Discovery BoxLeviticus 2:1
Context2:1 “‘When a person presents a grain offering 1 to the Lord, his offering must consist of choice wheat flour, 2 and he must pour olive oil on it and put frankincense 3 on it.
Leviticus 16:1--17:16
Context16:1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord 4 and died, 16:2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil-canopy 5 in front of the atonement plate 6 that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement plate.
16:3 “In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary – with a young bull 7 for a sin offering 8 and a ram for a burnt offering. 9 16:4 He must put on a holy linen tunic, 10 linen leggings are to cover his body, 11 and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash 12 and wrap his head with a linen turban. 13 They are holy garments, so he must bathe 14 his body in water and put them on. 16:5 He must also take 15 two male goats 16 from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 16:6 Then Aaron is to present the sin offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. 16:7 He must then take the two goats 17 and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 16:8 and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, 18 one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel. 19 16:9 Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, 20 and he is to make it a sin offering, 16:10 but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive 21 before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away to Azazel into the wilderness. 22
16:11 “Aaron is to present the sin offering bull which is for himself, and he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. He is to slaughter the sin offering bull which is for himself, 16:12 and take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord 23 and a full double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, 24 and bring them inside the veil-canopy. 25 16:13 He must then put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the cloud of incense will cover the atonement plate which is above the ark of the testimony, 26 so that he will not die. 27 16:14 Then he is to take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern face of the atonement plate, 28 and in front of the atonement plate he is to sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger. 29
16:15 “He must then slaughter the sin offering goat which is for the people. He is to bring its blood inside the veil-canopy, 30 and he is to do with its blood just as he did to the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the atonement plate and in front of the atonement plate. 16:16 So 31 he is to make atonement for the holy place from the impurities of the Israelites and from their transgressions with regard to all their sins, 32 and thus he is to do for the Meeting Tent which resides with them in the midst of their impurities. 16:17 Nobody is to be in the Meeting Tent 33 when he enters to make atonement in the holy place until he goes out, and he has made atonement on his behalf, on behalf of his household, and on behalf of the whole assembly of Israel.
16:18 “Then 34 he is to go out to the altar which is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take 35 some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it all around on the horns of the altar. 16:19 Then he is to sprinkle on it some of the blood with his finger seven times, and cleanse and consecrate it 36 from the impurities of the Israelites.
16:20 “When he has finished purifying the holy place, 37 the Meeting Tent, and the altar, he is to present the live goat. 16:21 Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, 38 and thus he is to put them 39 on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man standing ready. 40 16:22 The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible land, 41 so he is to send the goat away 42 in the wilderness.
16:23 “Aaron must then enter 43 the Meeting Tent and take off the linen garments which he had put on when he entered the sanctuary, and leave them there. 16:24 Then he must bathe his body in water in a holy place, put on his clothes, and go out and make his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering. So he is to make atonement 44 on behalf of himself and the people. 45
16:25 “Then he is to offer up the fat of the sin offering 46 in smoke on the altar, 16:26 and the one who sent the goat away to Azazel 47 must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp. 16:27 The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought to make atonement in the holy place, must be brought outside the camp 48 and their hide, their flesh, and their dung must be burned up, 49 16:28 and the one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.
