Leviticus 4:19 kjv
And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.
Leviticus 4:19 nkjv
He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.
Leviticus 4:19 niv
He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar,
Leviticus 4:19 esv
And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar.
Leviticus 4:19 nlt
Then the priest must remove all the animal's fat and burn it on the altar,
Leviticus 4 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 8:21 | When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart... | Pleasing aroma; God's acceptance. |
| Exod 29:18 | ...and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma... | Pleasing aroma; cultic burning. |
| Lev 1:9 | ...the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma. | Pleasing aroma for burnt offering. |
| Lev 3:3-4 | ...the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards... | Specifies the "fat" (chelev). |
| Lev 3:16-17 | All fat is the LORD’s. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you eat neither fat nor blood. | Fat belongs exclusively to the LORD. |
| Lev 4:8-10 | And he shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering... | Detailed instruction for removing fat. |
| Lev 4:26 | ...and the priest shall burn all its fat on the altar as in the case of the sacrifice of peace offerings. | Similar fat treatment for other sin offerings. |
| Lev 4:31 | ...and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the LORD... | Pleasing aroma; atonement. |
| Lev 6:30 | But no sin offering of which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement... | Sin offering and atonement. |
| Lev 7:23 | You shall eat no fat of ox or sheep or goat. | Prohibition of eating fat. |
| Num 15:3 | ...an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow...a pleasing aroma. | Pleasing aroma in various offerings. |
| Isa 53:10 | Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt... | Christ's sacrifice as a guilt offering. |
| Psa 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. | Spiritual sacrifice beyond physical rites. |
| Hos 6:6 | For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. | True devotion over mere ritual. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | But when Christ appeared as a high priest...not through the blood of goats and calves but through his own blood... | Christ's perfect and permanent sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | For if the blood of goats and bulls...purifies for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ... | Old vs. New Covenant purification. |
| Heb 10:4 | For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. | Inadequacy of animal sacrifices. |
| Heb 10:10 | And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Christ's singular, sufficient offering. |
| Heb 10:14 | For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. | Christ's offering perfects. |
| Eph 5:2 | And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | Christ's sacrifice as the ultimate pleasing aroma. |
| Rom 8:3 | For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness... | God provides for sin through Christ. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Christ became sin for us. |
| Phil 4:18 | I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. | Believers' good works as a pleasing offering to God. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. | Believers offer spiritual sacrifices. |
Leviticus 4 verses
Leviticus 4 19 Meaning
Leviticus 4:19 describes a specific ritual action within the procedure for the sin offering (chatta't) in ancient Israel. It mandates that all the fat of the sacrificial animal—specifically the bull offered for a priest's or the congregation's unintentional sin—must be meticulously removed and then burned on the bronze altar outside the Tabernacle. This act of burning, distinct from destruction, transformed the fat into a smoke, ascending to God "as a pleasing aroma," signifying His acceptance of the offering and the atonement achieved for the unintentional transgression. It underscores the sanctity of God, the meticulousness required in approaching Him, and His gracious provision for reconciliation even for sins committed unknowingly.
Leviticus 4 19 Context
Leviticus chapter 4 introduces the laws of the chatta't offering, commonly translated as the "sin offering." This particular sacrifice was prescribed for unintentional sins (ignorance, accident, carelessness) committed by various individuals or the community, distinct from deliberate, high-handed transgressions. The chapter details specific procedures depending on the status of the person committing the unintentional sin: an anointed priest (vv. 3-12), the whole congregation of Israel (vv. 13-21), a ruler (vv. 22-26), or a common individual (vv. 27-35). Verse 19 specifically details the fate of the fat from the bull offered for either the high priest's sin (vv. 3-12) or the entire congregation's sin (vv. 13-21), both of which required the most extensive sin offering (a bull). The ritual procedures emphasize purity, atonement, and the restoration of covenant relationship with a holy God.
Leviticus 4 19 Word analysis
- And he shall take: Refers to the officiating priest (likely the high priest for the priest's or congregation's sin), who performs this ritual act on behalf of the offerer. It highlights the divine requirement for proper mediation.
