Leviticuschapter 1
17 verses · Moses, by tradition · 15th to 13th century BC · The Law
Original Language
Leviticus 1— Hebrew word study · with the Hebrew tradition
In Jewish life
Jewish practice and Jewish teaching both have something to say about Leviticus 1. Three things follow: where it is read, what is done because of it, and how the rabbis have taught it. The purpose is to inform a Christian reader what Jews believe and how Judaism was and is practised.
The reading
Weekly portion 24 of 54
וַיִּקְרָא Vayikra, Leviticus 1:1 to 5:26
Read with it: Isaiah 43:21 to 44:23.
The verse numbers here are the ones a Hebrew Bible carries, which differ from an English Bible by a verse or two in several places. The Sephardi reading is named only where this site records a difference; communities vary beyond what is listed. What these books are, and how a Christian reader meets them →
Where the rabbis cite this chapter
6 rows sit beside their verses in the text, on 5 verses of this chapter. No row that speaks to the chapter as a whole is recorded. Every quote links to its full source.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria (sefaria.org); excerpts follow each version’s license, and every passage opens at its source.
How to read a word below: the Hebrewword, then how it sounds, then what it means, then its number in Strong’s concordance, a widely used lookup this site follows (H for Hebrew and Aramaic, G for Greek). Square brackets hold a word the English supplies that the Hebrew does not, angle brackets mark the Hebrew’s own grammatical elements that English renders as separate words, and the mark ס or פ is where the Hebrew manuscripts end a paragraph.
A bull given whole to the fire1
Leviticus 1:1· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Ramban on Leviticus 1:1
Scripture states [the fact that G-d called to Moses] here and not in other places, because Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, 31 Exodus:35. and to draw near the place where G-d was, 32 Ibid.,:18.
Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Leviticus 1:2· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:3· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:4· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:5· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:6· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:7· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:8· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:9· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
A sheep or goat on the altar10
Leviticus 1:10· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Ramban on Leviticus 1:10
This section deals with the burnt-offering of the flock, and the law thereof is in every detail like that of the burnt-offering of the herd.
Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Onkelos Leviticus 1:10
If his offering is from flocks of sheep—of lambs or of goats—for a burnt-offering, he shall bring an unblemished male.
Read it in full at Sefaria · Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 [with Onkelos translation]
Leviticus 1:11· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:12· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Leviticus 1:13· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
The poor man's offering of birds14
Leviticus 1:14· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Ramban on Leviticus 1:14
Scripture chose these two species [of birds] because they are accessible and can be more easily caught than other [birds], just as our Rabbis have mentioned. Vayikra Rabbah:6. with reference to any of the sheep, and any of the goats, 166 Deuteronomy:4.
Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Leviticus 1:15· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Ramban on Leviticus 1:15
This “bringing” means bringing it up onto the altar, signifying that the priest is to bring up the bird onto the altar and nip off its head there, as the nipping off may only be done on top of the altar. 172 Zebachim 65a.
Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Leviticus 1:16· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible
Ramban on Leviticus 1:16
AND HE SHALL REMOVE ‘ETH MURATHO B’NOTZATHAH.’ “ Muratho refers to the place of the digested food, namely ‘its crop.’ B’notzathah means ‘together with its entrails.’ The word notzah is a term for anything which is loathsome.
Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Leviticus 1:17· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible