Leviticus 6:23 kjv
For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.
Leviticus 6:23 nkjv
For every grain offering for the priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten."
Leviticus 6:23 niv
Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten."
Leviticus 6:23 esv
Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten."
Leviticus 6:23 nlt
All such grain offerings of a priest must be burned up entirely. None of it may be eaten."
Leviticus 6 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 2:3 | The rest of the grain offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'; it is most holy... | Portion of general grain offering for priests. |
| Lev 7:6 | Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. | Direct parallel for guilt/sin offerings. |
| Lev 10:12 | Moses said to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: “Take the rest of the grain offering...eat it without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy.” | Command for priests to eat remaining grain. |
| Lev 10:17 | "Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy...to take away the guilt of the community..." | Priests bear sin through eating the holy. |
| Lev 21:22 | He may eat the most holy food of the offerings and also the holy food. | Confirmation of general priestly right to holy food. |
| Num 18:9 | Of the most holy offerings you are to have the remaining part, set apart by fire. | Priestly portion of fire offerings. |
| Num 18:10 | You are to eat it in the most holy place. Every male may eat it; it is to be holy to you. | Location and exclusivity for eating most holy. |
| Ezek 44:29 | They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will be theirs. | Priestly sustenance from specific offerings. |
| Exod 29:32 | And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. | Consecration ritual: eating sacred portions. |
| Exod 29:33 | And they shall eat those things wherewith an atonement was made...but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. | Stranger exclusion from holy food. |
| Heb 5:4 | No one takes this honor for himself, but receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. | Priestly calling rooted in God's appointment. |
| Heb 7:27 | Unlike other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day... He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. | Christ's unique, singular, and perfect offering. |
| 1 Cor 9:13 | Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? | Principle of religious workers being supported. |
| Heb 9:3 | Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, | Significance of 'most holy' places/items. |
| Exod 30:10 | Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement... It is most holy to the Lord. | Example of 'most holy' sacred objects. |
| Deut 18:1 | The Levitical priests... are to have no share or inheritance with Israel. They are to live on the food offerings presented to the LORD... | Priests' sole provision is from the offerings. |
| Lev 22:3 | Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants has a discharge and approaches the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord while he is unclean, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.’ | Purity required for consuming sacred offerings. |
| Mal 3:10 | Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse...that there may be food in my house. | Foreshadowing God's provision through His people. |
| Lev 6:23 (Std) | Every grain offering made by a priest must be burned completely; it must not be eaten. | Contrast: Priestly offering that is not eaten, highlighting boundaries. |
| Lev 7:18 | If any of the meat of his fellowship offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted... and anyone who eats it will be held responsible. | Sacred food strict eating limitations. |
| Luke 22:19-20 | And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body...This cup is the new covenant in my blood...” | New Covenant spiritual 'eating' of Christ's body and blood. |
| Heb 13:10 | We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. | Contrast of Christian participation with Levitical law. |
| Rev 1:6 | ...and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. | Believers as a spiritual priesthood in NT. |
Leviticus 6 verses
Leviticus 6 23 Meaning
The verse emphasizes the exclusive privilege and solemn duty of the consecrated male priests to consume certain offerings designated as "most holy." This consumption is not merely physical nourishment but a participation in the most sacred elements dedicated to God. It signifies the priests' unique role in the divine economy, reinforcing their intimate connection to the holy and the profound purity required for their service. Their right to partake symbolizes both divine provision for their sustenance and their covenantal identity, through which they effectively bear the people's offerings and facilitate their communion with God.
Leviticus 6 23 Context
The book of Leviticus details the sacrificial system and the laws of holiness for ancient Israel, establishing the means by which a holy God could dwell among an unholy people. Chapters 1-7 provide specific instructions for various offerings. While the provided verse text refers to priestly consumption of "most holy" things, it is essential to clarify its typical placement. Standard biblical translations of Leviticus 6:19-23 specifically describe the grain offering of the high priest upon his anointing and daily thereafter. This particular priestly grain offering, distinct from the general grain offering (Lev 6:14-18) where priests did eat a portion, was to be entirely burned and not eaten by anyone. Its complete burning signified complete dedication to God for the high priest's own atonement, precluding any human consumption. Thus, the phrase "Every male among the priests may eat of it. It is most holy." reflects a foundational principle regarding the consumption of other designated "most holy" offerings, such as portions of the sin offering (Lev 7:6, 10:12-13) and guilt offering, not this particular priestly grain offering in standard biblical renditions of Leviticus 6:23.
Leviticus 6 23 Word analysis
- Every male (Hebrew: כָּל זָכָר, kol zakhar):
- kol (כָּל): means "all," "every," emphasizing inclusiveness within the specified group.
- zakhar (זָכָר): refers to a "male." In the priestly context, only male descendants of Aaron were ordained to serve as priests. This highlights God's specific order for the Aaronic priesthood, emphasizing the hereditary, gender-specific requirements for mediating worship in ancient Israel. This designation ensured that the divine protocol for handling sacred things was maintained through the divinely appointed lineage.
