Leviticus 7:23
in Leviticus 7“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘You are not to eat any of the fat of an ox, a sheep, or a goat.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat.
KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.
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This verse in Leviticus 7
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe general prohibition of eating fat, chap. iii, 17, is here explained of those kind of creatures which were sacrificed. The fat of others they might eat.
This site's exposition
Ye shall eat no manner of fat
on Leviticus 7:23-27
Fat and blood are forbidden together and both carry the same penalty of being cut off from the people. The fat of a beast that died of itself or was torn may be put to any other use, and only the eating of it is barred, so the rule guards what belongs on the altar rather than the carcase. Leviticus 17:11 gives the one reason the book ever gives for the blood, that the life of the flesh is in it, and Acts 15:20 and 15:29 carry the same prohibition into the first council of the church.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The Jews say, "If a man eat so much as an olive of forbidden fat--if he do it presumptuously, he is in danger of being cut off by the hand of God--if ignorantly, he is to bring a sin-offering, and so to pay dearly for his carelessness." To eat of the flesh of that which died of itself, or was torn of beasts, was unlawful; but to eat of the fat of such was doubly unlawful,
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat - Any other fat they might eat, but the fat of these was sacred, because they were the only animals which were offered in sacrifice, though many others ranked among the clean animals as well as these. But it is likely that this prohibition is to be understood of these animals when offered in sacrifice, and then only in reference to the inward fat, as mentioned on Lev 7:4. Of the fat in any other circumstances it cannot be intended, as it was one of the especial blessings which God gave to the people. Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with Fat of Lambs, and Rams of the breed of Bashan, and Goats, were the provision that he gave to his followers. See Deu 32:12-14.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This is emphatically addressed to the people. They were not to eat in their own meal what belonged to the altar of Yahweh, nor what was the perquisite of the priests. See Lev 7:33-36.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דַּבֵּ֛ר | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חֵ֜לֶב | chelev | fat of | H2459 → | 92 times |
| שׁ֥וֹר | shor | an ox | H7794 → | 79 times |
| וְכֶ֛שֶׂב | vekhesev | and a young ram | H3775 → | 13 times |
| וָעֵ֖ז | vaez | and a goat | H5795 → | 74 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ | tokhelu | you must eat | H398 → | 810 times |
דַּבֵּ֛רspeak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
חֵ֜לֶבfat of
chelevH2459 →92 times
שׁ֥וֹרan ox
shorH7794 →79 times
וְכֶ֛שֶׂבand a young ram
vekhesevH3775 →13 times
וָעֵ֖זand a goat
vaezH5795 →74 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃you must eat
tokheluH398 →810 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
Acts 28:27For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 6:10
Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- Isaiah 6:10
Through
1 Samuel 2:29Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all…
it leads to
- Matthew 10:37
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
- Deuteronomy 32:15
But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
- 1 Samuel 2:13–17
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
- Ezekiel 34:2
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who only feed themselves! Should not the…
- Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
- Matthew 10:37
Through
Leviticus 17:6The priest will then sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
it leads to
- Numbers 18:17
But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering…
- Leviticus 3:2
He is to lay his hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood on all…
- Numbers 18:17
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); 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.