Leviticus 1:16
in Leviticus 1And he is to remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the altar, in the place for ashes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he shall take away its crop with the filth thereof, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes:
KJV
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
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This verse in Leviticus 1
Commentary
6 notes on this versePluck away his crop with his feathers - In this sacrifice of fowls the head was violently wrung off, then the blood was poured out, then the feathers were plucked off, the breast was cut open, and the crop, stomach, and intestines taken out, and then the body was burnt. Though the bird was split up, yet it was not divided asunder. This circumstance is particularly remarked in Abram’s sacrifice, Gen 15:10. See Clarke’s note Gen 15:10. See Ainsworth. We have already seen, on Lev 1:2, that four kinds of animals might be made burnt-offerings to the Lord.
This site's exposition
pluck away his crop with his feathers
on Leviticus 1:16-17
The crop and the feathers are thrown east of the altar by the place of the ashes, the far side from the holy place. The bird itself is opened and left whole, cleft by the wings and not divided asunder, which is the restraint Abram kept at Genesis 15:10 when he divided every animal and left the birds. Verse 17 then ends in the words that ended the bullock at verse 9 and the sheep at verse 13, a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. The formula does not shrink with the price of the animal.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
With its feathers - Or, with its dung or filth, contained in the crop and in the guts. On the east - Of the Tabernacle. Here the filth was cast, because this was the remotest place from the holy of holies, which was in the west-end; to teach us, that impure things and persons should not presume to approach to God, and that they should be banished from his presence.
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
if the burnt sacrifice . . . be of fowls--The gentle nature and cleanly habits of the dove led to its selection, while all other fowls were rejected, either for the fierceness of their disposition or the grossness of their taste; and in this case, there being from the smallness of the animal no blood for waste, the priest was directed to prepare it at the altar and sprinkle the blood.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
His crop with his feathers - The weight of authority is in favor of the marginal rendering. It is most probable that the feathers were burned with the body, and that the wings, mentioned in Lev 1:17, were not mutilated. The place of the ashes - The ashes were daily removed from the altar (except on certain holy days) and thrown into a heap on its eastern side. When the heap became inconveniently large, it was removed in vessels appropriated to the purpose (see Exo 27:3) to a spot without the camp. Lev 4:12; Lev 6:11.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהֵסִ֥יר | vehesir | and he will remove | H5493 → | 299 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֻרְאָת֖וֹ | murato | craw its | H4760 → | |
| בְּנֹצָתָ֑הּ | benotzatah | with feather[s] its | H5133 → | |
| וְהִשְׁלִ֨יךְ | vehishlikh | and he will throw | H7993 → | |
| אֹתָ֜הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֵ֤צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | 61 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| קֵ֔דְמָה | kedemah | east -ward | H6924 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מְק֖וֹם | mekom | [the] place of | H4725 → | 401 times |
| הַדָּֽשֶׁן׃ | hadashen | the fatty ash | H1880 → | 15 times |
וְהֵסִ֥ירand he will remove
vehesirH5493 →299 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֻרְאָת֖וֹcraw its
muratoH4760 →
בְּנֹצָתָ֑הּwith feather[s] its
benotzatahH5133 →
וְהִשְׁלִ֨יךְand he will throw
vehishlikhH7993 →
אֹתָ֜הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
אֵ֤צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →61 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
קֵ֔דְמָהeast -ward
kedemahH6924 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מְק֖וֹם[the] place of
mekomH4725 →401 times
הַדָּֽשֶׁן׃the fatty ash
hadashenH1880 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by…
- Ephesians 1:4–5
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
- Hebrews 12:24
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
- 1 Peter 1:22
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
- Romans 11:2
God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Through
Luke 1:35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
it leads to
- Matthew 1:18
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy…
- John 1:49
“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
- John 1:34
I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
- Matthew 1:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andrew Bonar, A Commentary on Leviticus; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.