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but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.
Leviticus 9:21 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB and the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.
  • KJV And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
  • NKJV but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved as a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses had commanded.
  • NASB But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.
  • NLT Aaron then lifted up the breasts and right thighs as a special offering to the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.

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

Aaron waves the breasts and right thigh as a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded. The priests receive their portion as a gift presented to God.

Overview

The 'wave offering' ceremonially presented these portions to the LORD, who then granted them to the priests for their sustenance (cf. 7:31-34). This shows God providing for his ministers through the offerings of the people. The principle that 'those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel' (1 Corinthians 9:14) echoes this pattern.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Lev 7:30–34With his own hands he is to bring the offerings made by fire to the LORD; he shall bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast as a wave offering before the LORD.
  • Lev 7:26You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings.
  • Exod 29:24Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering.
  • Isa 49:3He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will display My glory.”
  • Lev 7:24The fat of an animal found dead or mauled by wild beasts may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.
  • Luke 2:13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
  • 1 Pet 4:11If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
  • Exod 29:26–28Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Leviticus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Leviticus 9:21YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LeviticusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 9:21 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.