Leviticus 6:21 kjv
In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baked, thou shalt bring it in: and the baked pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savor unto the LORD.
Leviticus 6:21 nkjv
It shall be made in a pan with oil. When it is mixed, you shall bring it in. The baked pieces of the grain offering you shall offer for a sweet aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 6:21 niv
It must be prepared with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
Leviticus 6:21 esv
It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 6:21 nlt
It must be carefully mixed with olive oil and cooked on a griddle. Then slice this grain offering and present it as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 6 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 29:37 | "You shall anoint the altar... and it shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy." | Altar consecration and transference of holiness upon touch. |
| Ex 30:29 | "You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy." | Consecration of tabernacle items making whatever touches them holy. |
| Lev 2:3 | "The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is most holy." | Identifies the grain offering remains as most holy, given to priests. |
| Lev 6:16 | "And Aaron and his sons shall eat what is left of it..." | Confirms priestly consumption of the offering's remains. |
| Lev 6:27-28 | "Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy... If it is boiled in an earthen vessel, it must be broken..." | Blood of sin offering makes things holy, demanding specific treatment/destruction. |
| Lev 7:9 | "Every grain offering that is baked... shall be for the priest who offers it." | Priests receive grain offerings as their due portion. |
| Lev 10:12 | "Moses said to Aaron... 'Eat what is left of the grain offering, for it is most holy...'" | Reiteration of priestly duty to eat the most holy offerings. |
| Num 3:10 | "You shall appoint Aaron and his sons... so that they may serve as priests." | Aaron's sons ordained for priesthood. |
| Num 18:8-10 | "Behold, I have given you charge of the offerings made to me... it shall be yours and your sons'..." | God provides the most holy offerings as the perpetual portion for priests. |
| Deut 12:6 | "And there you shall bring your burnt offerings... your holy offerings..." | General instruction for where offerings are brought, emphasizing their sacred nature. |
| Zech 14:20-21 | "On that day 'Holy to the LORD' shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses... and every pot... shall be holy to the LORD." | Future eschatological vision of universal holiness extending to all common items. |
| Hag 2:12-13 | "If one carries holy meat... does it make anything else holy? No... But if one... becomes unclean... will it make the other unclean? Yes." | Distinction: holiness transferred to object for special handling, but doesn't easily spread holiness beyond; uncleanness transmits more readily. |
| Rom 11:16 | "If the first part of the dough is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches are holy." | New Testament principle of initial holiness affecting the whole (applied to Israel's election). |
| 1 Cor 9:13 | "Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the altar's offerings?" | Paul's affirmation of religious workers being supported by sacred provisions. |
| 1 Tim 4:4-5 | "For everything created by God is good... For it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." | Principle of sanctification through God's word and prayer, setting things apart as holy. |
| Heb 7:12 | "For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well." | Christ's priesthood replaces the Aaronic, leading to changes in the ceremonial law. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | "For if the blood of goats... sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ..." | Old Testament ritual purification points to the deeper, true cleansing by Christ. |
| Heb 13:10 | "We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat." | Christ's sacrifice is a superior 'altar' that the Old Covenant priests could not partake of. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | Command for moral and spiritual holiness in believers, based on God's nature. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood..." | Believers are now a spiritual priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation..." | Affirmation of the Church as God's specially chosen and consecrated people. |
Leviticus 6 verses
Leviticus 6 21 Meaning
Leviticus 6:21 specifies that only male descendants of Aaron are permitted to consume the remaining "most holy" portions of the grain offering after a token part has been burned on the altar. This directive establishes a permanent statute for all future generations of priests. Furthermore, the verse dictates that any person or object coming into contact with these consecrated items will themselves become holy, signifying that the holiness of God’s provisions is transmissible upon touch, thus requiring appropriate reverent handling.
Leviticus 6 21 Context
Leviticus chapter 6 transitions from explaining the nature of various sacrifices to detailing the priestly duties associated with them. Specifically, verses 14-18 focus on the grain offering (Minchah), instructing that only a "memorial portion" is burned on the altar. The remainder is designated as "most holy" and must be eaten by Aaron and his sons in a holy place. Verse 21 further refines these rules for the grain offering, clarifying precisely who among the priests can eat it ("every male among the children of Aaron"), confirming its perpetual nature ("a statute forever for your generations"), and introducing the profound concept of contagious holiness ("whatever touches them will be holy"). This passage is set within the broader Levitical context of God establishing precise instructions for His people to approach and serve Him, emphasizing the immense sanctity surrounding Him and His tabernacle rituals.
