Leviticus 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around 1446 to 1406 BC, during the year the Israelites camped at Sinai
Location
The tent of meeting at Sinai, where the offering is killed at the entrance and burned on the altar
Audience
The Israelites of the exodus generation, and later Israelite worshippers bringing voluntary offerings
Situation
This chapter covers the peace or fellowship offering, brought from the herd or the flock, male or female. The fat and the kidneys are burned for God, and the rest becomes a meal shared by the worshipper's family.
Key Background
Meat was rare in an ordinary Israelite diet, so this sacrifice doubled as a celebration feast, and the sanctuary functioned as the place where a family's festive meal was eaten in God's presence. Fat was considered the richest and best part of an animal, which is why it was reserved for God rather than treated as waste. The standing ban on eating fat and blood, stated at the end of the chapter, applied everywhere and not only at the sanctuary, and it explains later Israelite butchering practice.
"If someone's offering is a — if they bring an animal from the herd, whether male or female — they must bring one before
They must their on the of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Then Aaron's sons, the priests, will the against every side of the altar.
From the fellowship sacrifice, they must present a to Yahweh: the covering the internal organs — all the around the insides —
— the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the on the which they must remove along with the kidneys.
Aaron's sons will burn it on the altar along with the that is on the wood over the fire. It is a fire a to Yahweh.
"If their offering for a fellowship sacrifice to Yahweh comes from the they must bring a male or female without any defect.
If they bring a as their offering, they must present it before Yahweh.
They must place their hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it in front of the meeting tent. Then Aaron's sons will splash its blood against every side of the altar.
From the fellowship sacrifice they must present a fire offering to Yahweh: the — the cut off close to the backbone — the covering the internal organs, and all the around the insides,
the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the membrane on the liver, which they must remove along with the kidneys.
The priest will burn it on the altar — it is a fire offering to Yahweh.
"If their offering is a they must present it before Yahweh.
They must place their hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the meeting tent. Then Aaron's sons will splash its blood against every side of the altar.
From it they must present their offering as a fire offering to Yahweh: the fat covering the internal organs — all the fat around the insides —
the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the membrane on the liver, which they must remove along with the kidneys.
The priest will burn them on the altar — food given as a fire offering, a pleasing aroma. All the fat belongs to Yahweh.
"This is a for all wherever you live: you must never eat any or any