Leviticus 7:11-21
The fellowship offering expresses gratitude and covenant communion through a sacred meal before the Lord.
11 “ ‘This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to Yahweh:
12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil.
13 He shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving with cakes of leavened bread.
14 Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to Yahweh. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.
15 The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.
16 “ ‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a free will offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it shall be eaten,
17 but what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.
18 If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it shall not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
19 “ ‘The meat that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. As for the meat, everyone who is clean may eat it;
20 but the soul who eats of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings that belongs to Yahweh, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.
21 When anyone touches any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean animal, or any unclean abomination, and eats some of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to Yahweh, that soul shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
The fellowship offering expresses gratitude and covenant communion through a sacred meal before the LORD.
This passage explains the regulations governing the fellowship (peace) offering, clarifying the forms it may take and establishing the rules for consuming the sacrificial meal within the covenant community.
Leviticus 7:11-21 continues the priestly offering-regulation section of Leviticus 6-7. After regulations for the burnt offering, grain offering, sin offering, guilt offering, and priestly portions, this passage turns to the fellowship offering. It revisits the offering introduced in Leviticus 3 but now focuses on types of fellowship offerings, accompanying breads, priestly shares, eating deadlines, impurity restrictions, and exclusion penalties.
Leviticus 7:11-21 belongs to the priestly regulations for offerings in Israel's wilderness tabernacle worship. Israel is the LORD's covenant people, called to approach him through sacrifice and to share fellowship meals under his holy rule. The worshiper brings a fellowship offering with accompanying breads. A priestly portion is presented to the LORD and given to the officiating priest. The sacrificial meat is eaten within regulated timeframes by clean participants. Meat affected by uncleanness or kept beyond its allowed period is burned. The passage concerns priests who regulate the fellowship offering, worshipers who bring thanksgiving, vow, or freewill offerings, and participants who eat from the sacred meal. The fellowship offering was one of the most participatory sacrifices because the worshiper and others could eat from the offering. This made holiness boundaries especially important, since the meal joined sacrifice, priestly mediation, thanksgiving, and communal participation. The passage develops the fellowship offering introduced in Leviticus 3 and completes the main priestly handling sequence before the prohibitions on fat and blood in Leviticus 7:22-27.
The Guilt Offering, Priestly Portions, and Holy Fellowship
Holy fellowship with the LORD requires holy sacrifice, holy eating, holy boundaries, and faithful priestly provision.