“He who lets the goat go as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall c…
Leviticus 15:13lexical“‘When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing,…
Leviticus 16:28lexicalHe who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
Numbers 19:8lexicalHe who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.
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