Exodus 23:18 kjv

Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

Exodus 23:18 nkjv

"You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning.

Exodus 23:18 niv

"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast. "The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.

Exodus 23:18 esv

"You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning.

Exodus 23:18 nlt

"You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And do not leave the fat from the festival offerings until the next morning.

Exodus 23 verses

Exodus 23 18 Meaning

Exodus 23:18 issues two distinct prohibitions concerning sacrificial practices: firstly, that the blood of a sacrifice offered to God must not be presented with leavened bread; and secondly, that the fat of a sacrificial animal consecrated to the Lord must not be kept overnight until the following morning. These regulations underscore the absolute necessity of purity, holiness, and proper handling of all things pertaining to the Lord's worship, ensuring that Israel's sacrifices were kept free from elements symbolic of decay or corruption and handled with prompt reverence.

Exodus 23 18 Context

Exodus 23:18 is situated within the "Book of the Covenant" (Exo 20:22 – 23:33), which outlines additional laws given to Moses after the Ten Commandments. This section provides detailed statutes for civil life, justice, Sabbath observance, and significant religious practices. Specifically, verses 14-19 describe the three annual pilgrim feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), the Feast of Harvest (Weeks or Pentecost), and the Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles). Verse 18 is a specific directive regarding the proper execution of the sacrifices associated with these feasts, emphasizing ritual purity.

Historically and culturally, these laws served to distinguish Israelite worship from the practices of surrounding Canaanite peoples. Canaanite cults often involved leavened bread in their offerings, symbolizing fertility or celebrating the cycles of nature, and would also often leave sacrificial meat for extended periods, leading to decay, unhygienic conditions, and possibly serving as communal food for prolonged revelry. The prohibitions in Exodus 23:18 thus function as a strong polemic against such defiling customs, demanding a higher standard of sanctity and timely devotion in all worship offered to Yahweh, the Holy God.

Exodus 23 18 Word analysis

• You shall not offer (לֹא-תִזְבַּח֙ – lo tizaḇaḥ): This strong negative command uses the verb zaḇaḥ which refers specifically to the slaughtering and offering of an animal sacrifice. The double negation ("not offer") emphasizes an absolute prohibition.
• the blood (דַם – dam): The essence of life (Lev 17:11). In the Israelite sacrificial system, blood was central to atonement and reconciliation with God. Its holy significance necessitates that it be kept entirely pure.
• of My sacrifice (זִבְחִי – ziḇḥî): Emphasizes divine ownership and sacredness. These offerings are specifically God's, dedicated to Him alone.
• with leavened bread (עַל-חָמֵץ – ‘al ḥāmeṣ): ḥāmeṣ (leaven) signifies fermentation, a process of decay and corruption. It stood in stark contrast to matzah (unleavened bread), which represented purity, humility, and the haste of redemption (Exo 12). Its prohibition underscores a demand for untainted offerings to God and is a clear counter-practice to surrounding pagan rituals which often utilized leavened products.
• nor shall the fat (וְלֹא-יָלִין חֵלֶב – wəlo yālîn ḥēleḇ): ḥēleḇ (fat) typically referred to the choice, rich portions of an animal (often internal fat surrounding organs). According to Levitical law (Lev 3:16-17), all fat belonged to the Lord and was to be consumed on the altar by fire as a sweet aroma. yālîn (remain overnight/lodge) means to leave something undisturbed or uneaten until the following morning.
• of My sacrifice (חַגִּי – ḥaggî): This term often translates to 'My feast' or 'My pilgrim sacrifice,' referring here specifically to the fat from offerings made during the annual festivals. It reinforces the divine claim over these holy portions during a celebratory context.
• remain until morning (עַד-בֹּקֶר – ‘ad-bōqer): Specifies the time limit. Allowing holy portions to remain overnight implies allowing them to become stale, tainted, or even spoiled, which would be an act of desecration. It further reinforces the distinctiveness of Yahweh worship from prolonged, potentially indulgent or orgiastic pagan feasts.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread": This phrase creates a boundary of purity, ensuring that the atoning element (blood, representing life offered to God) is not mingled with anything that represents sin, corruption, or decay (leaven). This emphasizes the absolute purity and unblemished nature required for approaching a holy God. It spiritually points to Christ as our unleavened sacrifice (1 Cor 5:7).
• "nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning": This second prohibition dictates timely consumption or burning of the best portion dedicated to God. This not only prevented spoilage in a hot climate but also signified immediate and complete devotion to God, leaving no room for human misuse, commonality, or neglect of what belongs solely to the Lord. It prevented the sacred from becoming common or corrupt.

Exodus 23 18 Bonus section

• The first command, regarding leaven with blood, is directly connected to the Passover sacrifice in Exo 34:25, suggesting that these principles held particular importance for Israel's foundational act of redemption and ongoing identity.
• While practical hygiene was a benefit of not leaving meat/fat to spoil, the primary reason was theological: holiness of the offering to God. To profane the holy was a serious offense.
• These commandments are part of the larger Mosaic covenant, a pedagogical tool teaching Israel about God's character and their identity as His set-apart people.
• The New Testament often uses the imagery of leaven metaphorically for pervasive evil (Matt 16:6; 1 Cor 5:8), reinforcing its negative symbolic meaning applied here to worship purity.

Exodus 23 18 Commentary

Exodus 23:18 delineates foundational principles of purity, holiness, and proper reverence in Israel's sacrificial worship. The dual prohibitions—no leaven with blood and no fat left until morning—are far more than arbitrary rules; they are deliberate contrasts with pagan religious practices and crucial theological statements. The first command, "You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread," emphasizes that true worship requires absolute purity. Leaven universally symbolizes fermentation, a process of corruption or sin in biblical symbolism (1 Cor 5:6-8; Gal 5:9). To combine the lifeblood of atonement, offered to a holy God, with that which represents sin or decay would render the offering profane. This command ensured the distinctiveness and holiness of Yahweh’s offerings from the syncretic and defiled rituals of Canaanite gods who sometimes incorporated leavened products, perhaps as symbols of growth or fertility in their nature worship.

The second prohibition, "nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning," further underscores this call for immediate and complete dedication. The fat, designated as the "Lord's portion" (Lev 3:16), represented the choicest part of the sacrifice. To allow it to remain overnight meant subjecting it to spoilage, potentially desecrating that which was holy, or implying a lack of prompt obedience and full devotion. This instruction also subtly distinguished Israel’s sober worship from prolonged, indulgent, or possibly drunken festivals of surrounding nations that often involved leaving sacrificial meat for communal feasting for days. Through these laws, Israel was consistently taught to approach God with reverence, immediacy, and an uncompromised commitment to holiness, ensuring their worship was acceptable and set apart. Ultimately, these requirements prefigured the spotless and incorruptible sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose blood perfectly atoned for sin, and whose body did not see decay (Acts 2:27).