Leviticus 4:31

Then he is to remove all the fat, just as it is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The text addresses the priest executing ritual duties after a layperson brings a goat or lamb for a sin offering, immediately following the blood application described in Leviticus 4:30.

The words — The Hebrew חֶלֶב (cheleb) means "fat," and יָסִיר (yasir) translates to "he will remove," describing the physical act of separating the fatty portions before burning.

The thread — This ritual of burning fat as a "pleasing aroma" parallels the procedure in Leviticus 4:26 and Leviticus 4:35, while the aromatic sacrifice motif echoes the narrative in Genesis 8:21.

Why it lands — The text mandates the complete removal and altar-burning of the fat to secure atonement and forgiveness, establishing a clear procedural requirement for ritual cleansing.

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

וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-all חֶלְבָּ֣הּchel.Ba/hfat/ its יָסִ֗ירya.Sirhe will remove כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רka./'a.Sherjust/ as הוּסַ֣רhu.Sarit was removed חֵלֶב֮che.Lev[the] fat מֵעַ֣לme./'Alfrom/ on זֶ֣בַחZe.vach[the] sacrifice of הַשְּׁלָמִים֒ha./she.la.Mimthe/ peace offering<s>וְהִקְטִ֤ירve./hik.Tirand/ he will make [it] smoke הַכֹּהֵן֙ha./ko.Henthe/ priest הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָהha./miz.Be.cha/hthe/ altar/ towards לְרֵ֥יחַle./Rei.achto/ an odor of נִיחֹ֖חַni.Cho.achsoothing לַיהוָ֑הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh וְכִפֶּ֥רve./khi.Perand/ he will make atonement עָלָ֛יו'a.La/von/ him הַכֹּהֵ֖ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest וְנִסְלַ֥חve./nis.Lachand/ it will be forgivenלֽוֹ׃ פl/oto <the>/ him

King James Version

And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the Lord; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

Cross-references

Leviticus 4:26 He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
Genesis 8:21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
Leviticus 4:35 And he shall remove all the fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the peace offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar along with the food offerings to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
Exodus 29:18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 1:9 The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 1:13 The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall present all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
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,
Leviticus 3:14 And from his offering he shall present a food offering to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,
Ezra 6:10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
1 John 4:9 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.