16:29 “This is to be a perpetual statute for you. 50 In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves 51 and do no work of any kind, 52 both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides 53 in your midst, 16:30 for on this day atonement is to be made for you to cleanse you from all your sins; you must be clean before the Lord. 54 16:31 It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. 55 It is a perpetual statute. 56
16:32 “The priest who is anointed and ordained to act as high priest in place of his father 57 is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 16:33 and he is to purify 58 the Most Holy Place, 59 he is to purify the Meeting Tent and the altar, 60 and he is to make atonement for 61 the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 16:34 This is to be a perpetual statute for you 62 to make atonement for the Israelites for 63 all their sins once a year.” 64 So he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 65
17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17:2 “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, and tell them: ‘This is the word that the Lord has commanded: 17:3 “Blood guilt 66 will be accounted to any man 67 from the house of Israel 68 who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat inside the camp or outside the camp, 69 17:4 but has not brought it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent 70 to present it as 71 an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people. 72 17:5 This is so that 73 the Israelites will bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field 74 to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent to the priest and sacrifice them there as peace offering sacrifices to the Lord. 17:6 The priest is to splash 75 the blood on the altar 76 of the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and offer the fat up in smoke for a soothing aroma to the Lord. 17:7 So they must no longer offer 77 their sacrifices to the goat demons, 78 acting like prostitutes by going after them. 79 This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations. 80
17:8 “You are to say to them: ‘Any man 81 from the house of Israel or 82 from the foreigners who reside 83 in their 84 midst, who offers 85 a burnt offering or a sacrifice 17:9 but does not bring it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it 86 to the Lord – that person will be cut off from his people. 87
17:10 “‘Any man 88 from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside 89 in their 90 midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, 91 17:11 for the life of every living thing 92 is in the blood. 93 So I myself have assigned it to you 94 on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life. 95 17:12 Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood, 96 and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood. 97
17:13 “‘Any man from the Israelites 98 or from the foreigners who reside 99 in their 100 midst who hunts a wild animal 101 or a bird that may be eaten 102 must pour out its blood and cover it with soil, 17:14 for the life of all flesh is its blood. 103 So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing 104 because the life of every living thing is its blood – all who eat it will be cut off. 105
17:15 “‘Any person 106 who eats an animal that has died of natural causes 107 or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a foreigner, 108 must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he becomes clean. 17:16 But if he does not wash his clothes 109 and does not bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for iniquity.’” 110
[2:1] 1 sn The “grain offering” ( מִנְחָה[minkhah]; here קָרְבַּן מִנְחָה, [qorbban minkhah], “an offering of a grain offering”) generally accompanied a burnt or peace offering to supplement the meat with bread (the libation provided the drink; cf. Num 15:1-10), thus completing the food “gift” to the
[2:1] 2 tn The Hebrew term for “choice wheat flour” (סֹלֶת, selet) is often translated “fine flour” (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NCV), but it refers specifically to wheat as opposed to barley (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 10). Moreover, the translation “flour” might be problematic, since the Hebrew term may designate the “grits” rather than the more finely ground “flour” (see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:179 as opposed to Levine, 10, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 30).
[2:1] 3 sn This is not just any “incense” (קְטֹרֶת, qÿtoret; R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:913-16), but specifically “frankincense” (לְבֹנָה, lÿvonah; R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:756-57).
[16:1] 4 tn Heb “in their drawing near to the faces of the
[16:2] 7 tn Heb “into the holy place from house to the veil-canopy.” In this instance, the Hebrew term “the holy place” refers to “the most holy place” (lit. “holy of holies”), since it is the area “inside the veil-canopy” (cf. Exod 26:33-34). The Hebrew term פָּרֹכֶת (parokhet) is usually translated “veil” or “curtain,” but it seems to have stretched not only in front of but also over the top of the ark of the covenant which stood behind and under it inside the most holy place, and thus formed more of a canopy than simply a curtain (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:687-89).
[16:2] 8 tn Heb “to the faces of the atonement plate.” The exact meaning of the Hebrew term כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet) here rendered “atonement plate” is much debated. The traditional “mercy seat” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) does not suit the cognate relationship between this term and the Piel verb כִּפֶּר (kipper, “to make atonement, to make expiation”). The translation of the word should also reflect the fact that the most important atonement procedures on the Day of Atonement were performed in relation to it. Since the
[16:3] 10 tn Heb “with a bull, a son of the herd.”
[16:3] 11 sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term “sin offering.”
[16:3] 12 sn For the “burnt offering” see the note on Lev 1:3.
[16:4] 13 sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). It covered the upper body only. For detailed remarks on the terminology for the priestly clothing in this verse (except the “linen leggings”) see the notes on Lev 8:7-9 and the literature cited there.
[16:4] 14 tn Heb “shall be on his flesh.” As in many instances in Lev 15, the term “flesh” or “body” here is euphemistic for the male genitals (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1017, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 222; cf. the note on Lev 15:2), which the priest must be careful not to expose during such ritual procedures (see Exod 20:26 with 28:42-43).
[16:4] 15 sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).
[16:4] 16 tn Heb “and in a turban of linen he shall wrap.”
[16:4] 17 tn Heb “and he shall bathe….”
[16:5] 16 tn Heb “And he shall take.”
[16:5] 17 tn Heb “he-goats of goats”; CEV “two goats, both of them males.”
