Leviticus 3:2
in Leviticus 3He 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 sides of the altar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his oblation, and kill it at the door of the tent of meeting: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
KJV
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
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This verse in Leviticus 3
Commentary
9 notes on this verseLay his hand upon the head of his offering - See this rite explained in Exo 29:10 (note), and Lev 1:4 (note). “As the burnt-offering, (Leviticus 1).,” says Mr. Ainsworth, “figured our reconciliation to God by the death of Christ, and the meat-offering, (Leviticus 2)., our sanctification in him before God, so this peace-offering signified both Christ’s oblation of himself whereby he became our peace and salvation, (Eph 2:14-16; Act 13:47; Heb 5:9; Heb 9:28), and our oblation of praise, thanksgiving, and prayer unto God.”
This site's exposition
If one’s offering is a peace offering
on Leviticus 3:1-2
Male or female is accepted here, where the burnt offering of 1:3 required a male. What sets this sacrifice apart comes at 7:15, where the meat must be eaten on the day he offers it. This is the one offering the offerer eats from.
This site's exposition
slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting
John Wesley gives two reasons for killing the peace offering at the entrance. The offerer waved part of it himself at 7:30, and this offering was less holy than those eaten only by priests.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
And the reason of this difference is not obscure, both because part of this sacrifice was to be waved by the hands of the offerer, chap. vii, 30, who might not come into the court; and because this offering was not so holy as the others, which were to be eaten only by the priest, whereas part of these were eaten by the offerer.
desired; and so it was a kind of supplication to God. A female - Which were allowed here, tho' not in burnt-offerings, because those principally respected the honour of God, who is to be served with the best; but the peace-offerings did primarily respect the benefit of the offerer, and therefore the choice was left to himself.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering,....
The priest must sprinkle the blood upon the altar, for it was the blood that made atonement for the soul; and, though this was not a sin-offering, yet we must be taught that in all our offerings we must have an eye to Christ as the propitiation for sin, as those who know that the best of their services cannot be accepted unless through him their sins be pardoned.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering--Having performed this significant act, he killed it before the door of the tabernacle, and the priests sprinkled the blood round about upon the altar.
quarantine:debris,scripture (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase; scripture-overlap:81%@v1-2
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Kill it at the door ... - See Lev 1:3. Tradition says that the peace-offerings might be killed in any part of the court.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְסָמַ֤ךְ | vesamakh | and he will lean | H5564 → | 48 times |
| יָדוֹ֙ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| קָרְבָּנ֔וֹ | karebano | present his | H7133 → | 82 times |
| וּשְׁחָט֕וֹ | ushechato | and he will cut throat its | H7819 → | 81 times |
| פֶּ֖תַח | petach | [the] entrance of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| אֹ֣הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֑ד | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| וְזָרְק֡וּ | vezareku | and they will sprinkle | H2236 → | 35 times |
| בְּנֵי֩ | benei | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֨ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּ֛ם | hadam | the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| סָבִֽיב׃ | saviv | all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
וְסָמַ֤ךְand he will lean
vesamakhH5564 →48 times
יָדוֹ֙hand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
קָרְבָּנ֔וֹpresent his
karebanoH7133 →82 times
וּשְׁחָט֕וֹand he will cut throat its
ushechatoH7819 →81 times
פֶּ֖תַח[the] entrance of
petachH6607 →164 times
אֹ֣הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֑דmeeting
moedH4150 →223 times
וְזָרְק֡וּand they will sprinkle
vezarekuH2236 →35 times
בְּנֵי֩[the] sons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אַהֲרֹ֨ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
הַכֹּהֲנִ֧יםthe priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּ֛םthe blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
סָבִֽיב׃all around
savivH5439 →336 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
Isaiah 53:6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
- 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
- Psalms 119:176
I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.
- Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely…
- Romans 4:25
He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
- 1 Peter 2:25
Through
Zechariah 12:10Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They…
it leads to
- Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
- Ezekiel 39:29
And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
- John 19:34–37
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
- Revelation 1:7
Where this verse is studied
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); 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.