Leviticuschapter 1

17 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 213 cross-references outward and receives 187 — heaviest partner: Leviticus.

Chapter summary

The burnt offering — the first of the five sacrifices and the most foundational. A bullock of the herd (or a sheep or goat or, for the poor, a turtledove or young pigeon), a male without blemish, offered at the door of the tabernacle. The offerer lays his hand on the head — identification and transfer. Blood sprinkled round about the altar; the animal flayed, cut in pieces, and burned whole. ‘A sweet savour unto the LORD.’ Calvin reads the chapter as a picture of total consecration; Henry, as the gospel preached before the cross. Everything of the offering goes up in flame — nothing for the worshipper, all for God.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Leviticus overview for the book's full setting.

1 And Jehovah called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man of you offereth an oblation unto Jehovah, ye shall offer your oblation of the cattle, even of the herd and of the flock.

3 If his oblation be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish: he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before Jehovah.

4 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

5 And he shall kill the bullock before Jehovah: and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting.

6 And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.

7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire;

8 and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

9 but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water. And the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.