Bible Chapter Summary
Leviticus 3 Summary
Laws of the Peace Offering
Leviticus 3 sets out the detailed regulations governing the peace offering (shelamim), covering three categories of acceptable animals: cattle from the herd, lamb from the flock, and goat. In each case, the worshipper presents an unblemished animal before the LORD, lays a hand upon its head, and slaughters it at the door of the tabernacle, after which Aaron's sons sprinkle the blood upon the altar. The designated fatty portions — including the fat covering the inwards, the two kidneys, and the caul above the liver — are burned on the altar as a fire offering of sweet savour to the LORD. The chapter closes with a perpetual statute binding on all generations: the people of Israel are forbidden to eat either fat or blood.
Key themes
Key verses
Leviticus 3:1
“And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.”
Leviticus 3:5
“And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
Leviticus 3:16
“And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD's.”
Leviticus 3:17
“It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.”
Read Leviticus 3 in full
Study the complete chapter with interlinear Hebrew & Greek, verse-by-verse, in the Gospel Daily reader.
Open the full chapter