The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  26yand from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;

  27and he put all these zin Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD.

  28aThen Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering. They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma. That was an offering made by fire to the LORD.

  29And bMoses took the cbreast and waved it as a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses’ dpart of the ram of consecration, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

  30Then eMoses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

  31And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, f“Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’

  32g“What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire.

  33“And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For hseven days he shall consecrate you.

  34i“As he has done this day, so the LORD has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.

  35“Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and jkeep the 6charge of the LORD, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.”

  36So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.

  Leviticus 9

  The Priestly Ministry Begins

  1It came to pass on the aeighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.

  2And he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bbull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.

  3“And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, c‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering,

  4‘also a bull and a ram as peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and da grain offering mixed with oil; for etoday the LORD will appear to you.’ ”

  5So they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood 1before the LORD.

  6Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do, and the glory of the LORD will appear to you.”

  7And Moses said to Aaron, “Go to the altar, foffer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. gOffer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the LORD commanded.”

  8Aaron therefore went to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.

  9Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him. And he dipped his finger in the blood, put it on the horns of the altar, and poured the blood at the base of the altar.

  10hBut the fat, the kidneys, and the fatty lobe from the liver of the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

  11iThe flesh and the hide he burned with fire outside the camp.

  12And he killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons presented to him the blood, jwhich he sprinkled all around on the altar.

  13kThen they presented the burnt offering to him, with its pieces and head, and he burned them on the altar.

  14lAnd he washed the entrails and the legs, and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar.

  15mThen he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and killed it and offered it for sin, like the first one.

  16And he brought the burnt offering and offered it naccording to the 2prescribed manner.

  17Then he brought the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, obesides the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

  18He also killed the bull and the ram as psacrifices of peace offerings, which were for the people. And Aaron’s sons presented to him the blood, which he sprinkled all around on the altar,

  19and the fat from the bull and the ram—the fatty tail, what covers the entrails and the kidneys, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver;

  20and they put the fat on the breasts. qThen he burned the fat on the altar;

  21but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved ras a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.

  22Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, sblessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings.

  23And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people,

  24and tfire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they ushouted and fell on their vfaces.

  Leviticus 10

  The Profane Fire of Nadab and Abihu

  1Then aNadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, beach took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered cprofane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.

  2So dfire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

  3And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying:

  ‘By those ewho come near Me

  I must be regarded as holy;

  And before all the people

  I must be glorified.’ ”

  So Aaron held his peace.

  4Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, fcarry your brethren from 1before the sanctuary out of the camp.”

  5So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

  6And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not 2uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and gwrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, 3bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.

  7h“You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, ifor the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

  Conduct Prescribed for Priests

  8Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying:

  9j“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations,

  10“that you may kdistinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,

  11l“and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

  12And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: m“Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the LORD, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; nfor it is most holy.

  13“You shall eat it in a oholy place, because it is your 4due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the LORD; for pso I have been commanded.

  14q“The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your rdaughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ sdue, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

  15t“The thigh of the heave offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to offer as a wave offering before the LORD. And it shall be yours and your sons’ with you, by a statute forever, as the LORD has commanded.”

  16Then Moses made careful inquiry a
bout uthe goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying,

  17v“Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear wthe guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

  18“See! xIts blood was not brought inside 5the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, yas I commanded.”

  19And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, zthis day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, awould it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?”

  20So when Moses heard that, he was content.

  Leviticus 11

  Foods Permitted and Forbidden

  (Deut. 14:3–21)

  1Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,

  2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, a‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth:

  3‘Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat.

  4‘Nevertheless these you shall bnot eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is 1unclean to you;

  5‘the 2rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is 3unclean to you;

  6‘the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;

  7‘and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, cis unclean to you.

  8‘Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. dThey are unclean to you.

  9e‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat.

  10‘But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are 4an fabomination to you.

  11‘They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination.

  12‘Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.

  13g‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,

  14‘the kite, and the falcon after its kind;

  15‘every raven after its kind,

  16‘the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind;

  17‘the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl;

  18‘the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture;

  19‘the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.

  20‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you.

  21‘Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

  22‘These you may eat: hthe locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind.

  23‘But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

  Unclean Animals

  24‘By these you shall become 5unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening;

  25‘whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them ishall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening:

  26‘The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean.

  27‘And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening.

  28‘Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you.

  29‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, jthe mouse, and the large lizard after its kind;

  30‘the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.

  31‘These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever ktouches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.

  32‘Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be 6unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, lit must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean.

  33‘Any mearthen vessel into which any of them falls nyou shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean:

  34‘in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean.

  35‘And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.

  36‘Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.

  37‘And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean.

  38‘But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes 7unclean to you.

  39‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be ounclean until evening.

  40p‘He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

  41‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be 8an abomination. It shall not be eaten.

  42‘Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.

  43q‘You shall not make 9yourselves 10abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them.

  44‘For I am the LORD your rGod. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and syou shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

  45t‘For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. uYou shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

  46‘This is the law 11of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth,

  47v‘to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.’ ”

  Leviticus 12

  The Ritual After Childbirth

  (cf. Luke 2:22–24)

  1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

  2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a awoman has conceived, and borne a male child, then bshe shall be 1unclean seven days; cas in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean.

  3‘And on the deighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

  4‘She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any 2hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

  5‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.

  6e‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a flamb 3of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a gsin offering, to the door of the
tabernacle of meeting.

  7‘Then he shall offer it before the LORD, and make 4atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.

  8h‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. iSo the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be 5clean.’ ”

  Leviticus 13

  The Law Concerning Leprosy

  1And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

  2“When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, aa scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a 1leprous sore, bthen he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.

  3“The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him 2unclean.

  4“But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore cseven days.

  5“And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days.

  6“Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he dshall wash his clothes and be clean.

  7“But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.

  8“And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him 3unclean. It is leprosy.

  9“When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest.