1 Samuel 2:15

Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The priest’s servant confronts a worshipper at Shiloh while the sacrifice is being prepared. He interrupts the ritual before the prescribed portion is offered to God. The words — The Hebrew טֶרֶם (te.Rem) means “before,” marking the premature timing of the demand. The term חֵלֶב (che.Lev) denotes “fat,” the specific portion reserved for the altar. The thread — This practice violates the law that commands the fat be burned to the Lord first (Leviticus 3:16; Leviticus 3:3). Paul later identifies this pattern of self-serving appetite as characteristic of those who deceive others (Romans 16:18). Why it lands — The text demands recognition that ritual obedience cannot be bypassed for personal gain. It asks the reader to reject any religious practice that prioritizes human appetite over divine command.

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The Hebrew words

King James Version

Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

Cross-references

Leviticus 3:16 Then the priest is to burn the food on the altar as a food offering, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.
Leviticus 3:3 From the peace offering he is to bring a food offering to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,
Romans 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Philippians 3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Jude 1:12 These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted.