How do the burnt-offering instructions differ for herd animals, sheep or goats, and birds?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Herd and flock offerings require a male without blemish and blood poured around the altar by Aaron’s sons; the flock is killed on the north side. For birds, the priest carries out a different procedure at the altar, with the blood running down its brim and the crop and feathers removed to the east.

Chapter breakdown

The Lord calls Moses and speaks to him from the tabernacle of the testimony. Moses must tell the children of Israel about a man who offers the Lord a sacrifice of cattle, with victims of oxen and sheep. The selected Douay–Rheims wording is: “Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The man among you that shall offer to the Lord a sacrifice of the cattle, that is, offering victims of oxen and sheep:” If the offering is a holocaust, or burnt offering, from the herd, the man must bring a male without blemish to the door of the testimony to make the Lord favorable to him.

Challoner’s note explains that a holocaust is a whole burnt offering, using the word olokauston. The whole victim is consumed by fire and given to God for his honor and glory, with no part reserved for human use; the note describes it as wholly evaporating, as it were. The note distinguishes this from offerings for sin and peace offerings; peace offerings can give thanks for received blessings or ask for new favors or graces. It names four ends of sacrifice corresponding to human duties toward God: adoration, homage, praise and glory owed to God; thanks for benefits received; confession and a request for pardon for sins; and prayer for grace and relief in need. Challoner then says that the New Law has one sacrifice, the body and blood of Christ, which perfectly fulfills all four ends. He says both priest and people should join in offering it for those ends whenever it is celebrated. This paragraph reports the edition’s commentary, not words spoken in the chapter’s Scripture verses.

The man puts his hand on the head of the victim; it will be acceptable and help toward expiation, or atonement. He kills the calf before the Lord. The priests, the sons of Aaron, offer its blood and pour it around the altar, which stands before the tabernacle door. The text states the result attached to placing the hand but does not explain a transfer of identity or guilt.

After the victim is skinned, its joints are cut into pieces. Fire is put on the altar after a pile of wood has been arranged. The cut parts are laid in order, including the head and everything attached to the liver. The entrails and feet are washed with water. The priest burns them on the altar for a holocaust, described as “a sweet savour to the Lord.”

For a burnt offering from the flock, whether sheep or goats, the man must offer a male without blemish. He kills it before the Lord at the north side of the altar. Aaron’s sons pour its blood around the altar. The joints, head and everything attached to the liver are divided and laid on the wood, with fire beneath it. The entrails and feet are washed with water. The priest offers and burns it all on the altar for a holocaust, described as “most sweet savour to the Lord.”

A burnt offering of birds is to be of turtledoves, called “turtles” in this translation, or young pigeons. The priest offers the bird at the altar. He twists back the neck and breaks the place of the wound so that the blood runs down the brim of the altar. He throws the crop of the throat and the feathers beside the altar on its east side, where ashes are poured out. He breaks the pinions, or wings, without cutting or dividing the bird with a knife. He burns it on the altar with fire under the wood. It is a holocaust and offering of most sweet savour to the Lord.

The story inside

This chapter gives instructions for offerings rather than a story about one person carrying them out. Its argument develops through three kinds of victims. The herd offering sets out presentation, hand placement, killing, the priests’ handling of blood, preparation of the body and burning. The flock offering shares the requirement of a male without blemish but adds the north-side location for killing. The bird instructions name the priest as the person who carries out the neck procedure and direct the blood down the altar’s brim. They also specify the east-side place for the discarded crop and feathers and prohibit cutting or dividing with a knife. These differences belong to the given rites. The verses do not price the animals, explain the bird option as relief for poverty, or narrate an unnamed worshipper’s successful reconciliation. Challoner’s separately attributed note explains the meaning and ends of sacrifice without turning that commentary into additional events.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The kind of victim determines the procedure. Herd and flock victims must be males without blemish; the flock is killed on the north side of the altar. The bird offering has its own neck, blood and wing instructions.
2
The blood instructions distinguish the roles. A man kills the herd or flock victim, and Aaron’s sons pour its blood around the altar. For birds, the priest’s stated procedure makes the blood run down the altar’s brim. The account gives these actions without adding an unstated mechanism for them.
3
Preparation includes both washing and removal. The entrails and feet of herd and flock victims are washed before burning. The bird’s crop and feathers are thrown to the east-side ash place, while the wings are broken without using a knife to cut or divide it. A full reading keeps these differences rather than describing every offering in the same way.

Test your recall

Why must the offering’s kind be known before following these instructions?

Show answer

Explain the different killing locations, blood procedures and preparation rules.

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 10625–10638
Leviticus Chapter 1 Of holocausts or burnt offerings. 1:1. And the Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the testimony, saying: 1:2. Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The man among you that shall offer to the Lord a sacrifice of the cattle, that is, offering victims of oxen and sheep: 1:3. If his offering be a holocaust, and of the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish, at the door of the testimony, to make the Lord favourable to him.
Lines 10640–10657
A holocaust.... That is, a whole burnt offering (olokauston), so called, because the whole victim was consumed with fire; and given in such manner to God as wholly to evaporate, as it were, for his honour and glory; without having any part of it reserved for the use of man. The other sacrifices in the Old Testament were either offerings for sin, or peace offerings: and these latter again were either offered in thanksgiving for blessings received; or by way of prayer for new favours or graces. So that sacrifices were then offered to God for four different ends or intentions, answerable to the different obligations which man has to God: 1. By way of adoration, homage, praise, and glory due to his divine majesty. 2. By way of thanksgiving for all benefits received from him. 3. By way of confessing and craving pardon for sins. 4. By way of prayer and petition for grace and relief in all necessities. In the New Law we have but one sacrifice, viz., that of the body and blood of Christ: but this one sacrifice of the New Testament perfectly answers all these four ends; and both priest and people, as often as it is celebrated, ought to join in offering it up for these four ends.
Lines 10659–10664
1:4. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the victim: and it shall be acceptable, and help to its expiation. 1:5. And he shall immolate the calf before the Lord: and the priests the sons of Aaron shall offer the blood thereof, pouring it round about the altar, which is before the door of the tabernacle.
Lines 10666–10677
1:6. And when they have flayed the victim, they shall cut the joints into pieces: 1:7. And shall put fire on the altar, having before laid in order a pile of wood. 1:8. And they shall lay the parts that are cut out in order thereupon: to wit, the head, and all things that cleave to the liver; 1:9. The entrails and feet being washed with water. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for a holocaust, and a sweet savour to the Lord.
Lines 10679–10692
1:10. And if the offering be of the flocks, a holocaust of sheep or of goats, he shall offer a male without blemish. 1:11. And he shall immolate it at the side of the altar that looketh to the north, before the Lord: but the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof upon the altar round about. 1:12. And they shall divide the joints, the head, and all that cleave to the liver: and shall lay them upon the wood, under which the fire is to be put. 1:13. But the entrails and the feet they shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer it all and burn it all upon the altar for a holocaust, and most sweet savour to the Lord.
Lines 10694–10708
1:14. But if the oblation of a holocaust to the Lord be of birds, of turtles, or of young pigeons: 1:15. The priest shall offer it at the altar: and twisting back the neck, and breaking the place of the wound, he shall make the blood run down upon the brim of the altar. 1:16. But the crop of the throat, and the feathers he shall cast beside the altar at the east side, in the place where the ashes are wont to be poured out. 1:17. And he shall break the pinions thereof, and shall not cut, nor divide it with a knife: and shall burn it upon the altar, putting fire under the wood. It is a holocaust and oblation of most sweet savour to the Lord.