Imamat 1:2

1:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When ¹  someone ²  among you presents an offering ³  to the Lord, ⁴  you ⁵  must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock. ⁶ 

Imamat 2:2

2:2 Then he must bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and the priest ⁷  must scoop out from there a handful of its choice wheat flour and some of its olive oil in addition to all of its frankincense, and the priest must offer its memorial portion ⁸  up in smoke on the altar – it is ⁹  a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

Imamat 4:3

For the Priest

4:3 “‘If the high priest ¹⁰  sins so that the people are guilty, ¹¹  on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord ¹²  for a sin offering. ¹³ 

Imamat 4:35

4:35 Then the one who brought the offering ¹⁴  must remove all its fat (just as the fat of the sheep is removed from the peace offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord. So the priest will make atonement ¹⁵  on his behalf for his sin which he has committed and he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ 

Imamat 5:6-7

5:6 and he must bring his penalty for guilt ¹⁷  to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement ¹⁸  on his behalf for ¹⁹  his sin.

5:7 “‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, ²⁰  he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, ²¹  two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ²²  to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.

Imamat 5:11

5:11 “‘If he cannot afford ²³  two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ²⁴  he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed ²⁵  a tenth of an ephah ²⁶  of choice wheat flour ²⁷  for a sin offering. He must not place olive oil on it and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.

Imamat 5:15-16

5:15 “When a person commits a trespass ²⁸  and sins by straying unintentionally ²⁹  from the regulations about the Lord’s holy things, ³⁰  then he must bring his penalty for guilt ³¹  to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, ³²  for a guilt offering. ³³  5:16 And whatever holy thing he violated ³⁴  he must restore and must add one fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest will make atonement ³⁵  on his behalf with the guilt offering ram and he will be forgiven.” ³⁶ 

Imamat 6:4

6:4 when it happens that he sins and he is found guilty, ³⁷  then he must return whatever he had stolen, or whatever he had extorted, or the thing that he had held in trust, ³⁸  or the lost thing that he had found,

Imamat 6:15

6:15 and the priest ³⁹  must take up with his hand some of the choice wheat flour of the grain offering ⁴⁰  and some of its olive oil, and all of the frankincense that is on the grain offering, and he must offer its memorial portion ⁴¹  up in smoke on the altar ⁴²  as a soothing aroma to the Lord. ⁴³ 

Imamat 6:18

6:18 Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. It is a perpetual allotted portion ⁴⁴  throughout your generations ⁴⁵  from the gifts of the Lord. Anyone who touches these gifts ⁴⁶  must be holy.’” ⁴⁷ 

Imamat 7:12

7:12 If he presents it on account of thanksgiving, ⁴⁸  along with the thank offering sacrifice he must present unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil, ⁴⁹  and well soaked ⁵⁰  ring-shaped loaves made of choice wheat flour ⁵¹  mixed with olive oil.

Imamat 7:21

7:21 When a person touches anything unclean (whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or an unclean detestable creature) ⁵²  and eats some of the meat of the peace offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord, that person will be cut off from his people.’” ⁵³ 

Imamat 8:31

8:31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded, ⁵⁴  saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’

Imamat 9:3

9:3 Then tell the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat ⁵⁵  for a sin offering and a calf and lamb, both a year old and flawless, ⁵⁶  for a burnt offering,

Imamat 10:14-15

10:14 Also, the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering you must eat in a ceremonially ⁵⁷  clean place, you and your sons and daughters with you, for they have been given as your allotted portion and the allotted portion of your sons from the peace offering sacrifices of the Israelites. ⁵⁸  10:15 The thigh of the contribution offering and the breast of the wave offering they must bring in addition to the gifts of the fat parts to wave them as a wave offering before the Lord, and it will belong to you and your sons with you for a perpetual statute just as the Lord has commanded.”

Imamat 11:32

11:32 Also, anything they fall on ⁵⁹  when they die will become unclean – any wood vessel or garment or article of leather or sackcloth. Any such vessel with which work is done must be immersed in water ⁶⁰  and will be unclean until the evening. Then it will become clean.

Imamat 12:6

12:6 “‘When ⁶¹  the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she must bring a one year old lamb ⁶²  for a burnt offering ⁶³  and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering ⁶⁴  to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to the priest.

Imamat 12:8

12:8 If she cannot afford a sheep, ⁶⁵  then she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ⁶⁶  one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering, and the priest is to make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean.’” ⁶⁷ 

Imamat 13:6

13:6 The priest must then examine it again on the seventh day, ⁶⁸  and if ⁶⁹  the infection has faded and has not spread on the skin, then the priest is to pronounce the person clean. ⁷⁰  It is a scab, ⁷¹  so he must wash his clothes ⁷²  and be clean.

Imamat 14:8

The Seven Days of Purification

14:8 “The one being cleansed ⁷³  must then wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water, and so be clean. ⁷⁴  Then afterward he may enter the camp, but he must live outside his tent seven days.

