Leviticus 3

If a person's gift is a peace offering, and he brings an animal from the herd, whether it is male or female, he must bring it before the LORD with no flaw in it.

1And 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.

Note"Peace offering" translates Hebrew *shelamim*, from the same root as *shalom*, well-being. Unlike the whole burnt offering of chapter 1, only the fat parts were burned; the rest of the meat was eaten in a shared meal by the worshiper, his household and the priests. Older translations also render it "fellowship offering" or "offering of well-being." "Herd" means cattle, as against "flock" (sheep and goats) in verse 6. "Without blemish" means physically unflawed, not lame, injured, diseased or deformed.

2He must lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons, the priests, will sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.

2And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

NoteLaying a hand on the animal's head was the formal gesture identifying it as this particular person's offering, presented on his behalf. The "tent of meeting" (KJV "tabernacle of the congregation") was the portable tent shrine carried through the wilderness; "congregation" here does not mean a gathering of worshipers but the appointed meeting between God and Israel. The altar stood in the open courtyard just inside its entrance, which is why the animal is killed at the doorway.

3From the peace offering he must present a gift burned in fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the inner organs, and all the fat that is on those organs,

3And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

Note"The inwards" in the KJV means the entrails or inner organs. The fat in question is the hard suet that sheathes the stomach and intestines, prized as the richest part of the animal.

4and the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he must remove along with the kidneys.

4And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

Note"The caul above the liver" is the KJV's phrase for a Hebrew term whose exact reference is uncertain; it is usually taken as the lobe or lappet of the liver (the caudate lobe), though some read it as the fatty membrane over it. "By the flanks" means near the loins, the lower back where the kidney fat lies.

5Then Aaron's sons will burn it on the altar, on top of the burnt offering that lies on the wood on the fire. It is a gift burned in fire, a pleasing smell to the LORD.

5And 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.

Note"A sweet savour" is a fixed formula in these laws, literally "a soothing smell", describing the smoke of the burning offering rising and being accepted. It is standard sacrificial language, not a comment on cooking.

6If the peace offering he brings to the LORD comes from the flock, whether it is male or female, he must bring one with no flaw in it.

6And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.

7If he brings a lamb as his offering, he must bring it before the LORD.

7If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.

8He must lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

8And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.

9From the peace offering he must present a gift burned in fire to the LORD: its fat, and the whole fat tail, which he must cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the inner organs, and all the fat that is on those organs,

9And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

NoteThe "whole rump" of the KJV is the fat tail of the broad-tailed sheep bred across the ancient Near East, whose tail stores a heavy pad of fat and can weigh several pounds. It was a delicacy, which is why it is specified for the altar. "Hard by the backbone" means close to the backbone, at the point where the tail joins it. This portion is required only of sheep, not of cattle or goats.

10and the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he must remove along with the kidneys.

10And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

11The priest will burn it on the altar. It is food, a gift burned in fire to the LORD.

11And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Note"Food" translates a Hebrew word that normally means bread or, more broadly, a meal. Sacrifices are regularly described in these chapters using the vocabulary of a meal set out for a household head; the term marks the offering's category, and does not imply that God required feeding, a point the Hebrew Bible elsewhere states directly.

12If his offering is a goat, he must bring it before the LORD.

12And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.

13He must lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

13And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.

14From it he must present his offering, a gift burned in fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the inner organs, and all the fat that is on those organs,

14And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

15and the two kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he must remove along with the kidneys.

15And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

16The priest will burn them on the altar. It is food, a gift burned in fire, a pleasing smell. All the fat belongs to the LORD.

16And 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.

17This is a lasting rule for all your generations, wherever you live: you must not eat fat or blood.

17It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

Note"A perpetual statute" means a standing rule with no fixed end, binding on later generations. "Throughout all your dwellings" extends it beyond the sanctuary to ordinary homes: the fat named here and blood of any kind were not to be eaten anywhere. The fat in view is the specific internal suet listed above, not the fat marbled through meat. The reason given later (Leviticus 17:11) is that blood was reserved for the altar.