Leviticus 1:9

"but he shall wash its innards and its legs with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD."

Key Reflection

In Leviticus 1:9, the instructions detail the proper preparation and offering process for a burnt sacrifice. The priest was to wash the animal’s innards and legs before burning them on the altar. This meticulous cleansing ritual underscored the importance of purity in worship. For the original audience, these steps would have symbolized both physical cleanliness and spiritual dedication, reflecting the overarching theme of purification and holiness required for communion with God.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The parts which were washed were the stomach, and bowels, and feet, divided from the carcass at the knee-joint. The priest shall burn -The verb here translated burn, is applied exclusively to the burning of the incense, to the lights of the tabernacle, and to the offerings on the altar. The primary meaning of its root seems to be to exhale odor. (See the margin ofLeviticus 24:2;Exodus 30:8). The word for burning in a common way is quite different, and is applied to the burning of those parts of victims which were burned without the camp (Leviticus 4:12,Leviticus 4:21;Numbers 19:5, etc.). The importance of the distinction is great in its bearing on the meaning of the burnt-offering.

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