Leviticus 6:9
in Leviticus 6“Command Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the hearth of the altar all night, until morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering: the burnt-offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning thereon.
KJV
Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.
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This verse in Leviticus 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Rather, “This, the burnt-offering, shall be upon the fire on the altar all night unto the morning.” See Exo 29:38-46, with the notes.
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 Church Fathers1 voice
That fire is perpetual that is never extinguished on the altar. The altar of God is our heart. Fire must always burn in it, for the flame of charity must always burn on it for God. Day by day, the priest puts wood on the …
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
PateriusEXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, LEVITICUS 5 · Written before 606.
proposed
That fire is perpetual that is never extinguished on the altar. The altar of God is our heart. Fire must always burn in it, for the flame of charity must always burn on it for God. Day by day, the priest puts wood on the …
A holocaust is burned on the altar when a good work is performed with the burning fire of charity in the heart of any elect person who is devoted to God completely (that is, with both body and soul). This is done all night until …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the Lord spake - Hitherto he hath prescribed the sacrifices themselves; now he comes to the manner of them. The burnt- offering - The daily one, which Exod. xxix, 38, Num. xxviii, 3, as the following words shew. This was to be so managed and laid on piece after piece, that the fire might be constantly maintained by it.
16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Command Aaron and his sons,....
Let ministers remember that not only commissions, but commands, were given to Aaron and his sons, who must be in subjection to them. In these verses we have the law of the burnt-offering, as far as it was the peculiar care of the priests. The daily sacrifice of a lamb, which was offered morning and evening for the whole congregation, is here chiefly referred to.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Both of them were consumed on the altar by means of a slow fire, before which the pieces of the sacrifice were so placed that they fed it all night. At all events, the observance of this daily sacrifice on the altar of burnt offering was a daily expression of national repentance and faith.
This is the law of the burnt-offering - This law properly refers to that burnt-offering which was daily made in what was termed the morning and evening sacrifice; and as he had explained the nature of this burnt-offering in general, with its necessary ceremonies, as far as the persons who brought them were concerned, he now takes up the same in relation to the priests who were to receive them from the hands of the offerer, and present them to the Lord on the altar of burnt-offerings. Because of the burning upon the altar all night - If the burnt-offering were put all upon the fire at once, it could not be burning all night. We may therefore reasonably conclude that the priests sat up by turns the whole night, and fed the fire with portions of this offering till the whole was consumed, which they would take care to lengthen out till the time of the morning sacrifice. The same we may suppose was done with the morning sacrifice; it was also consumed by piecemeal through the whole day, till the time of offering the evening sacrifice. Thus there was a continual offering by fire unto the Lord; and hence in Lev 6:13 it is said: The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out. If at any time any extraordinary offerings were to be made, the daily sacrifice was consumed more speedily, in order to make room for such extra offerings. See more on this subject in Clarke’s note on Lev 6:23 (note). The Hebrew doctors teach that no sacrifice was ever offered in the morning before the morning sacrifice; and none, the passover excepted, ever offered in the evening after the evening sacrifice; for all sacrifices were made by day-light. The fat seems to have been chiefly burned in the night season, for the greater light and convenience of keeping the fire alive, which could not be so easily done in the night as in the day time.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Even to apportion it [i.e., the residue of the meal-offering which the priests are to eat] they are not permitted to do until after the parts given to the fire [i.e., the handful] have gone up on the altar.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
It should not be baked [as] leavened. I have given it to them as their portion from my fire-offerings [ offerings ].
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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| צַ֤ו | tzav | command | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַהֲרֹן֙ | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּנָ֣יו | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| זֹ֥את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| תּוֹרַ֖ת | torat | [is] [the] legal [procedure] of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| הָעֹלָ֑ה | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| הִ֣וא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הָעֹלָ֡ה | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| עַל֩ | ʾal | [will be] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מוֹקְדָ֨ה | mokdah | [the] hearth | H4169 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ | halaylah | the night | H3915 → | |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַבֹּ֔קֶר | haboker | the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וְאֵ֥שׁ | veesh | and [the] fire of | H784 → | 378 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| תּ֥וּקַד | tukad | it will burn | H3344 → | 9 times |
| בּֽוֹ׃ | bo | on it |
צַ֤וcommand
tzavH6680 →494 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַהֲרֹן֙Aaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בָּנָ֣יוsons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
זֹ֥אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
תּוֹרַ֖ת[is] [the] legal [procedure] of
toratH8451 →219 times
הָעֹלָ֑הthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 times
הִ֣ואit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
הָעֹלָ֡הthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 times
עַל֩[will be] on
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
מוֹקְדָ֨ה[the] hearth
mokdahH4169 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙the night
halaylahH3915 →
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַבֹּ֔קֶרthe morning
habokerH1242 →214 times
וְאֵ֥שׁand [the] fire of
veeshH784 →378 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
תּ֥וּקַדit will burn
tukadH3344 →9 times
בּֽוֹ׃on it
bo
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
Numbers 28:9On the Sabbath day, present two unblemished year-old male lambs, accompanied by a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, as well as a drink offering.
it leads to
- Isaiah 58:13
If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the LORD’s holy day honorable, if you honor…
- Ezekiel 20:12
I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
- Psalms 92:1–4
It is good to praise the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
- Isaiah 58:13
Through
Numbers 28:3And tell them that this is the offering made by fire you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs.
it leads to
- Exodus 29:38–42
This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar, each day: two lambs that are a year old.
- Daniel 8:13
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender…
- Daniel 12:11
And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.
- Revelation 13:8
And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was…
- Daniel 11:31
His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.
- Exodus 29:38–42
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, On the Tabernacle 2.11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pacian of Barcelona, Commentary (church-history corpus) and Paterius, EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, LEVITICUS 5.