Leviticus 7:20
in Leviticus 7But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto Jehovah, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.
KJV
But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
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This verse in Leviticus 7
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThat eateth - Knowingly; for if it were done ignorantly, a sacrifice was accepted for it. Not being cleansed from his uncleanness according to the appointment, chap. xi, 24, &c. This verse speaks of uncleanness from an internal cause, as by an issue, &c. for what was from an external cause is spoken of in the next verse.
This site's exposition
be a vow, or a voluntary offering
on Leviticus 7:16-22
A vow or a voluntary peace offering may be eaten on a second day and a thanksgiving offering may not, and the text draws that line without saying why. On the third day the remainder is burnt, and eating it makes the sacrifice an abomination that shall not be accepted nor imputed to the man who brought it, so an offering already made can be spoiled by what is done with the meat afterwards. A man who eats the flesh while his uncleanness is upon him is cut off from his people, and the chapter says it twice in two verses.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offerings, that pertain unto the Lord,....
Holy things are only for holy persons; the holiness of the food being ceremonial, those were incapacitated to partake of it who lay under any ceremonial uncleanness; but we are hereby taught to preserve ourselves pure from all the pollutions of sin, that we may have the benefit and comfort of Christ's sacrifice, 1 Pet. ii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Having his uncleanness upon him - Having touched any unclean thing by which he became legally defiled, and had not washed his clothes, and bathed his flesh.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַנֶּ֜פֶשׁ | vehanefesh | and the person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תֹּאכַ֣ל | tokhal | it will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| בָּשָׂ֗ר | basar | meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| מִזֶּ֤בַח | mizevach | from [the] sacrifice of | H2077 → | 162 times |
| הַשְּׁלָמִים֙ | hashelamim | the peace offering<s> | H8002 → | 87 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לַיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | [belongs] to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְטֻמְאָת֖וֹ | vetumato | and uncleanness his | H2932 → | 36 times |
| עָלָ֑יו | ʾalav | [is] on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה | venikhretah | and it will be cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ | hanefesh | the person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| הַהִ֖וא | hahiv' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מֵעַמֶּֽיהָ׃ | meameiha | from kinspeople<s> its | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וְהַנֶּ֜פֶשׁand the person
vehanefeshH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תֹּאכַ֣לit will eat
tokhalH398 →810 times
בָּשָׂ֗רmeat
basarH1320 →270 times
מִזֶּ֤בַחfrom [the] sacrifice of
mizevachH2077 →162 times
הַשְּׁלָמִים֙the peace offering<s>
hashelamimH8002 →87 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לַיהוָ֔ה[belongs] to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְטֻמְאָת֖וֹand uncleanness his
vetumatoH2932 →36 times
עָלָ֑יו[is] on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וְנִכְרְתָ֛הand it will be cut off
venikhretahH3772 →288 times
הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁthe person
hanefeshH5315 →754 times
הַהִ֖וא<the> that
hahiv'H1931 →1879 times
מֵעַמֶּֽיהָ׃from kinspeople<s> its
meameihaH5971 →1873 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 Corinthians 11:28Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
it leads to
- Galatians 6:4
Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.
- 2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?
- Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
- Matthew 5:23–24
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
- 1 Corinthians 11:31
Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.
- Galatians 6:4
Through
Genesis 17:14But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
it leads to
- Exodus 4:24–26
Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
- Numbers 15:30–31
But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people.
- Exodus 12:19
For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation…
- Exodus 4:24–26
About Leviticus

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.