[16:7] 19 tn Heb “the two he-goats,” referred to as “two he-goats of goats” in v. 5.
[16:8] 22 tn Heb “and Aaron shall give lots on the two he-goats.” See the note on Lev 8:8 for the priestly casting of lots in Israel and the explanation in B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 102, on Lev 16:8-9. J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:1019-20, suggests, however, that the expression here signifies that, the lots having been cast, the priest was to literally “place” (Heb “give”) the one marked “for the
[16:8] 23 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲזָאזֵל (’aza’zel, four times in the OT, all of them in this chapter; vv. 8, 10 [2 times], and 26) is much debated. There are three or perhaps four major views (see the summaries and literature cited in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1020-21; B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 102; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 237-38; D. P. Wright, The Disposal of Impurity [SBLDS], 21-25; M. V. Van Pelt and W. C. Kaiser, NIDOTTE 3:362-63; and M. S. Moore, NIDOTTE 4:421-22). (1) Some derive the term from a combination of the Hebrew word עֵז (’ez, “goat”; i.e., the word for “goats” in v. 5) and אָזַל (’azal, “to go away”), meaning “the goat that departs” or “scapegoat” (cf., e.g., the LXX and KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT). This meaning suits the ritual practice of sending the so-called “scapegoat” away into the wilderness (vv. 10, 21-22, 26). Similarly, some derive the term from Arabic ’azala (“to banish, remove”), meaning “entire removal” as an abstract concept (see BDB 736 s.v. עֲזָאזֵל). (2) Some see the term as a description of the wilderness area to which the goat was dispatched, deriving it somehow from Arabic ’azazu (“rough ground”) or perhaps עָזָז, (’azaz, “to be strong, fierce”). (3) The most common view among scholars today is that it is the proper name of a particular demon (perhaps even the Devil himself) associated with the wilderness desert regions. Levine has proposed that it may perhaps derive from a reduplication of the ז (zayin) in עֵז combined with אֵל (’el, “mighty”), meaning “mighty goat.” The final consonantal form of עֲזָאזֵל would have resulted from the inversion of the א (aleph) with the second ז. He makes the point that the close association between עֵז and שְׂעִירִים (shÿ’irim), which seems to refer to “goat-demons” of the desert in Lev 17:7 (cf. Isa 13:21, etc.), should not be ignored in the derivation of Azazel, although the term ultimately became the name of “the demonic ruler of the wilderness.” The latter view is supported by the parallel between the one goat “for (לְ, lamed preposition) the
[16:9] 25 tn Heb “which the lot has gone up on it for the
[16:10] 28 tn The LXX has “he shall stand it” (cf. v. 7).
[16:10] 29 tn Heb “to make atonement on it to send it away to Azazel toward the wilderness.”
[16:12] 31 tn Heb “and he shall take the fullness of the censer, coals of fire, from on the altar from to the faces of the
[16:12] 32 tn Heb “and the fullness of the hollow of his two hands, finely ground fragrant incense.”
[16:12] 33 tn Heb “and he shall bring from house to the veil-canopy.”
[16:13] 34 tn The text here has only “above the testimony,” but this is surely a shortened form of “above the ark of the testimony” (see Exod 25:22 etc.; cf. Lev 16:2). The term “testimony” in this expression refers to the ark as the container of the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them (see Exod 25:16 with Deut 10:1, 5, etc.).
[16:13] 35 tn Heb “and he will not die,” but it is clear that the purpose for the incense cloud was to protect the priest from death in the presence of the
[16:14] 37 tn Heb “on the faces of the atonement plate toward the east.” Some have taken this to mean that the ark was stationed just behind the veil-canopy on the eastern side of the most holy place. Thus, the high priest would need to enter and walk toward the west end of the most holy place and then turn eastward in order to face the ark and sprinkle the blood in an eastward direction. The rendering here, however, requires that the ark was stationed on the western end, or perhaps in the middle of the area, so that as the priest entered he was already facing the ark and would sprinkle the blood on the eastern face of the atonement plate, in a westward direction (see, e.g., J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 239 versus J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1032).
[16:14] 38 sn Presumably in this case the blood was sprinkled seven times on the ground in front of the ark on which the atonement plate was mounted.
[16:15] 40 tn Heb “and he shall bring its blood into from house to the veil-canopy.”
