Leviticus 7:24 kjv
And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.
Leviticus 7:24 nkjv
And the fat of an animal that dies naturally, and the fat of what is torn by wild beasts, may be used in any other way; but you shall by no means eat it.
Leviticus 7:24 niv
The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.
Leviticus 7:24 esv
The fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it.
Leviticus 7:24 nlt
The fat of an animal found dead or torn to pieces by wild animals must never be eaten, though it may be used for any other purpose.
Leviticus 7 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 3:16 | "all the fat is the Lord's." | God's claim on sacrificial fat. |
| Lev 3:17 | "It shall be a perpetual statute...ye eat neither fat nor blood." | General prohibition on eating fat and blood. |
| Lev 7:23 | "Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat." | Direct prohibition of eating fat from clean animals used in offerings. |
| Lev 11:44 | "For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." | Calls for holiness, relating it to avoiding defilement. |
| Lev 11:46 | "This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:" | Introduction to various dietary laws for purity. |
| Lev 17:15 | "And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts... shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even..." | Consuming unslaughtered/torn animals causes ritual impurity. |
| Exod 22:31 | "And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs." | Command not to eat terephah meat, disposing of it to avoid impurity. |
| Deut 14:21 | "Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien..." | Permission to give/sell nevelah to non-Israelites, reinforcing Israel's unique dietary code. |
| Ezek 4:14 | "Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces..." | Ezekiel's adherence to the law against eating unclean meat. |
| Isa 52:11 | "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing..." | General call to maintain separation from impurity. |
| Acts 15:20 | "But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood." | New Testament church council maintaining abstinence from strangled animals (similar to terephah in not being properly bled). |
| Mark 7:19 | "...because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats." | Jesus declares all foods clean, addressing ritual dietary restrictions. |
| Acts 10:13-15 | "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean... What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." | Peter's vision demonstrating God's new understanding of clean and unclean in Christ. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." | Emphasizes Christian liberty in food, subject to conscience and love. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink... which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." | Dietary laws are a shadow, fulfilled in Christ. |
| 1 Tim 4:4-5 | "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." | Affirmation that all food created by God is good. |
| Lev 10:10 | "And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;" | Priestly role to discern between various states of ritual purity. |
| Deut 12:15-16 | "Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after... Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water." | Allowance for secular meat eating, but maintaining blood prohibition. |
| Prov 2:6-7 | "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." | Wisdom guiding life's principles, including those found in the law. |
| John 6:12 | "When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." | Principle of resourcefulness and avoiding waste. |
Leviticus 7 verses
Leviticus 7 24 Meaning
Leviticus 7:24 specifies that while the fat from an animal that has died naturally or was torn by wild beasts may not be eaten, it may be utilized for other purposes. This verse underscores the distinction between what is permissible for consumption and what is permissible for other practical uses, especially concerning sources of impurity, reinforcing the dietary laws and the principles of holiness for the Israelites. It prohibits consumption of such fat due to ritual impurity and possibly hygiene, but allows its non-dietary application to avoid waste.
Leviticus 7 24 Context
Leviticus chapter 7 provides further regulations concerning various sacrificial offerings, particularly detailing what portions of the sacrifices are to be eaten by the priests, what by the offerers, and what must be presented entirely to the Lord. Verses 23-27 focus specifically on the prohibition against eating fat and blood, declaring them to be holy unto the Lord or unfit for consumption. Verse 24 extends this prohibition to the fat of animals that died naturally (nevelah) or were torn by wild beasts (terephah), prohibiting its consumption while permitting other practical uses. This emphasizes that impurity attached not just to specific parts of an animal (fat, blood) but also to the condition in which the animal died (unslaughtered, mauled). Historically and culturally, these laws served to distinguish the Israelites as a holy people set apart by God. They reinforced hygienic practices in a world without modern understanding of disease, and cultivated a reverence for life and a strong distinction between the sacred and the common, which was central to Israelite identity in contrast to surrounding pagan cultures who had different practices for animals that died.
Leviticus 7 24 Word analysis
- For the fat (חֵלֶב - chelev): In a sacrificial context, chelev specifically refers to the abdominal fat and fat around the organs (suet), not just any body fat. This particular fat was reserved for YHWH in offerings (Lev 3:16-17), symbolizing the best or most valuable part. Here, the prohibition on eating fat is extended beyond sacrificial animals to those unfit for consumption due to their manner of death.
- of the beast (בְּהֵמָה - behemah): This term refers to common domesticated quadrupeds, often clean animals suitable for sacrifice or food, though here it refers generally to any animal (likely still implying one that would otherwise be considered "clean") whose fat is being discussed.
- which dies of itself (נְבֵלָה - nevelah): This Hebrew term refers to a carcass of an animal that died naturally, not slaughtered according to ritual law (Deut 14:21). Such an animal was considered ritually unclean, and eating its meat rendered a person impure.
- and the fat of that which is torn with beasts (טְרֵפָה - terephah): This term describes an animal mauled or torn by another animal, not killed by ritual slaughter. Similar to nevelah, eating its meat made one unclean (Exod 22:31). Both nevelah and terephah imply an unnatural, unclean death, and the retention of blood in the carcass.
- may be used in any other service: This indicates practical applications for the fat, such as for lamps, soap making, lubrication, or other non-food industrial or domestic purposes. This permission reflects a practical aspect of the Law, allowing valuable resources to be used rather than completely wasted, while strictly maintaining the consumption prohibition for ritual purity.
- but ye shall in no wise eat of it: This is an emphatic prohibition (lo tokhelu kål), absolutely forbidding consumption. The "in no wise" (literally, "all eating, you shall not eat it") strengthens the command, underscoring the severity of violating this dietary law. This underlines the core concern for purity and distinction, setting Israel apart.
Words-group analysis
- "For the fat of the beast which dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts": This phrase clearly defines the source of the fat being addressed: not from properly slaughtered animals, but from those that are ritually unclean due to their manner of death (natural causes or violence). The common element for both nevelah and terephah is the absence of proper bleeding out, a crucial aspect of kosher slaughter that made meat fit for consumption. The fat of such animals carried their impurity.
- "may be used in any other service: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.": This demonstrates a balanced yet firm approach within the Law. While the consumption is strictly forbidden due to ritual impurity and possibly hygiene, God's law also allows for resourcefulness. It illustrates that something may be "unclean" for one purpose (consumption) but not for all purposes. This permission avoided economic waste and highlights the practicality interwoven with the purity codes, preventing a rigid or superstitious avoidance of all contact.
Leviticus 7 24 Bonus section
The distinction in Leviticus 7:24 between consumption and other uses for fat from nevelah and terephah animals provides insight into the degrees of ritual impurity. Contact with these carcasses, including eating their flesh, rendered a person unclean and required ritual cleansing (Lev 17:15). However, utilizing their fat for non-consumptive purposes, such as lamp oil or lubrication, did not transfer the same degree of impurity. This demonstrates a system that was precise and rational, not merely arbitrary. From a health perspective, eating animals that died naturally or from injury posed risks of disease, making the dietary restriction wise even if its primary stated purpose was ritual purity. Furthermore, the permission to use the fat reflects the broader biblical principle of good stewardship and avoiding waste, even when dealing with otherwise problematic resources. This also contrasts with surrounding pagan practices, which sometimes included the consumption of naturally deceased animals, thus marking Israel as distinct in their practices that fostered health, purity, and a reverence for life through adherence to God's commands.
Leviticus 7 24 Commentary
Leviticus 7:24 reveals the nuanced and comprehensive nature of God's Law for Israel. It establishes a clear boundary for consumption, forbidding the fat from animals that died by natural causes (nevelah) or violence (terephah). This prohibition was foundational to maintaining Israel's ritual purity and distinction as a holy nation, separate from the defilement associated with impure food sources. Such animals, having died without proper bleeding, would have retained their blood, which was also strictly forbidden and held sacred for atonement (Lev 17:11). While strict regarding consumption, the verse also reveals the Law's practicality, permitting the use of such fat for non-dietary purposes. This pragmatic allowance for utility prevented unnecessary waste and demonstrated a principle that not all things ritually "unclean" for sacred or direct consumption were devoid of all practical value. This highlights divine wisdom, balancing spiritual sanctity with earthly resource management. The verse underscores God's meticulous care for His people's holiness and well-being, both physically and spiritually.