Leviticus 17:5

For this reason the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they have been offering in the open fields. They are to bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and offer them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God commands the Israelites through Moses to centralize their sacrificial worship at the Tent of Meeting. This directive halts the practice of offering sacrifices in the open fields.

The words — The Hebrew לְמַעַן (le.ma.'An) translates literally as "so that," establishing the purpose of the command. The verb יָבִיאוּ (ya.Vi.'u) means "they may bring," specifying the required action of the people of Israel.

The thread — This regulation to bring sacrifices to a designated altar connects to earlier patriarchal practices where worship occurred at specific locations. The theme of centralized sacrifice appears in Genesis 21:33, Genesis 22:2, and Genesis 22:13.

Why it lands — The text demands that worshippers cease informal field offerings and present all sacrifices to the priest at the Tent of Meeting. It requires obedience to a single, authorized location for bloodguilt prevention and proper ritual handling.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לְמַעַן֩le.ma.'Anso that אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherthat יָבִ֜יאוּya.Vi.'uthey may bring בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsrael אֶֽת־'et-<obj.>זִבְחֵיהֶם֮ziv.chei./Hemsacrifices/ their אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich הֵ֣םhemthey זֹבְחִים֮zoe.Chim[are] sacrificing עַל־'al-on פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[the] face of הַשָּׂדֶה֒ha./sa.Dehthe/ field וֶֽהֱבִיאֻ֣םve./he.vi.'U/mand/ they will bring/ them לַֽיהוָ֗הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh אֶל־'el-to פֶּ֛תַחPe.tach[the] entrance of אֹ֥הֶל'O.hel[the] tent of מוֹעֵ֖דmo.'Edmeeting אֶל־'el-to הַכֹּהֵ֑ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest וְזָ֨בְח֜וּve./Za.ve.Chuand/ they will sacrifice זִבְחֵ֧יziv.Cheisacrifices of שְׁלָמִ֛יםshe.la.Mimpeace offerings לַֽיהוָ֖הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh אוֹתָֽם׃'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them

King James Version

To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the Lord.

Cross-references

Genesis 21:33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
Genesis 22:2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
Exodus 24:5 Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.
Leviticus 3:1 “If one’s offering is a peace offering and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he must present it without blemish before the LORD.
Leviticus 7:11 Now this is the law of the peace offering that one may present to the LORD:
Deuteronomy 12:2 Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
1 Kings 14:23 They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
2 Kings 16:4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.