Which parts of a peace offering are given to the altar, and what may not be eaten?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The chapter names the fat, kidneys and liver coverings to be burned, including the whole rump for a lamb. It declares all the fat the Lord’s and forbids eating blood or fat. Challoner’s note explains that the fat rule concerns the fat prescribed for the altar.

Chapter breakdown

A peace offering from the herd may be male or female, but it must be without blemish before the Lord.

Challoner explains that peace in Scripture means happiness, welfare, prosperity and blessings of every kind. Peace offerings are sacrifices offered for blessings received or to obtain new favors. The note says some of the victim is burned on God’s altar, while other parts are eaten by the priests and the people for whom the sacrifice is offered. This explanation of shared eating belongs to the note.

The person places his hand on the victim’s head. It is killed at the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, pour its blood around the altar. From the peace offering they offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat within, the two kidneys with the fat covering the flanks, and the caul, or covering, of the liver with the two little kidneys. They burn these on the altar for a holocaust, or burnt offering, with fire under the wood, as an offering of most sweet savour to the Lord.

A peace offering from the flock may also be male or female and must be without blemish. For a lamb offered before the Lord, the person puts his hand on its head; it is killed at the tabernacle entrance, and Aaron’s sons pour its blood around the altar. They offer the fat and the whole rump, with the kidneys, the fat covering the belly and all the vital organs, both little kidneys with the fat around the flanks, and the liver covering with the little kidneys. The priest burns these on the altar as food of the fire and of the Lord’s offering.

For a goat offered to the Lord, the person puts his hand on its head and kills it at the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony. Aaron’s sons pour its blood around the altar. They take the fat covering the belly and all the vital parts, the two little kidneys with the covering upon them by the flanks, and the fat of the liver with the little kidneys, for the food of the Lord’s fire. The priest burns these on the altar as food of the fire and a most sweet savour. All the fat is to be the Lord’s.

The rule is a perpetual law for the people’s generations and all their dwelling places: they must not eat blood or fat at all.

Challoner explains that the fat here means the fat that the law prescribes for God’s altar, rather than the fat of meat commonly eaten. This qualification is the edition’s note.

The story inside

The chapter gives peace-offering instructions for the herd, a lamb and a goat. The herd and flock rules permit male or female victims without blemish. Hand placement, killing at the tabernacle entrance and blood poured around the altar recur, followed by the portions to be burned. The lamb list specifically includes the whole rump; the goat list gives its own wording for the coverings, kidneys and liver fat. The chapter ends by reserving all fat to the Lord and forbidding eating blood or fat across generations and dwelling places. Challoner’s first note explains blessings and shared eating; his final note explains the scope of the fat prohibition. Those explanations remain attributed to him, without turning them into additional verse instructions or a story about a named or unnamed worshipper.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The victim must be without blemish. The herd and flock instructions permit male or female animals while retaining this condition. The text states the permitted choices without giving an added explanation for them.
2
The offering lists require attention to the animal. The lamb includes the whole rump as well as fat, kidneys and liver covering. The goat has its own list. The priest burns the named portions, so a general reference to fat should not erase these details.
3
The eating rule extends beyond one ceremony. It applies through generations and in every dwelling place. The verse forbids blood and fat; Challoner’s note qualifies the fat as that prescribed for the altar, which keeps the verse and the edition’s explanation distinct.

Test your recall

Why must the lamb’s offering list be kept distinct from the other lists, and how does Challoner explain the fat prohibited by the final rule?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 10784–10790
Leviticus Chapter 3 Of peace offerings. 3:1. And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offerings, and he will offer of the herd, whether male or female: he shall offer them without blemish before the Lord.
Lines 10792–10798
Peace offerings.... Peace, in the scripture language, signifies happiness, welfare or prosperity; in a word, all kind of blessings.—Such sacrifices, therefore, as were offered either on occasion of blessings received, or to obtain new favours, were called pacific or peace offerings. In these, some part of the victim was consumed with fire on the altar of God; other parts were eaten by the priests and by the persons for whom the sacrifice was offered.
Lines 10800–10812
3:2. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his victim, which shall be slain in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony: and the sons of Aaron the priests shall pour the blood round about upon the altar. 3:3. And they shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings, for an oblation to the Lord: the fat that covereth the entrails, and all the fat that is within, 3:4. The two kidneys with the fat wherewith the flanks are covered, and the caul of the liver with the two little kidneys. 3:5. And they shall burn them upon the altar, for a holocaust, putting fire under the wood: for an oblation of most sweet savour to the Lord.
Lines 10814–10831
3:6. But if his oblation and the sacrifice of peace offering be of the flock, whether he offer male or female, they shall be without blemish. 3:7. If he offer a lamb before the Lord: 3:8. He shall put his hand upon the head of the victim. And it shall be slain in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony: and the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof round about upon the altar. 3:9. And they shall offer of the victim of peace offerings, a sacrifice to the Lord: the fat and the whole rump, 3:10. With the kidneys, and the fat that covereth the belly and all the vitals and both the little kidneys, with the fat that is about the flanks, and the caul of the liver with the little kidneys. 3:11. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar, for the food of the fire, and of the oblation of the Lord.
Lines 10833–10846
3:12. If his offering be a goat, and he offer it to the Lord: 3:13. He shall put his hand upon the head thereof: and shall immolate it in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony. And the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof round about upon the altar. 3:14. And they shall take of it for the food of the Lord’s fire, the fat that covereth the belly, and that covereth all the vital parts: 3:15. The two little kidneys with the caul that is upon them which is by the flanks, and the fat of the liver with the little kidneys. 3:16. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar, for the food of the fire, and of a most sweet savour. All the fat shall be the Lord’s.
Lines 10848–10849
3:17. By a perpetual law for your generations, and in all your habitations: neither blood nor fat shall you eat at all.
Lines 10851–10853
Fat.... It is meant of the fat, which by the prescription of the law was to be offered on God’s altar; not of the fat of meat, such as we commonly eat.