Leviticus 3:11
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Then the priest is to burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter we have the law concerning the peace-offerings, whether they were, I. Of the heard, a bullock or a heifer (Lev 3:1-5). Or, II. Of the flock, either a lamb (Lev 3:6-11) or a goat (Lev 3:12-17). The ordinances concerning each of these are much the same, yet they are repeated, to show the care we ought to take that all our services be done according to the appointment and the pleasure God takes in the services that are so performed. It is likewise to intimate what need we have of precept upon precept, and line upon line.
Open source ↗3:11 special gift: See study note on 1:9. • Offerings of food were called “God’s food” (21:6, 8, 17, 21, 22; Num 28:2). However, Scripture is clear that the Lord did not eat the offerings, as pagans believed their deities did (Ps 50:9-13). Instead, these offerings belonged to God, and the priest ate a portion of this food as God’s representative (Lev 21:21-22). These offerings sustained the priest and his family.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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“Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God.
They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.
Then the priest is to burn the food on the altar as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.
You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.
Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Neither you nor a foreigner shall present food to your God from any such animal. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and flawed.’”
In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant.
“Command the Israelites and say to them: See that you present to Me at its appointed time the food for My offerings by fire, as a pleasing aroma to Me.
By presenting defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me.