Leviticus 7:25 kjv
For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.
Leviticus 7:25 nkjv
For whoever eats the fat of the animal of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, the person who eats it shall be cut off from his people.
Leviticus 7:25 niv
Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which a food offering may be presented to the LORD must be cut off from their people.
Leviticus 7:25 esv
For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the LORD shall be cut off from his people.
Leviticus 7:25 nlt
Anyone who eats fat from an animal presented as a special gift to the LORD will be cut off from the community.
Leviticus 7 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibition of Fat/Blood | ||
| Lev 3:17 | "It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations... eat neither fat nor blood." | General perpetual law on fat and blood. |
| Lev 7:23 | "You shall not eat any fat of ox or sheep or goat." | Immediate broader context for fat. |
| Lev 17:10 | "I will set My face against that person who eats blood..." | God's strict judgment against eating blood. |
| Deut 12:16 | "Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water." | Reiteration of the blood prohibition. |
| 1 Sam 2:15-16 | Sons of Eli took raw meat before fat was burned, disrespecting God. | Illustrates disrespect for God's portion. |
| Acts 15:20 | "abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood." | Apostolic instruction reflecting respect for earlier principles for Gentiles. |
| "Cut Off" Penalty | ||
| Gen 17:14 | "And the uncircumcised male...that person shall be cut off from his people..." | Penalty for neglecting circumcision. |
| Exod 12:15 | "whoever eats leavened bread... that person shall be cut off from Israel." | Penalty for disobedience during Passover. |
| Exod 31:14 | "Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people." | Penalty for Sabbath desecration. |
| Num 9:13 | "the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet refrains from keeping the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people..." | Penalty for neglecting Passover observance. |
| Num 15:30 | "But the person who does anything presumptuously...that one blasphemes the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people." | General penalty for high-handed sin. |
| Ezra 10:8 | "whoever would not come...all his property should be confiscated, and he himself cut off from the assembly of those who had been carried away captive." | Social and material penalty by human authority. |
| Matt 18:17 | "if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." | New Testament parallel to spiritual discipline/excommunication. |
| 1 Cor 5:5 | "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." | Paul's instruction for severe church discipline. |
| God's Portion / Sacredness | ||
| Exod 29:13 | "You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fat on the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar." | Instructions for specific fat portions as an offering. |
| Lev 3:3-4, 9-10, 14-15 | Details the fat portions for peace offerings to be burned to the LORD. | Defines what exact "fat" is meant and for which offering. |
| Lev 4:8-9 | Specific fat portions for the sin offering also burned. | Consistency across different sacrifice types. |
| Num 18:17 | "their fat you shall burn as an offering made by fire, for a sweet aroma to the LORD." | Confirms fat as a divine portion from other firstfruits. |
| Rom 12:1 | "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." | New Covenant parallel of offering the "best" to God. |
| 1 Pet 1:16 | "be holy, for I am holy." | Principle underlying the laws of separation and holiness. |
| Heb 10:1-4, 11-14 | Christ's sacrifice is perfect, making animal sacrifices obsolete. | Fulfillment of the sacrificial system. The fat prefigures the giving of Christ's very essence. |
Leviticus 7 verses
Leviticus 7 25 Meaning
Leviticus 7:25 prohibits the consumption of the specific fat from any animal offered as a sacrifice by fire to the LORD. This prohibition reinforces God's unique ownership and claim over what is holy and dedicated to Him. Violation of this command resulted in the offender being "cut off from his people," indicating a severe penalty of excommunication or divine judgment.
Leviticus 7 25 Context
Leviticus 7:25 is situated within the broader context of Israel's sacrificial system and laws concerning holiness and ritual purity. Chapters 6-7 elaborate on the regulations for various offerings first introduced in Chapters 1-5, specifically providing instructions for the priests. Verses 22-27 of Chapter 7 present a strict prohibition against consuming animal fat and blood, a law central to Israel's understanding of God's claims. This particular verse addresses the consumption of fat from sacrificial animals, emphasizing that parts designated for the LORD are inviolable. Historically and culturally, animal fat was often considered a delicacy and a symbol of abundance and health. By reserving the "best" fat (the internal suet) for Himself as "food for the LORD," God asserted His supreme ownership and distinguished Israelite worship from pagan practices that might consume these parts or view fat differently. It underscored the covenant relationship and the necessity of complete obedience to the Divine Master of the universe.
Leviticus 7 25 Word analysis
- whoever eats (יֹאכַל, yo'khal): Emphasizes individual responsibility. The verb is future active, highlighting the consequence of a direct action by any person.
- the fat (חֵלֶב, ḥelev): This Hebrew term specifically refers to the layers of suet and choice internal fat (e.g., covering the entrails, on the kidneys) that adhere to organs. It does not refer to all animal fat (like muscle fat). This was considered the choicest and richest part, symbolizing the "best." Its burning released a sweet aroma (pleasant fragrance) to the LORD, signifying its acceptability and divine consumption.
- of the animal (הַבְּהֵמָה, ha-b'hemah): Specifies the source. This refers to clean, domestic sacrificial animals, particularly cattle, sheep, and goats mentioned in Leviticus for offerings. Not all animals, but specifically those qualified for sacrifice.
- of which men offer an offering by fire (אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיבוּ מִמֶּנָּה אִשֶּׁה, asher yaqrivu mimmennah ishsheh): This phrase clarifies the type of fat being forbidden. It is not just any animal's fat, but specifically from an animal presented as an ishsheh, a "fire offering" to the LORD. This designates the animal as consecrated and holy for God's exclusive portion.
- to the LORD (לַיהוָה, la-YHWH): Crucial. Designates God (YHWH, the covenantal name) as the direct recipient of the offering and the owner of this fat. It highlights the sanctity of the act and the specific, divine claim on this part of the sacrifice.
- that person (וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ, ve'nikhreta ha'nephesh - literally "that soul shall be cut off"): Indicates the direct consequence to the individual.
- shall be cut off (וְנִכְרְתָה, ve'nikhreta from root כרת, karat): This is a severe covenant penalty. It signifies expulsion from the community of Israel, often implying divine judgment and, in many cases, leading to early physical death (directly by God or indirectly through communal ostracism/abandonment). It means a loss of covenant relationship and protection.
- from his people (מֵעַמֶּיהָ, me'ammeha): Specifies the realm of the "cutting off." The offender loses his status and place within the Israelite covenant community. This was not just a social punishment but a spiritual one, severing the bond with the holy nation of God.
Leviticus 7 25 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "offering by fire," ishsheh, often has "to the LORD" as its direct recipient, emphasizing that the act is an direct provision to God. While we often think of sacrifices as something given to God, the fat was also considered food for the LORD (e.g., Lev 3:11, 16: "food of the offering made by fire to the LORD"). This imagery of God consuming the fat underscores the deep connection between the sacred act and God's acceptance and pleasure in the offering, and thus, its absolute exclusivity for divine consumption, never for humans. It highlights that certain elements were beyond human access, teaching separation between the sacred and the common, which finds its ultimate expression in the complete dedication required of believers in the New Covenant.
Leviticus 7 25 Commentary
Leviticus 7:25 articulates a fundamental principle of Old Testament worship: the recognition of God's exclusive holiness and His claim over specific, consecrated parts of the sacrifice. The prohibition against eating the ḥelev, the choice internal fat, was not arbitrary. It represented the "best" or "richest" portion, symbolizing the vitality and essence of the offering. By reserving this for Himself and commanding it be offered by fire, God established His sovereignty and Israel's dependent status. Disobedience in this matter was treated as a direct infringement upon God's rights and His holy nature, hence the severe penalty of being "cut off." This penalty underscored the gravity of violating covenant commands, signaling spiritual and communal expulsion, often implying divine judgment leading to an untimely end. The entire law thus served to teach profound lessons about reverent obedience, the sanctity of God's claims, and the high cost of desecrating what belongs solely to the Holy One of Israel. It foreshadows the need for perfect offering, ultimately fulfilled by Christ who gave His "best" – His entire self – as a singular and perfect sacrifice.