Lev 1:9 | TNotes | STEP | 1:9 The offering was washed with water to remove dirt or debris that might contaminate the offering. Washing was also part of purification from ritual uncleanness, a prerequisite for Tabernacle service (6:27 ; 11:28 ). • special gift: The Hebrew term ( ’isheh ) has traditionally been rendered “offering made by fire.” Although the offering was to be burned (1:13 , 17 ), recent scholarship suggests that the word had the more generic meaning of “gift.” • pleasing aroma to the Lord (literally a restful odor; also in 1:13 , 17 ): Pagan people of the ancient Near East believed that their gods smelled the offerings because they needed to eat them to sustain their lives. Although God’s response is sometimes represented in language that reflects the cultural setting (e.g., 21:6 ; Num 28:2 ), the Bible is clear that God did not need offerings as food (Ps 50:9-13 ). Instead, they pleased him as sincere offerings for the purpose of atonement.

a1:9►

b6:27►

c11:28►

d1:13►

e17►

f1:13►

g17►

h21:6►

iNum 28:2►

jPs 50:9-13►

‏ Leviticus 1:9

1:9 ^a The offering was washed with water to remove dirt or debris that might contaminate the offering. Washing was also part of purification from ritual uncleanness, a prerequisite for Tabernacle service (6:27 ^b; 11:28 ^c).

• special gift: The Hebrew term (’isheh) has traditionally been rendered “offering made by fire.” Although the offering was to be burned (1:13 ^d, 17 ^e), recent scholarship suggests that the word had the more generic meaning of “gift.”

• pleasing aroma to the Lord (literally a restful odor; also in 1:13 ^f, 17 ^g): Pagan people of the ancient Near East believed that their gods smelled the offerings because they needed to eat them to sustain their lives. Although God’s response is sometimes represented in language that reflects the cultural setting (e.g., 21:6 ^h; Num 28:2 ⁱ), the Bible is clear that God did not need offerings as food (Ps 50:9-13 ^j). Instead, they pleased him as sincere offerings for the purpose of atonement.