Leviticus 1:3

Burnt Offering Regulations: Animal from the Herd

1:3 “‘If his offering is a burnt offering ¹  from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance ²  of the Meeting Tent for its ³  acceptance before the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:10

17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.

I examine people’s hearts. ⁴ 

I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.

I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Hebrews 13:4

13:4 Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.

Revelation 2:22-23

2:22 Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, ⁵  and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, ⁶  unless they repent of her deeds. 2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ⁷  with a deadly disease, ⁸  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ⁹  each one of you ¹⁰  what your deeds deserve. ¹¹ 

¹ sn The burnt offering (עֹלָה, ’olah) was basically a “a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord” (vv. 9, 13, 17). It could serve as a votive or freewill offering (e.g., Lev 22:18-20), an accompaniment of prayer and supplication (e.g., 1 Sam 7:9-10), part of the regular daily, weekly, monthly, and festival cultic pattern (e.g., Num 28-29), or to make atonement either alone (e.g., Lev 1:4; 16:24) or in combination with the grain offering (e.g., Lev 14:20) or sin offering (e.g., Lev 5:7; 9:7). See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 4:996-1022.

² tn Heb “door” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “doorway” (likewise throughout the book of Leviticus). The translation “door” or “doorway” may suggest a framed door in a casing to the modern reader, but here the term refers to the entrance to a tent.

³ tn The NIV correctly has “it” in the text, referring to the acceptance of the animal (cf., e.g., RSV, NEB, NLT), but “he” in the margin, referring to the acceptance of the offerer (cf. ASV, NASB, JB). The reference to a “flawless male” in the first half of this verse suggests that the issue here is the acceptability of the animal to make atonement on behalf of the offerer (Lev 1:4; cf. NRSV “for acceptance in your behalf”).

⁴ tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.

⁵ tn Grk “onto a bed,” in this context an idiom for severe illness (L&N 23.152).

⁶ tn Or “into great distress.” The suffering here is not specified as physical or emotional, and could involve persecution.

⁷ tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.

⁸ tn Grk “I will kill with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).

⁹ tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”

¹⁰ sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.

¹¹ tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”