Bible Strands
Leviticus 8:31
And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses commands Aaron and his sons to boil and consume the ordination ram meat at the Tent of Meeting entrance immediately after their consecration. This instruction follows the sprinkling of anointing oil and altar blood and precedes the burning of the ritual remainder.
The words — בַּשְּׁל֣וּ (ba.she.Lu) translates literally as "boil" and restricts the preparation method for the sacred meat. The text pairs this verb with a precise geographic boundary, requiring the action at the Tent of Meeting entrance rather than a private or common space.
The thread — The boiling mandate reappears in Exodus 29:31 for the ordination ram and Leviticus 6:28 regarding the sin offering. Leviticus 7:15 similarly restricts the consumption window for peace offering meat to the day of presentation.
Why it lands — The text requires immediate compliance with a fixed location and preparation method for priestly sustenance. It demands that readers acknowledge sacred service operates within strict, non-negotiable boundaries rather than personal preference.
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
King James Version
And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.
Cross-references
- Exodus 29:31 You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place.
- Leviticus 6:28 The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water.
- Leviticus 7:15 The meat of the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day he offers it; none of it may be left until morning.
- Leviticus 10:17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the congregation by making atonement for them before the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 12:6 To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
- 1 Samuel 2:13 or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
- Ezekiel 46:20 and said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them into the outer court and transmit holiness to the people.”
- John 6:33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
- John 6:35 Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.
- John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”