The Fellowship Sacrifice

11 “Now this is the law of the fellowship sacrifice(A) that someone may present to the Lord: 12 If he presents it for thanksgiving, in addition to the thanksgiving sacrifice,[a](B) he is to present unleavened cakes(C) mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers(D) coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. 13 He is to present as his offering cakes of leavened bread[b] with his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship. 14 From the cakes he must present one portion of each offering as a contribution(E) to the Lord. It will belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offering; it is his. 15 The meat of his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship must be eaten on the day he offers it;(F) he may not leave any of it until morning.(G)

16 “If the sacrifice he offers is a vow[c](H) or a freewill offering,[d](I) it is to be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and what is left over may be eaten on the next day. 17 But what remains of the sacrificial meat by the third day must be burned up.(J) 18 If any of the meat of his fellowship sacrifice is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted.(K) It will not be credited to the one who presents it; it is repulsive.(L) The person who eats any of it will be responsible for his sin.[e]

19 “Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned up. Everyone who is clean may eat any other meat. 20 But the one who eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice while he is unclean,[f] that person must be cut off from his people.(M) 21 If someone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable[g](N) creature, and eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice, that person must be cut off from his people.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:12 The thanksgiving sacrifice is the first of three kinds of fellowship sacrifices. It was given to express gratitude to God (Jr 33:11) in circumstances such as answered prayer (Ps 50:14-15) or safe travel (Ps 107:22-25).
  2. Leviticus 7:13 Although yeast was prohibited from being burned on the altar (Lv 2:11), leavened bread could still be an offering (Lv 23:17-20) to be eaten by the priests and their families.
  3. Leviticus 7:16 The vow offering, the second category of fellowship sacrifice, was brought as an expression of gratitude to fulfill a vow; Gn 28:20; 2Sm 15:7-8; Pr 7:14.
  4. Leviticus 7:16 The freewill offering, the third category of fellowship sacrifice, was a voluntary expression of gratitude toward God for any reason; Dt 16:10; Ps 54:6.
  5. Leviticus 7:18 Or will bear his guilt
  6. Leviticus 7:20 Lit while his uncleanness is upon him
  7. Leviticus 7:21 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Tg read swarming

Peace Offerings

11 “This is the law concerning the sacrifice for peace offerings that are to be brought to the Lord: 12 If someone[a] brings it to demonstrate thanksgiving, then he is to present along with the thanksgiving offering unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers spread[b] with olive oil, and cakes of mixed fine flour with olive oil. 13 Along with the cakes of unleavened bread, he is to bring his thanksgiving offering with his peace offerings. 14 He is to present one from each grain offering,[c] a separate offering to the Lord. It will belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offering. 15 As to the meat[d] contained in his peace offerings, it is to be eaten on the day it is offered.[e] Nothing of it is to remain until morning.”

Voluntary Offerings

16 “If his sacrifice accompanies a fulfilled vow or is a voluntary offering, it is to be eaten on the day the offeror[f] brings the sacrifice. Anything left over is to be eaten the next day,[g] 17 but whatever remains uneaten from the meat of the sacrifice by the third day is to be incinerated. 18 If any of the meat of his sacrifice of peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it won’t be accepted for the one who brought it. It is to be considered as refuse, and whoever eats it will bear the punishment of his iniquity.”

Distinguishing the Clean and Unclean

19 “Meat that comes in contact with a ceremonially unclean thing is not to be eaten. Incinerate it instead. As for ceremonially clean[h] meat, anyone who is clean may eat it.[i] 20 But the person who eats meat from the sacrifice that belongs to the Lord, while still affected by his uncleanness, is to be eliminated from contact with[j] his people. 21 Any person who touches a ceremonially unclean thing—whether the uncleanness pertains to human beings, animals, or to creeping things—and then eats from the meat of peace offerings that belongs to the Lord is to be eliminated from contact with[k] his people.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 7:12 Lit. he
  2. Leviticus 7:12 Lit. anointed
  3. Leviticus 7:14 The Heb. lacks grain
  4. Leviticus 7:15 Lit. flesh
  5. Leviticus 7:15 Lit. of its offering
  6. Leviticus 7:16 Lit. day he
  7. Leviticus 7:16 Lit. in the morrow
  8. Leviticus 7:19 The Heb. lacks ceremonially clean
  9. Leviticus 7:19 Lit. eat the flesh
  10. Leviticus 7:20 The Heb. lacks contact with
  11. Leviticus 7:21 The Heb. lacks contact with