Leviticus 3

“‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the LORD.

He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,

and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

“‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offer it without defect.

If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD;

and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails,

and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to the LORD.

“‘If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.

He shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to the LORD; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,

and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.

The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is the LORD’s.

“‘It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter outlines the regulations for the peace offering, detailing the acceptable animals—whether from the herd, flock, or goats—and the specific procedures for their presentation, slaughter, and the portion designated for the altar. It emphasizes the sacredness of fat as belonging entirely to the Lord and prohibits the consumption of both fat and blood, grounding these instructions in enduring divine statutes.

Flow.

Begins with the general requirement for peace offerings from the herd, specifying the animal must be without defect and presented with the offerer’s hand laid on its head before slaughter.
Details the priestly role in handling blood and the required fat portions—the fat on the internal organs, kidneys, and liver cover—which are burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Expands the regulation to include offerings from the flock, particularly lambs, and then goats, maintaining consistent requirements for defectlessness, slaughter location, and fat removal.
Concludes with a universal and perpetual prohibition against eating fat or blood, applying to all Israel throughout their generations.

Connections. Following chapter 2, which details the grain offering as an act of devotion apart from animal sacrifice, chapter 3 returns to the sacrificial system with the peace offering, a voluntary act of fellowship with God and the community. While chapter 1 introduced the burnt offering focused on atonement and total dedication, chapter 3 presents the peace offering as one of communion, where parts of the animal are consumed by the offerer after the Lord’s portion is given. This emphasis on holy participation and shared meals before God is further developed in chapter 4, which shifts to the gravity of sin offerings when communal or individual purity is compromised, thus moving from peace to the need for purification.

What it teaches. The peace offering demonstrates God's desire for fellowship with His people, rooted in holiness and proper worship. The offering’s structure—where the fat, as the richest part, is wholly given to the Lord—reflects the duty to offer the best to God (WCF 22.5). The prohibition of consuming fat and blood underlines the sanctity of life and the divine ownership of atonement, since “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (WCF 7.3; ). These are not merely ritual details but expressions of covenantal relationship, where participation in sacred meals must be governed by reverence and obedience (HC LD 13, Q&A 35; BC Art. 28).

Apply. The offering of the peace offering points to Christ’s work of reconciliation, in which believers now share through faith, enjoying fellowship with God and one another.

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