Lev 7:11-21 | NETfull | STEP | “‘This is the law of the peace offering sacrifice which he is to present to the Lord .

Leviticus 7:11-21

The Peace Offering

11 “‘This is the law of the peace offering sacrifice which he ^{▼▼ This “he” pronoun refers to the offerer. Smr and LXX have plural “they.”} is to present to the Lord. 12 If he presents it on account of thanksgiving, ^{▼▼ Or “for a thank offering.”} along with the thank offering sacrifice he must present unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil, ^{▼▼ See the notes on Lev 2:4.} and well soaked ^{▼▼ See the note on Lev 6:21 [6:14 HT].} ring-shaped loaves made of choice wheat flour ^{▼▼ Heb “choice wheat flour well soaked ring-shaped loaves.” See the note on Lev 2:1.} mixed with olive oil. 13 He must present this grain offering ^{▼▼ The rendering “this [grain] offering” is more literally “his offering,” but it refers to the series of grain offerings listed just previously in v. 12.} in addition to ring-shaped loaves of leavened bread which regularly accompany ^{▼▼ The words “which regularly accompany” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity.} ^{▼▼ The translation “[which regularly accompany]…” is based on the practice of bringing bread (and wine) to eat with the portions of the peace offering meat eaten by the priests and worshipers (see v. 14 and Num 15:1–13). This was in addition to the memorial portion of the unleavened bread that was offered to the Lord on the altar (cf. Lev 2:2, 9, and the note on 7:12).} the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offering. 14 He must present one of each kind of grain offering ^{▼▼ Here the Hebrew text reads “offering” (קָרְבָּן, qorbban), not “grain offering” (מִנְחָה, minkhah), but in this context the term refers once again to the list in 7:12.} as a contribution offering ^{▼▼ The term rendered “contribution offering” is תְּרוּמָה (t^erumah), which generally refers to that which is set aside from the offerings to the Lord as prebends for the officiating priests (cf. esp. Lev 7:28–34 and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 4:335–37). Cf. TEV “as a special contribution.”} to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the peace offering. 15 The meat of his ^{▼▼ In the verse “his” refers to the offerer.} thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day of his offering; he must not set any of it aside until morning.

16 “‘If his offering is a votive or freewill sacrifice, ^{▼▼ For the distinction between votive and freewill offerings see the note on Lev 22:23 and the literature cited there.} it may be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, and also the leftovers from it may be eaten on the next day, ^{▼▼ Heb “and on the next day and the left over from it shall be eaten.”} 17 but the leftovers from the meat of the sacrifice must be burned up in the fire ^{▼▼ Heb “burned with fire,” an expression which is sometimes redundant in English, but here means “burned up,” “burned up entirely” (likewise in v. 19).} on the third day. 18 If some of the meat of his peace offering sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it, since it is spoiled, ^{▼▼ Or “desecrated,” or “defiled,” or “forbidden.” For this difficult term see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:422. Cf. NIV “it is impure”; NCV “it will become unclean”; NLT “will be contaminated.”} and the person who eats from it will bear his punishment for iniquity. ^{▼▼ Heb “his iniquity he shall bear” (cf. Lev 5:1); NIV “will be held responsible”; NRSV “shall incur guilt”; TEV “will suffer the consequences.”} 19 The meat which touches anything ceremonially ^{▼▼ The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation both here and in the following sentence to clarify that the uncleanness involved is ritual or ceremonial in nature.} unclean must not be eaten; it must be burned up in the fire. As for ceremonially clean meat, ^{▼▼ The Hebrew has simply “the flesh,” but this certainly refers to “clean” flesh in contrast to the unclean flesh in the first half of the verse.} everyone who is ceremonially clean may eat the meat. 20 The person who eats meat from the peace offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while his uncleanness persists ^{▼▼ Heb “and his unclean condition is on him.”} will be cut off from his people. ^{▼▼ The exact meaning of this penalty clause is not certain. It could mean that he will be executed, whether by God or by man, he will be excommunicated from sanctuary worship and/or community benefits (cf. TEV, CEV), or his line will be terminated by God (i.e., extirpation), etc. See J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 100; J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:457–60; and B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 241–42 for further discussion.} 21 When a person touches anything unclean (whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or an unclean detestable creature) ^{▼▼ For these categories of unclean animals see Lev 11.} and eats some of the meat of the peace offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.’” ^{▼▼ For the interpretation of this last clause see the note on Lev 7:20.}