Leviticus 3

The Fellowship Offering: Peace Before the LORD

The LORD instructs Israel to bring fellowship offerings from herd or flock, with blood applied at the altar and the fat portions burned to the LORD, establishing peace and communion through sacrifice while reserving blood and fat as holy to God.

World English Bible, Public Domain

The fellowship offering from the herd is brought without defect, identified with by hand-laying, slaughtered before the LORD, mediated by priestly blood application, and partially burned to God.

Leviticus 3:1-5

Covenant fellowship with the LORD is expressed through a sacrifice offered according to His appointed pattern.

1 “ ‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before Yahweh.

2 He 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 priests, shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

3 He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh. The fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,

4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

5 Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

The fellowship offering from sheep follows the same sacrificial grammar, with the fat portions burned as the LORD's food offering.

Leviticus 3:6-11

Covenant fellowship with the LORD is expressed through a sacrificial offering that gives the best portions to God.

6 “ ‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offer it without defect.

7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before Yahweh;

8 and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

9 He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails,

10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

11 The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to Yahweh.

The goat offering repeats the pattern of sacrifice, blood, priestly mediation, fat removal, and altar burning before the LORD.

Leviticus 3:12-17

Covenant fellowship with the LORD honors Him by reserving the life and the richest portions of the sacrifice exclusively for God.

12 “ ‘If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before Yahweh.

13 He shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

14 He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,

15 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

16 The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is Yahweh’s.

Israel is permanently forbidden from eating fat or blood, preserving the LORD's claim over the life and choicest portions of the sacrifice.

17 “ ‘It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’ ”

Key Terms

זֶבַח zevach H2077
שֶׁלֶם shelem H8002
תָּמִים tamim H8549
פָּנִים panim H6440
סָמַךְ samak H5564
רֹאשׁ rosh H7218
שָׁחַט shachat H7819
דָּם dam H1818
זָרַק zaraq H2236
מִזְבֵּחַ mizbeach H4196
חֵלֶב chelev H2459
כִּלְיָה kilyah H3629

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