- all its fat: Hebrew: חֵלֶב (chelev). This word specifically denotes the richest, choicest internal fat surrounding organs like the kidneys, intestines, and liver, not just any body fat. It was considered the best and life-giving part of the animal. God's demand for all of it signifies that He is entitled to the very best, the total essence and choicest portion of life. It emphasizes complete dedication and recognizes God as the ultimate giver and owner of life. Eating it was strictly forbidden (Lev 3:17, 7:23-25).
- from it: Refers to the bull that was slaughtered for the sin offering.
- and burn it: Hebrew: וְהִקְטִיר (ve-hiqṭir). This verb is Hiphil form of qatar, meaning "to cause to ascend in smoke," "to make an offering by smoke," or "to turn into smoke." It is distinct from the more common Hebrew word for "to burn" (saraph, which means to destroy or consume by fire). Hiqṭir denotes a ritual act of bringing a material substance into a state of gaseous ascension, intended to reach the divine realm as an act of worship or offering, not for mere disposal or consumption by fire.
- on the altar: Hebrew: הַמִּזְבֵּחָה (ha-mizbecha). This refers to the large bronze altar of burnt offering, located in the courtyard of the Tabernacle/Temple. This was the primary place where fire-offerings (burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offering fat) were presented to the LORD. It signifies the designated, holy place where God's acceptance of sacrifice was manifested.
- as a pleasing aroma: Hebrew: רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ (reakh nichoach). Literally "smell of resting" or "soothing aroma." This idiomatic phrase, used throughout the Pentateuch, denotes God's acceptance and satisfaction with the offering. It signifies that the sacrifice has been properly made and effectively atoned for the sin, thereby restoring a harmonious relationship (rest or peace) between God and the offerer. It implies divine pleasure and the cessation of God's wrath due to sin.
- to the LORD: Hebrew: לַיהוָה (laYAHWEH). This clarifies the sole recipient and ultimate purpose of the offering: it is directed specifically to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that all acts of worship and sacrifice are for His glory and according to His commands.
Leviticus 4 19 Bonus section
- Polemics against contemporary beliefs: In contrast to pagan cultures where sacrifices often aimed to appease capricious deities with a quid pro quo mentality or involved eating the divine essence, the Levitical system established a clear, divinely ordained method for purification and reconciliation. The prohibition on eating the fat (Lev 3:17) and blood (Lev 7:26-27), explicitly belonging to God, counteracts any notion of humans consuming the divine life force or usurping what is uniquely God's. The ritualistic nature, specified by God Himself, underscored Israel's distinct relationship with Yahweh and His absolute holiness.
- Symbolism of fire: Beyond creating an "aroma," fire in biblical contexts often represents God's presence, holiness, purification, and judgment. In the context of the altar, fire consumed what was offered, signifying that God received and acted upon the sacrifice, transforming the earthly into the divine realm.
- Foreshadowing of Christ's perfect sacrifice: The "pleasing aroma" motif in the Old Testament, though linked to temporary animal sacrifices, reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's selfless sacrifice. His death was perfectly acceptable to God, definitively removing sin and satisfying divine justice, establishing an eternal reconciliation that the fat of bulls could only foreshadow.
Leviticus 4 19 Commentary
Leviticus 4:19 illustrates the profound theology of the sin offering, underscoring both God's holiness and His gracious provision for atonement. The meticulous removal and burning of the choicest fat (chelev) symbolizes that the very best belongs to God, representing life itself dedicated to Him. The specific verb hiqṭir highlights that this was not merely burning for destruction, but a sacred act to transform matter into an acceptable spiritual offering that ascends to God. The "pleasing aroma" confirms divine acceptance of the atonement made through the sacrificial blood and the offering of the fat. This system of sacrifices, though effective for its time in providing temporary cleansing for unintentional sins, ultimately pointed forward to the singular, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose self-offering was the ultimate "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:2), fulfilling and superseding all animal sacrifices by providing permanent atonement for all sins, intentional or unintentional, once and for all.