Leviticus 6

Restitution and Priestly Stewardship of the Offerings

The LORD requires restitution for deceptive wrongdoing against neighbors and then commands the priests to steward the continual fire, burnt offering, grain offering, ordination grain offering, and sin offering with holiness and precision.

World English Bible, Public Domain

Wrongdoing against a neighbor through theft, fraud, false oath, or deception is treated as unfaithfulness against the LORD and requires restitution, added fifth, guilt offering, atonement, and forgiveness.

Leviticus 6:1-7

When dishonesty harms another person, God requires restitution and a guilt offering to restore both justice and covenant fellowship.

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “If anyone sins, and commits a trespass against Yahweh, and deals falsely with his neighbor in a matter of deposit, or of bargain, or of robbery, or has oppressed his neighbor,

3 or has found that which was lost, and lied about it, and swearing to a lie—in any of these things that a man sins in his actions—

4 then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found,

5 or any thing about which he has sworn falsely: he shall restore it in full, and shall add a fifth part more to it. He shall return it to him to whom it belongs in the day of his being found guilty.

6 He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest.

7 The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he does to become guilty.”

The priests must keep the altar fire burning continually and handle the ashes of the burnt offering with reverent care.

Leviticus 6:8-13

God requires continual worship through the perpetual altar fire and the ongoing burnt offering.

8 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.

10 The priest shall put on his linen garment, and he shall put on his linen trousers upon his body; and he shall remove the ashes from where the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

11 He shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.

12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning. He shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.

13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

The memorial portion belongs to the LORD by fire, while the remainder belongs to the priests and must be eaten without yeast in a holy place.

Leviticus 6:14-23

The grain offering expresses devotion to God while sustaining those who serve in His sanctuary.

14 “ ‘This is the law of the meal offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before Yahweh, before the altar.

15 He shall take from there his handful of the fine flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the meal offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma, as its memorial portion, to Yahweh.

16 That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting.

17 It shall not be baked with yeast. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire. It is most holy, as are the sin offering and the trespass offering.

18 Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as their portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy.’ ”

The anointed priest's grain offering is offered morning and evening and must be wholly burned, not eaten.

19 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

20 “This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer to Yahweh in the day when he is anointed: one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening.

21 It shall be made with oil in a griddle. When it is soaked, you shall bring it in. You shall offer the meal offering in baked pieces for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

22 The anointed priest that will be in his place from among his sons shall offer it. By a statute forever, it shall be wholly burned to Yahweh.

23 Every meal offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

The sin offering is most holy, requiring careful handling of blood, flesh, garments, vessels, and sanctuary-related cases.

Leviticus 6:24-30

The sin offering is most holy and must be handled with strict reverence according to God's sanctuary regulations.

24 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

25 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before Yahweh. It is most holy.

26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.

27 Whatever shall touch its flesh shall be holy. When there is any of its blood sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled in a holy place.

28 But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water.

29 Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy.

30 No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire.

Key Terms

דָּבַר dabar H1696
נֶפֶשׁ nephesh H5315
חָטָא chata H2398
מַעַל maal H4603
כָּחַשׁ kachash H3584
עָמִית amit H5997
פִּקָּדוֹן piqqadon H6487
גָּזֵל gazel H1498
עָשַׁק ashaq H6231
שָׁבַע shaba H7650

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