[16:16] 43 tn Heb “And.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative or even inferential force here.
[16:16] 44 tn Heb “to all their sins.”
[16:17] 46 tn Heb “And all man shall not be in the tent of meeting.” The term for “a man, human being” (אָדָם, ’adam; see the note on Lev 1:2) refers to any person among “mankind,” male or female.
[16:18] 49 tn Heb “And.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) indicates the sequence of events here.
[16:18] 50 tn Heb “And he shall take.”
[16:19] 52 tn Heb “and he shall purify it and he shall consecrate it.”
[16:20] 55 tn Heb “And he shall finish from atoning the holy place.” In this case, the “holy place” etc. are direct objects of the verb “to atone” (cf. v. 33a below). In this case, therefore, the basic meaning of the verb (i.e., “to purge” or “wipe clean”) comes to the forefront. When the prepositions עַל (’al) or בֲּעַד (ba’ad) occur with the verb כִּפֶּר (kipper) the purging is almost always being done “for” or “on behalf of” priests or people (see the note on Lev 1:4 as well as R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:698, the literature cited there, and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 110, for more details).
[16:21] 58 tn Heb “transgressions to all their sins.”
[16:21] 59 tn Heb “and he shall give them.”
[16:21] 60 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term עִתִּי (’itti) is uncertain. It is apparently related to עֵת (’et, “time”), and could perhaps mean either that he has been properly “appointed” (i.e., designated) for the task (e.g., NIV and NRSV) or “ready” (e.g., NASB and NEB).
[16:22] 61 tn The Hebrew term rendered “inaccessible” derives from a root meaning “to cut off” (cf. NAB “an isolated region”). Another possible translation would be “infertile land” (see HALOT 187 s.v. *גָּזֵּר and cf. NRSV “a barren region”; NLT “a desolate land.”
[16:22] 62 tn Heb “and he [the man (standing) ready, v. 21] shall send the goat away.”
[16:23] 64 tn Heb “And Aaron shall enter.”
[16:24] 67 tn Heb “And he shall make atonement.”
[16:24] 68 tn Heb “on behalf of himself and on behalf of the people.” After “on behalf of himself” the LXX adds the expected “and on behalf of his household” (cf. vv. 6, 11, and 17).
[16:25] 70 tn Heb “And the fat of the sin offering he is to offer up.”
[16:26] 73 tn For “Azazel” see the note on v. 8 above.
[16:27] 76 tn Heb “he shall bring into from outside to the camp.”
[16:27] 77 tn Heb “they shall burn with fire”; KJV “burn in the fire.” Because “to burn with fire” is redundant in contemporary English the present translation simply has “must be burned up.”
[16:29] 79 tn Heb “And it [feminine] shall be for you a perpetual statute.” Verse 34 begins with the same clause except for the missing demonstrative pronoun “this” here in v. 29. The LXX has “this” in both places and it suits the sense of the passage, although both the verb and the pronoun are sometimes missing in this clause elsewhere in the book (see, e.g., Lev 3:17).
[16:29] 80 tn Heb “you shall humble your souls.” The verb “to humble” here refers to various forms of self-denial, including but not limited to fasting (cf. Ps 35:13 and Isa 58:3, 10). The Mishnah (m. Yoma 8:1) lists abstentions from food and drink, bathing, using oil as an unguent to moisten the skin, wearing leather sandals, and sexual intercourse (cf. 2 Sam 12:16-17, 20; see the remarks in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1054; B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 109; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 242).
[16:29] 81 tn Heb “and all work you shall not do.”
[16:29] 82 tn Heb “the native and the sojourner who sojourns.”
[16:30] 82 tn The phrase “from all your sins” could go with the previous clause as the verse is rendered here (see, e.g., B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 109, and J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1011), or it could go with the following clause (i.e., “you shall be clean from all your sins before the
[16:31] 85 tn See the note on v. 29 above.
[16:31] 86 tn Compare v. 29a above.
[16:32] 88 tn Heb “And the priest whom he shall anointed him and whom he shall fill his hand to act as priest under his father.” Imperfect active verbs are often used as passives (see, e.g., v. 27 above and the note on Lev 14:4).
[16:33] 91 tn Heb “to atone” (also later in this verse); see the note on “purifying the holy place” in 16:20.