- among the priests (Hebrew: בַּכֹּהֲנִים, bakohanim):
- b (בְּ): meaning "in," or "among."
- kohanim (כֹּהֲנִים): the plural form of kohen (כֹּהֵן), referring to a "priest." This explicitly designates the specific recipients as those set apart from the common Israelite for sacred service to God. Their status as priests, distinct and consecrated, grants them unique privileges and responsibilities concerning the offerings. They were the ones permitted to draw near to God in specified ways.
- may eat of it (Hebrew: יֹאכְלֶנָּה, yokhlennah):
- yokhlennah (יֹאכְלֶנָּה): "he may eat it." This verbal form, derived from akhal (אָכַל), "to eat," signifies permission and entitlement. Consumption by priests was both their rightful sustenance from God's provision via the people's offerings and a deeply spiritual act. By eating the offering, they participated in the sacred act of atonement, spiritually bearing the people's sin or accepting the efficacy of the offering on behalf of the congregation, underscoring their representative function. The pronoun "it" refers to the specific "most holy" offering being discussed.
- It is most holy (Hebrew: קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הִיא, qodesh qodashim hi):
- qodesh (קֹדֶשׁ): "holy," referring to something set apart for divine use, inherently sacred.
- qodashim (קָדָשִׁים): the plural form of qodesh, literally "holies" or "sacred things." The construction qodesh qodashim is a superlative Hebrew idiom, meaning "holy of holies" or "most holy." It denotes the highest degree of sanctity, reserved only for elements, places, or offerings uniquely dedicated to God and intimately connected with His absolute purity and presence. Examples include the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, and specific offerings such as the sin offering and guilt offering.
- hi (הִיא): "it," a feminine singular pronoun, referring back to the offering which is of utmost sacredness.
- "Every male among the priests": This phrase precisely defines the only legitimate participants in consuming the sacred offerings. It underscores the stringent requirements for service in God's presence, rooted in divine appointment through the Aaronic lineage and maintaining the distinct male headship in priestly functions. This strict exclusivity set apart Israel's worship from pagan practices, highlighting God's order and holiness.
- "may eat of it. It is most holy.": This composite statement links the right of consumption to the extreme sanctity of the offering. The permission for priests to eat such a "most holy" item means they symbolically participate in the profound holiness of the offering itself, thereby linking them intimately with the act of atonement and the presence of God. Their partaking was not a casual meal but a sacred appropriation of that which belonged solely to God, reflecting their function to "bear the iniquity" associated with certain offerings. It also served as their divinely ordained provision, reminding them and the people of God's care for those who serve Him, drawing a contrast with other nations' priests who might serve false gods or have less divine provision.
Leviticus 6 23 Bonus section
The hierarchical classification of offerings into "most holy" (קדֶש קדָשִׁים - qodesh qodashim) and "holy" (קדש - qodesh or חל קדשׁ - chol kodesh, "common holy") determined specific rules for handling, location, and consumption. Offerings designated as "most holy," such as the sin offering (except for certain specific ones not eaten), the guilt offering, and portions of the grain offering (not offered by the High Priest for himself), could only be eaten by qualified male priests, within the sacred precincts of the tabernacle/temple courtyard, and only by those in a state of ritual purity. This stringent regulation underscored the utter transcendence and untouchable holiness of God. Any profanation of these "most holy" items or partaking by the unauthorized could lead to severe consequences, including being "cut off" from the community. This intricate system was divinely instituted to instill reverence for God, His law, and the sanctity of His dwelling place, foreshadowing the ultimate holiness found in Jesus Christ, the perfect and singular "Most Holy One," through whom all believers, as a kingdom of priests, can draw near to God.
Leviticus 6 23 Commentary
This verse, though not literally located at Leviticus 6:23 in standard translations, articulates a fundamental principle within the Old Covenant priestly system: the consumption of "most holy" offerings by authorized priests. The permission for "every male among the priests" to "eat of it," explicitly stated because "it is most holy," signifies their unique proximity to the divine and their integral role in the sacred sacrificial economy. This consumption was a profound act of identity and responsibility, representing their sustenance from God and their ceremonial participation in the efficacy of atonement. Priests, as God's designated intermediaries, were required to be ritually pure when partaking, reinforcing the gravity of engaging with God's utter holiness. This system pointed forward to the New Covenant, where believers are constituted as a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9), called to spiritually "eat" of the "most holy" offering—Jesus Christ—through faith and the sacraments, identifying with His perfect, once-for-all sacrifice and participating in the new covenant's benefits and eternal life.For instance, the command for priests to eat portions of the sin offering was not merely for food but because they were to "bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord" (Lev 10:17). This "eating" represented an absorption or carrying of the guilt, highlighting the priest's essential function in mediating atonement. Similarly, in Christian practice, the partaking of the Eucharist is not ordinary eating but a profound spiritual identification with Christ's body broken and blood shed for our sins.