Leviticus 6
Big idea: Chapter 6 turns a corner twice. First it extends the trespass offering from God's holy things to a neighbour's property — a deposit denied, a bargain broken, robbery, oppression, a found object lied about — and calls it what it is: a trespass against Yahweh. The remedy is restitution in full plus a fifth, paid on the day he is found guilty, and only then the ram. Then the address changes from the people to the priests: this is the law of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, of the sin offering. The instruction that stands out is the smallest — the fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it shall not go out — a discipline of ash-carrying and wood-laying performed before dawn, every day, forever.
Chapter 6 gives the priests the law of three offerings. Chapter 7 completes the set with the trespass and peace offerings, and settles the question those laws raise: who eats what.
6:1–7 — A trespass against a neighbour is a trespass against Yahweh
The cases are ordinary commercial wrongs: dealing falsely over a deposit or a bargain, robbery, oppressing a neighbour, finding what was lost and lying about it, swearing to a lie. The verdict is startling — this is a trespass against Yahweh. Restitution is required in full with a fifth added, returned to the owner on the day of his being found guilty, and then a ram without defect brought to the priest, who makes atonement, and he will be forgiven.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “If anyone sins, and commits a trespass against Yahweh, and deals falsely with his neighbor in a matter of deposit, or of bargain, or of robbery, or has oppressed his neighbor, 3 or has found that which was lost, and lied about it, and swearing to a lie—in any of these things that a man sins in his actions— 4 then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing which he found, 5 or any thing about which he has sworn falsely: he shall restore it in full, and shall add a fifth part more to it. He shall return it to him to whom it belongs in the day of his being found guilty. 6 He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest. 7 The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh, and he will be forgiven concerning whatever he does to become guilty.”
6:8–13 — The fire shall not go out
The law of the burnt offering, addressed to Aaron and his sons: it stays on the hearth all night until morning, and the fire is kept burning on it. The priest puts on linen garments to remove the ashes and set them beside the altar, then changes into other garments to carry them outside the camp to a clean place. Every morning he burns fresh wood and lays the burnt offering in order. Twice, for emphasis, the same instruction: the fire shall be kept burning; it shall not go out.
8 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 The priest shall put on his linen garment, and he shall put on his linen trousers upon his body; and he shall remove the ashes from where the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 He shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning. He shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
6:14–18 — The law of the meal offering
The sons of Aaron offer it before the altar, taking the handful of flour, oil and all the frankincense and burning the memorial portion. What is left they eat — without yeast, in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting. It is given as their portion forever, most holy like the sin and trespass offerings, and every male among Aaron's children may eat of it. The section ends with an arresting sentence: whoever touches them shall be holy.
14 “‘This is the law of the meal offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before Yahweh, before the altar. 15 He shall take from there his handful of the fine flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the meal offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma, as its memorial portion, to Yahweh. 16 That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 17 It shall not be baked with yeast. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire. It is most holy, as are the sin offering and the trespass offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as their portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy.’”
6:19–23 — The priest's own offering
On the day he is anointed, Aaron and his sons bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a perpetual meal offering — half in the morning, half in the evening, made with oil on a griddle and offered in baked pieces. The anointed priest who succeeds him offers it too, by a statute forever. And the rule that makes it distinct: every meal offering of a priest shall be wholly burned; it shall not be eaten.
19 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 20 “This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer to Yahweh in the day when he is anointed: one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil in a griddle. When it is soaked, you shall bring it in. You shall offer the meal offering in baked pieces for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 22 The anointed priest that will be in his place from among his sons shall offer it. By a statute forever, it shall be wholly burned to Yahweh. 23 Every meal offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”
6:24–30 — The law of the sin offering
The sin offering is killed where the burnt offering is killed — it is most holy — and the priest who offers it eats it, in a holy place, in the court of the tent. Then a series of contact rules: whatever touches its flesh becomes holy; a garment splashed with its blood is washed in a holy place; an earthen vessel it was boiled in is broken, a bronze one scoured and rinsed. And an exception that will matter enormously later: no sin offering whose blood was brought into the tent may be eaten — it is burned with fire.
24 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before Yahweh. It is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting. 27 Whatever shall touch its flesh shall be holy. When there is any of its blood sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled in a holy place. 28 But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy. 30 No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).