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Leviticus 6:12

in Leviticus 6

The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add wood to the fire, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.

KJV

And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.

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This verse in Leviticus 6

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Every morning - Though the evening also be doubtless intended, yet the morning is only mentioned, because then the altar was cleansed, and the ashes taken away, and a new fire made. Thereon - Upon the burnt- offering, which thereby would be sooner consumed, that the way might be made for other sacrifices.

This site's exposition

This is the law of the burnt offering

on Leviticus 6:9-13

The five offerings are given here a second time from the side of the priest who handles them, each section opening as this is the law of, and the first duty laid on Aaron and his sons is carrying out ashes. He takes them up in his linen, then puts off those garments and puts on others to carry the ashes outside the camp to ground the text calls clean, so what is left of a burnt offering is handled as holy rather than thrown away. Around that housekeeping stands the one command this passage gives three times, at verse 9, at verse 12 and again at verse 13: the fire of the altar is kept burning and never goes out. Leviticus 9:24 has fire coming out from before the LORD to consume the first offering laid on that altar, and the wood the priest lays on every morning feeds a fire he did not light.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it, it shall not be put out,....

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

כל זכר ALL THE MALES [AMONG THE CHILDREN OF AARON SHALL EAT OF IT] — all the males: even one with a bodily blemish. But why is this stated at all?
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Leviticus 6:11:1, via Sefaria, Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934

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. 3 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

20 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְהָאֵ֨שׁand the fire

    vehaeshH784 →378 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַthe altar

    hamizbeachH4196 →401 times

  • תּֽוּקַד־it will burn

    tukad-H3344 →9 times

  • בּוֹ֙on it

    bo

  • לֹ֣אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תִכְבֶּ֔הit will be extinguished

    tikhbehH3518 →

  • וּבִעֵ֨רand he will kindle

    uvierH1197 →

  • עָלֶ֧יהָon it

    ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times

  • הַכֹּהֵ֛ןthe priest

    hakohenH3548 →750 times

  • עֵצִ֖יםwood<s>

    ʾetzimH6086 →328 times

  • בַּבֹּ֣קֶרin the morning

    babokerH1242 →214 times

  • בַּבֹּ֑קֶרin the morning

    babokerH1242 →214 times

  • וְעָרַ֤ךְand he will arrange

    vearakhH6186 →74 times

  • עָלֶ֙יהָ֙on it

    ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times

  • הָֽעֹלָ֔הthe burnt offering

    haolahH5930 →287 times

  • וְהִקְטִ֥ירand he will make smoke

    vehiktirH6999 →116 times

  • עָלֶ֖יהָon it

    ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times

  • חֶלְבֵ֥י[the] fat<s> of

    chelveiH2459 →92 times

  • הַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃the peace offerings

    hashelamimH8002 →87 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Leviticus 9:24Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.11 worksExodus 29:38–42This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar, each day: two lambs that are a year old.6 worksLeviticus 3:5Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.6 worksLeviticus 1:7–9The sons of Aaron the priest shall put a fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire.4 worksLeviticus 3:3–5From the peace offering he is to bring an offering made by fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,4 worksNehemiah 13:31I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.4 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Leviticus 3:9–11And from the peace offering he shall bring an offering made by fire to the LORD consisting of its fat: the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,3 worksLeviticus 3:14–16And from his offering he shall present an offering made by fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,3 worksNumbers 4:13–14Then they shall remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,3 worksExodus 29:13Take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar.2 worksMark 9:48–49where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’0 worksHebrews 10:27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.0 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 9:24

    Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell…

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 18:38–39

      Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.

    • Judges 6:21

      Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the…

    • 1 Chronicles 21:26

      And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

    • Judges 13:19–20

      Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.

    • Exodus 3:2

      There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.

  • Through

    Nehemiah 13:31

    I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.

    it leads to

    • Nehemiah 13:14

      Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.

    • Nehemiah 13:22

      Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according…

    • Psalms 106:4

      Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people; visit me with Your salvation,

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About Leviticus

Moses and Aaron Appear before Pharaoh, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses and Aaron Appear before Pharaoh, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Leviticus: the study guide →Read Leviticus 6 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Leviticus 6 →