Leviticus 1 6

Leviticus 1:6 kjv

And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.

Leviticus 1:6 nkjv

And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

Leviticus 1:6 niv

You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.

Leviticus 1:6 esv

Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces,

Leviticus 1:6 nlt

Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces.

Leviticus 1 verses

Leviticus 1 6 Meaning

Leviticus 1:6 describes the procedural step in preparing a burnt offering (עֹלָה, olah), requiring the offerer to meticulously skin and dismember the sacrificed animal. This act symbolizes a complete dedication to God and the necessary preparation for atonement, highlighting personal involvement and thoroughness in worship.

Leviticus 1 6 Context

Leviticus chapter 1 establishes the detailed regulations for the burnt offering, the most basic and encompassing of the Levitical sacrifices. It is presented immediately after God's call to Moses from the Tent of Meeting (Lev 1:1), underscoring the divine origin of these instructions. This chapter, and indeed much of Leviticus, serves as a manual for approaching a holy God in the tabernacle, post-Exodus and Sinai covenant. The historical context is that of newly freed Israelites learning to live as a consecrated nation under God's law. The meticulous instructions for the olah emphasize the absolute necessity of a proper and complete atonement for sin, the offerer's total devotion, and the strict order required to approach a holy God. Unlike pagan worship that often involved defilement or chaotic practices, Israelite sacrifice demanded purity, precision, and adherence to divine mandates, setting God's people apart and teaching them reverence.

Leviticus 1 6 Word analysis

• And he shall flay (וְהִפְשִׁיט - vehıphšîṭ):

  • Root: פשט (pašat) - to strip off, pull off, remove.
  • Significance: This active verb implies the offerer (or his designated representative, typically not a priest for this step) physically removing the hide from the sacrificed animal. This act involved personal, manual labor, connecting the worshiper directly to the cost and process of the offering. It's not a mere symbolic gesture but a tangible, sometimes messy, deed of preparation.
  • Polemics: In contrast to cults where priests alone might handle all aspects, this personal involvement underscores individual responsibility and commitment.

• the burnt offering (אֶת־הָעֹלָה - ʾet-hāʿōlāh):

  • Root: עלה (alah) - to ascend, go up.
  • Significance: The olah is the "ascending offering," so named because the entire animal (except the hide, which went to the priest – Lev 7:8) was consumed by fire on the altar, ascending to God as a pleasing aroma. It was a general atonement for unintentional sin and an expression of complete surrender and devotion to God. It signified making oneself wholly available to God, without reservation.

• and cut it (וְנִתַּח - venittaḥ):

  • Root: נתח (natah) - to cut into pieces, dismember.
  • Significance: This command required precise butchery, preparing the animal for efficient and complete burning. It signifies the thoroughness and carefulness demanded in approaching God. No part of the inner animal (other than entrails and legs for washing) would remain hidden from examination; it was to be fully exposed before God.

• into pieces (לִנְתָחֶיהָ - lintaḥeha):

  • Significance: Reinforces the meticulousness of the cutting. This was not a crude hacking but a systematic dismemberment, ensuring all parts could be presented and burned properly. It suggests an ordered approach to worship, reflecting the order and holiness of God. It implies leaving no aspect of the offering (or by extension, one's life presented to God) untouched or unexamined.

Words-group analysis:

• "And he shall flay the burnt offering": This phrase highlights the personal responsibility and the initial physical preparation of the animal by the offerer. The act of skinning revealed the internal parts of the animal, bringing an element of transparency to the sacrifice. It signifies a "laying bare" before God, just as the animal is laid bare.

• "and cut it into pieces": This further details the rigorous preparation. It was not enough to merely kill the animal; it had to be methodically disassembled. This action prepared the offering for efficient and total combustion on the altar, ensuring that the entirety of the animal was dedicated and consumed. The process implies a disciplined and purposeful offering, removing anything that would hinder its complete acceptance by God. It visually represented the concept that nothing was to be withheld from the Lord.

Leviticus 1 6 Bonus section

The removal of the hide, while detailed in this verse, was a specific exception: unlike the rest of the burnt offering, the hide was not burned on the altar but was given to the priest (Lev 7:8) as part of his remuneration. This detail highlights the priests' practical involvement in the economy of the tabernacle service, balancing divine instructions with pragmatic concerns for those ministering before the Lord. It also subtly emphasizes that while the worshiper offered "all" to God in principle, God graciously provided for His servants through parts of the offering. The systematic dissection ensured the proper washing of the inner organs, specified in Lev 1:9, revealing the demand for inner purity even within the sacrifice itself, metaphorically urging introspection and inner cleansing from the worshiper.

Leviticus 1 6 Commentary

Leviticus 1:6 is a specific procedural instruction within the larger context of the burnt offering, yet it carries profound theological significance. The requirement for the offerer to flay and cut the animal into pieces underscores several crucial principles. Firstly, it emphasizes personal engagement and ownership of the sacrifice. While the priest performed the blood rituals, the offerer's active participation in this preparatory stage (skinning and cutting) reinforced the individual's direct involvement in their act of worship and repentance. It was a tangible, hands-on demonstration of commitment. Secondly, the meticulous dismemberment, rather than crude destruction, highlighted the order and precision expected in approaching a holy God. It implied that the offering, like the worshiper's life, should be examined thoroughly, with all "parts" laid bare before the divine. This contrasts sharply with careless or chaotic pagan rites. The preparation ensured that the entire, unblemished animal could be offered completely, symbolizing the worshiper's total dedication and the comprehensive nature of the atonement being sought through the offering. This entire process foreshadowed the ultimate, complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose body was broken, and inner life fully exposed, for the atonement of humanity.