Leviticus 6 21 Word analysis
- כָּל־זָכָר (kol-zakhar): "Every male". This precise phrase limits the consumption of these most holy portions to men only, emphasizing the gender-specific nature of the active, official priesthood in Israel. It excluded female members of priestly families, even though they could, under certain circumstances, partake of other 'holy things' (lesser holy portions).
- בִּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן (bivnei Aharon): "among the sons of Aaron". This designates the specific, hereditary lineage required for participation in the Aaronic priesthood. It signifies a birthright and a divine calling restricted to this family line, highlighting the continuity and exclusivity of their sacred office.
- יֹאכְלֶנָּה (yokhlenah): "he shall eat it". This is a strong verb indicating a mandate or a solemn right. Eating these offerings was not merely a privilege but a duty and a means of sustenance for the priests, indicating their unique identification with the sacrificial system and their dependence on God's provisions.
- חֻקַּת עוֹלָם (chukkat olam): "a statute forever" / "a permanent ordinance". This phrase underscores the enduring nature and divine authority of this command. It means the law was intended to remain binding throughout all generations of Israel, reflecting God's unchanging will for the operation of His cultus.
- לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם (l'doroteikhem): "for your generations". This reinforces the concept of perpetual validity, specifically for the lineage of Aaron. It ties the eternal nature of the statute directly to the continuation of the priestly line.
- כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בָּהֶם יִקְדָּשׁ (kol asher yiga bahem yikkadesh): "whatever touches them will be holy" or "whatever touches them shall be consecrated." This phrase expresses a pivotal theological concept. "יִגַּע" (yiga - touch) indicates direct physical contact. "יִקְדָּשׁ" (yikkadesh) signifies becoming consecrated or set apart. This does not necessarily mean the touched object becomes inherently holy in its nature (e.g., capable of performing priestly functions), but rather it acquires a ritual status demanding the same reverence and specialized handling as the most holy offering itself. It indicates that holiness is 'contagious' and carries weighty implications, demanding immediate removal from common use and, often, priestly action or even destruction if not suitable for consecrated use (e.g., a cloth may need to be washed in the holy place; an earthen vessel broken). This distinguishes ritual holiness from commonality.
Leviticus 6 21 Bonus section
- Most Holy vs. Holy Things: In the Levitical system, offerings and objects were categorized. The grain offering's remainder (along with sin offerings, trespass offerings, etc.) was "most holy" (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים, qodesh qadashim). These could only be eaten by male priests in the holy precinct of the Tabernacle/Temple. Other "holy things" (קֹדֶשׁ, qodesh), like peace offerings, could be consumed by priests and their ritually clean households within the camp. This distinction highlights a hierarchy of holiness and access.
- Symbolism of Consumption: The act of eating the offerings signified the priest's participation in and sustenance from the sacred, emphasizing their close relationship and role as mediators between God and Israel. It also typified receiving divine provision for their service.
- Implications of "Yikkadesh": The transfer of holiness upon touch meant that an ordinary item could no longer be treated as common. This served as a practical mechanism to prevent the desecration of sacred materials and to teach reverence. It underlines that proximity to the divine makes demands.
Leviticus 6 21 Commentary
Leviticus 6:21 precisely delineates the privileged but weighty role of the Aaronic priesthood in consuming "most holy" portions of the grain offering. This was not a mere custom but a perpetual divine statute, underscoring the enduring nature of God's requirements for worship. The critical instruction that "whatever touches them will be holy" reveals a profound aspect of biblical holiness: its active, transmissible power. Contact with sacred objects rendered other items consecrated, mandating they too be treated with exceptional reverence, cleaned according to ritual, or even destroyed to prevent misuse. This demonstrates the extreme care required when dealing with God's sacred things, protecting their sanctity and reinforcing the profound separation between the holy and the common. It typologically foreshadows the inherent holiness of Christ and the sanctification believers experience through Him.