The big picture
Leviticus 3 opens in verse 1 with “And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto…”, and closes in verse 17 with “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that…” Repeated or prominent terms include offering, LORD, offer, fire, altar. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Leviticus · King James Version · 17Leviticus 3:1-6
1–6: If his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the…
Leviticus 3:1–6 opens with “And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be…” and reaches “And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Leviticus 3 develops its own movement around offering, LORD, offer, fire, altar, with particular weight carried by offering, LORD, offer.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 3:1-6
King James Version1And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD .
2And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
3And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD ; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
4And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
5And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD .
6And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
Leviticus 3:7-12
7–12: If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the…
Leviticus 3:7–12 opens with “If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD .” and reaches “And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD .” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Leviticus 3 develops its own movement around offering, LORD, offer, fire, altar, with particular weight carried by offering, LORD, offer.
Context that brings the passage to life
“If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD .” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 3:7-12
King James Version7If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD .
8And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.
9And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD ; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
10And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
11And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD .
12And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD .
Leviticus 3:13-17
13–17: He shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the…
Leviticus 3:13–17 opens with “And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the…” and reaches “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Leviticus 3 develops its own movement around offering, LORD, offer, fire, altar, with particular weight carried by offering, altar, blood.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Leviticus 3:13-17
King James Version13And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.
14And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD ; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
15And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
16And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’s .
17It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Leviticus 3:1 begins with “And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before…”
Where the chapter turns
Leviticus 3:9 forms a natural hinge: “And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD ; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take…”
The final note
Leviticus 3:17 leaves the reader with “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words offering, LORD, offer, fire, altar, inwards help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does blame move through the conversation?
The man points to the woman and indirectly to God; the woman points to the serpent. Neither response repairs trust.
Where does mercy appear?
Continued life, the promise involving offspring, and clothing accompany the expulsion.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.