[16:33] 92 tn Heb “the sanctuary of the holy place.” Although this is the only place this expression occurs in the OT, it clearly refers to the innermost shrine behind the veil-canopy, where the ark of the covenant was located.
[16:33] 93 tn Heb “and the tent of meeting and the alter he shall atone.” The repetition of the verb כִּפֶּר (kipper, “to atone”) at the beginning and end of the sequence appears to be strange, but the MT accents suggest that only “the Most Holy Place” goes with the verb at the beginning of the verse. Of course, the purging of “the Most Holy Place” has been the main emphasis of this chapter from the start (see vv. 2-3 and 11-17).
[16:33] 94 tn At this point in the verse the verb כִּפֶּר (kipper, “to make atonement”) takes its object with the preposition עַל (’al, “for”; literally, “upon”; contrast the first part of the verse and cf. the notes on Lev 1:4 and 16:20 above).
[16:34] 94 tn Heb “And this shall be for you to a statute of eternity” (cf. v. 29a above). cf. NASB “a permanent statute”; NIV “a lasting ordinance.”
[16:34] 95 tn Heb “from”; see note on 4:26.
[16:34] 96 tn Heb “one [feminine] in the year.”
[16:34] 97 tn The MT of Lev 16:34b reads literally, “and he did just as the
[17:3] 97 tn The complex wording of vv. 3-4 requires stating “blood guilt” at the beginning of v. 3 even though it is not mentioned until the middle of v. 4. The Hebrew text has simply “blood,” but in this case it refers to the illegitimate shedding of animal blood, similar to the shedding of the blood of an innocent human being (Deut 19:10, etc.). In order for it to be legitimate the animal must be slaughtered at the tabernacle and its blood handled by the priests in the prescribed way (see, e.g., Lev 1:5; 3:2, 17; 4:5-7; 7:26-27, etc.; cf. vv. 10-16 below for more details).
[17:3] 98 tn Heb “Man man.” The reduplication is way of saying “any man” (cf. Lev 15:2; 22:18, etc.). See the note on Lev 15:2.
[17:3] 99 tn The original LXX adds “or the sojourners who sojourn in your midst” (cf. Lev 16:29, etc., and note esp. 17:8, 10, and 13 below).
[17:3] 100 tn Heb “or who slaughters from outside to the camp.”
[17:4] 100 tn Smr and LXX add after “tent of meeting” the following: “to make it a burnt offering or a peace offering to the
[17:4] 101 tc Smr includes the suffix “it,” which is needed in any case in the translation to conform to English style.
[17:4] 102 sn The exact meaning of this penalty clause is not certain. It could mean (1) that he will be executed, whether by God or by man, (2) that he will be excommunicated from sanctuary worship and/or community benefits, or (3) that his line will be terminated by God (i.e., extirpation). See also the note on Lev 7:20.
[17:5] 103 tn Heb “So that which.”
[17:5] 104 tn Heb “on the faces of the field.”
[17:6] 106 tn For the translation “splash” see the note on Lev 1:5.
[17:6] 107 tn The LXX adds “all around” (i.e., Hebrew סָבִיב [saviv, “all around”]), which is normal for this overall construction (see, e.g., Lev 1:5; 3:8, etc.).
[17:7] 109 tn Heb “sacrifice.” This has been translated as “offer” for stylistic reasons to avoid the redundancy of “sacrifice their sacrifices.”
[17:7] 110 tn On “goat demons” of the desert regions see the note on Lev 16:8.
[17:7] 111 tn Heb “which they are committing harlotry after them.”
[17:7] 112 tn Heb “for your generations.”
[17:8] 112 tn Heb “Man, man.” The repetition of the word “man” is distributive, meaning “any [or “every”] man” (GKC 395-96 §123.c; cf. Lev 15:2).
[17:8] 113 tn Heb “and.” Here the Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) has an alternative sense (“or”).
[17:8] 114 tn Heb “from the sojourner who sojourns.”
[17:8] 115 tc The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate have “your” (plural) rather than “their.”
[17:8] 116 tn Heb “causes to go up.”
[17:9] 115 tn Heb “to make it,” meaning “to make the sacrifice.”
[17:9] 116 tn For remarks on the “cut off” penalty see the note on v. 4 above.
[17:10] 118 tn Heb “And man, man.” The repetition of the word “man” is distributive, meaning “any (or every) man” (GKC 395-96 §123.c; cf. Lev 15:2).
[17:10] 119 tn Heb “from the sojourner who sojourns.”
[17:10] 120 tc The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate have “your” (plural) rather than “their.”
[17:10] 121 tn Heb “I will give my faces against [literally “in”] the soul/person/life [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh, feminine] who eats the blood and I will cut it [i.e., that נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh] off from the midst of its people.” The uses of נֶפֶשׁ in this and the following verse are most significant for the use of animal blood in Israel’s sacrificial system. Unfortunately, it is a most difficult word to translate accurately and consistently, and this presents a major problem for the rendering of these verses (see, e.g., G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 244-45). No matter which translation of נֶפֶשׁ one uses here, it is important to see that both man and animal have נֶפֶשׁ and that this נֶפֶשׁ is identified with the blood. See the further remarks on v. 11 below. On the “cutting off” penalty see the note on v. 4 above. In this instance, God takes it on himself to “cut off” the person (i.e., extirpation).
[17:11] 121 tn Heb “the life of the flesh.” Here “flesh” stands for “every living thing,” that is, all creatures (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT “every creature”; CEV “every living creature.”
[17:11] 122 tn Heb “for the soul/life (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) of the flesh, it is in the blood” (cf. the note of v. 10 above and v. 14 below). Although most modern English versions begin a new sentence in v. 11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (see, e.g., NJPS, NASB, NIV, NRSV), the כִּי (ki, “for, because”) at the beginning of the verse suggests continuation from v. 10, as the rendering here indicates (see, e.g., NEB, NLT; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 261; and G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 239).
[17:11] 123 tn Heb “And I myself have given it to you.”
[17:11] 124 tn Heb “for the blood, it by (בְּ, bet preposition, “in”] the life makes atonement.” The interpretation of the preposition is pivotal here. Some scholars have argued that it is a bet of exchange; that is, “the blood makes atonement in exchange for the life [of the slaughtered animal]” (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:694-95, 697 for analysis and criticism of this view). It is more likely that, as in the previous clause (“your lives”), “life/soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) here refers to the person who makes the offering, not the animal offered. The blood of the animal makes atonement for the person who offers it either “by means of” (instrumental bet) the “life/soul” of the animal, which it symbolizes or embodies (the meaning of the translation given here); or perhaps the blood of the animal functions as “the price” (bet of price) for ransoming the “life/soul” of the person.
[17:12] 124 tn Heb “all/any person from you shall not eat blood.”
[17:12] 125 tn Heb “and the sojourner, the one sojourning in your midst, shall not eat blood.”
[17:13] 127 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[17:13] 128 tn Heb “from the sojourner who sojourns.”
[17:13] 129 tc The LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and certain
[17:13] 130 tn Heb “[wild] game of animal.”
[17:13] 131 tn That is, it must be a clean animal, not an unclean animal (cf. Lev 11).
[17:14] 130 tn Heb “for the life/soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) of all flesh, its blood in its life/soul (נֶפֶשׁ) it is.” The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate leave out “in its life/soul,” which would naturally yield “for the life of all flesh, its blood it is” (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 261, 263). The present translation is something of an oversimplification, but the meaning is basically the same in any case. Cf. NRSV “For the life of every creature – its blood is its life.”
[17:14] 131 tn Heb “of all flesh” (also later in this verse). See the note on “every living thing” in v. 11.
[17:14] 132 tn For remarks on the “cut off” penalty see the note on v. 4 above.
[17:15] 133 tn Heb “And any soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh).
[17:15] 134 tn Heb “carcass,” referring to the carcass of an animal that has died on its own, not the carcass of an animal slaughtered for sacrifice or killed by wild beasts. This has been clarified in the translation by supplying the phrase “of natural causes”; cf. NAB “that died of itself”; TEV “that has died a natural death.”
[17:15] 135 tn Heb “in the native or in the sojourner.”
[17:16] 136 tn The words “his clothes” are not in the Hebrew text, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.
[17:16] 137 tn Heb “and he shall bear his iniquity.” The rendering “bear the punishment for the iniquity” reflects the use of the word “iniquity” to refer to the punishment for iniquity. This is sometimes referred to as the consequential use of the term (cf. Lev 5:17; 7:18; 10:17; etc.).
