Leviticus 3:1
in Leviticus 3“If one’s offering is a peace offering and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he must present it without blemish before the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace-offerings; if he offer of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before Jehovah.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Leviticus 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering,.... The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render it, the "sacrifice of holinesses", or "sanctifications"; so called, not because they were more holy than other sacrifices; for they were what the Jews (c) call the lighter holy things, in distinction from the most holy things, such as the meat offerings were, Lev 2:10 but as Ainsworth suggests, either because none but holy persons might eat of them, Lev 7:19 though this also was enjoined in other sacrifices, or because hereby the name of God was sanctified.
This site's exposition
a sacrifice of peace offering
on Leviticus 3:1-2
This offering stands third in the list a worshipper is given in chapters 1 to 5, and it moves to last when the same five are handed to the priests at 7:11. Male or female is accepted here, where the burnt offering of 1:3 required a male. The hand goes on the head, the animal is killed at the door and the blood is sprinkled round about, exactly as in chapter 1. What separates this sacrifice from the rest is stated later at 7:15, where the flesh goes back to the man who brought it, so this is the one offering the offerer eats from.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In our spiritual offerings, it is not the sex, but the heart, that God looks at, Gal. iii. As to the management of it. The offerer was, by a solemn manumission, to transfer his interest in it to God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The peace-offering (like the burnt-offering, Lev 1:3, and the Minchah, Lev 2:1) is here spoken of as if it was familiarly known before the giving of the Law. “Peace-offering” seems preferable to “thank-offering,” which occurs in several places in the margin of our Bible. “thank-offering” appears to be the right name for a subordinate class of peace-offering.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering--"Peace" being used in Scripture to denote prosperity and happiness generally, a peace offering was a voluntary tribute of gratitude for health or other benefits.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Peace-offering - שלמים shelamim, an offering to make peace between God and man; see on Leviticus 7 (note), and Gen 14:18 (note).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
IF HE OFFER OF THE HERD, WHETHER MALE OR FEMALE. The reason why the burnt-offering may only be male, 235 Above, Chapter, Verses 3 and. whereas in the case of the peace-offering it can be male or female, and the sin-offering must only be female, 236 Further,:28.
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. 5 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
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| זֶ֥בַח | zevach | [is] a sacrifice of | H2077 → | 162 times |
| שְׁלָמִ֖ים | shelamim | peace offering<s> | H8002 → | 87 times |
| קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ | karebano | present his | H7133 → | 82 times |
| אִ֤ם | ʾim | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| מִן־ | min- | one of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַבָּקָר֙ | habakar | the herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מַקְרִ֔יב | makriv | [is] presenting | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | whether | H518 → | 1069 times |
| זָכָר֙ | zakhar | a male | H2145 → | 82 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | or | H518 → | 1069 times |
| נְקֵבָ֔ה | nekevah | a female | H5347 → | 22 times |
| תָּמִ֥ים | tamim | unblemished | H8549 → | 91 times |
| יַקְרִיבֶ֖נּוּ | yakrivenu | he will present it | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
זֶ֥בַח[is] a sacrifice of
zevachH2077 →162 times
שְׁלָמִ֖יםpeace offering<s>
shelamimH8002 →87 times
קָרְבָּנ֑וֹpresent his
karebanoH7133 →82 times
אִ֤םif
ʾimH518 →1069 times
מִן־one of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַבָּקָר֙the herd
habakarH1241 →183 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מַקְרִ֔יב[is] presenting
makrivH7126 →280 times
אִם־whether
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
זָכָר֙a male
zakharH2145 →82 times
אִם־or
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
נְקֵבָ֔הa female
nekevahH5347 →22 times
תָּמִ֥יםunblemished
tamimH8549 →91 times
יַקְרִיבֶ֖נּוּhe will present it
yakrivenuH7126 →280 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Leviticus 1:3If one’s offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 15:21
But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Leviticus 22:19–24
must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for it to be accepted on your behalf.
- Exodus 12:5
Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
- Ephesians 5:27
and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
- Deuteronomy 15:21
Through
Amos 5:22Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.
it leads to
- Micah 6:6–7
With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?
- Amos 4:4–5
“Go to Bethel and transgress; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.
- Isaiah 66:3
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s…
- Micah 6:6–7
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); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.