“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall not eat any fat from an ox, a sheep, or a goat.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall eat no fat, of bull, or sheep, or goat.
- KJV Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.
- BSB “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘You are not to eat any of the fat of an ox, a sheep, or a goat.
- NKJV “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘You shall not eat any fat, of ox or sheep or goat.
- NLT “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. You must never eat fat, whether from cattle, sheep, or goats.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel is forbidden to eat the fat of bull, sheep, or goat. The choice fat of sacrificial animals belonged to God alone.
Overview
The fat was regarded as the best portion and was reserved to be burned for the LORD on the altar. By abstaining, Israel acknowledged that the finest belonged to God. This trains the heart to offer God our best, anticipating the wholehearted devotion Christ embodies and calls forth in His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Lev 3:16–17The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is Yahweh’s.
- 1 Sam 2:29Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’
- Rom 13:13Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy.
- Acts 28:27For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’
- Rom 8:13For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
- 1 Sam 2:15–17Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
- Lev 17:6The priest shall sprinkle the blood on Yahweh’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
- Lev 4:8–10He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering off of it; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
- Deut 32:38which ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 7:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.