Imamat 15:10

15:10 Anyone who touches anything that was under him ⁷⁵  will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items ⁷⁶  must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

Imamat 16:15

16:15 “He must then slaughter the sin offering goat which is for the people. He is to bring its blood inside the veil-canopy, ⁷⁷  and he is to do with its blood just as he did to the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the atonement plate and in front of the atonement plate.

Imamat 16:18

16:18 “Then ⁷⁸  he is to go out to the altar which is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take ⁷⁹  some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it all around on the horns of the altar.

Imamat 17:14-15

17:14 for the life of all flesh is its blood. ⁸⁰  So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing ⁸¹  because the life of every living thing is its blood – all who eat it will be cut off. ⁸² 

Regulations for Eating Carcasses

17:15 “‘Any person ⁸³  who eats an animal that has died of natural causes ⁸⁴  or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a foreigner, ⁸⁵  must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he becomes clean.

Imamat 19:20

Lying with a Slave Woman

19:20 “‘When a man has sexual intercourse with a woman, ⁸⁶  although she is a slave woman designated for another man and she has not yet been ransomed, or freedom has not been granted to her, there will be an obligation to pay compensation. ⁸⁷  They must not be put to death, because she was not free.

Imamat 23:3

The Weekly Sabbath

23:3 “‘Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, ⁸⁸  a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.

Imamat 23:18

23:18 Along with the loaves of bread, ⁸⁹  you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs, ⁹⁰  one young bull, ⁹¹  and two rams. ⁹²  They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord along with their grain offering ⁹³  and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. ⁹⁴ 

Imamat 23:39

23:39 “‘On ⁹⁵  the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the Lord for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest.

Imamat 25:33

25:33 Whatever someone among the Levites might redeem – the sale of a house which is his property in a city – must revert in the jubilee, ⁹⁶  because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their property in the midst of the Israelites.

Imamat 27:8

27:8 If he is too poor to pay the conversion value, he must stand the person before the priest and the priest will establish his conversion value; ⁹⁷  according to what the man who made the vow can afford, ⁹⁸  the priest will establish his conversion value.

[1:2]  ¹ tn “When” here translates the MT’s כִּי (ki, “if, when”), which regularly introduces main clauses in legislative contexts (see, e.g., Lev 2:1, 4; 4:2, etc.) in contrast to אִם (’im, “if”), which usually introduces subordinate sections (see, e.g., Lev 1:3, 10, 14; 2:5, 7, 14; 4:3, 13, etc.; cf. כִּי in Exod 21:2 and 7 as opposed to אִם in vv. 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11).

[1:2]  sn Lev 1:1-2 serves as a heading for Lev 1-3 (i.e., the basic regulations regarding the presentation of the burnt, grain, and peace offerings) and, at the same time, leads directly into the section on “burnt offerings” in Lev 1:3. In turn, Lev 1:3-17 divides into three subsections, all introduced by אִם “if” (Lev 1:3-9, 10-13, and 14-17, respectively). Similar patterns are discernible throughout Lev 1:2-6:7 [5:26 HT].

[1:2]  ² tn Heb “a man, human being” (אָדָם, ’adam), which in this case refers to any person among “mankind,” male or female, since women could also bring such offerings (see, e.g., Lev 12:6-8; 15:29-30; cf. HALOT 14 s.v. I אָדָם); cf. NIV “any of you.”

[1:2]  ³ tn The verb “presents” is cognate to the noun “offering” in v. 2 and throughout the book of Leviticus (both from the root קרב [qrb]). One could translate the verb “offers,” but this becomes awkward and, in fact, inaccurate in some passages. For example, in Lev 9:9 this verb is used for the presenting or giving of the blood to Aaron so that he could offer it to the Lord. The blood is certainly not being “offered” as an offering to Aaron there.

[1:2]  ⁴ tn The whole clause reads more literally, “A human being (אָדָם, ’adam), if he brings from among you an offering to the Lord.”

[1:2]  ⁵ tn The shift to the second person plural verb here corresponds to the previous second person plural pronoun “among you.” It is distinct from the regular pattern of third person singular verbs throughout the rest of Lev 1-3. This too labels Lev 1:1-2 as an introduction to all of Lev 1-3, not just the burnt offering regulations in Lev 1 (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:146; cf. note 3 above).

[1:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “from the domesticated animal, from the herd, and from the flock.” It is clear from the subsequent division between animals from the “herd” (בָּקָר, baqar, in Lev 1:3-9) and the “flock” (צֹאן, tso’n; see Lev 1:10-13) that the term for “domesticated animal” (בְּהֵמָה, bÿhemah) is a general term meant to introduce the category of pastoral quadrupeds. The stronger disjunctive accent over בְּהֵמָה in the MT as well as the lack of a vav (ו) between it and בָּקָר also suggest בְּהֵמָה is an overall category that includes both “herd” and “flock” quadrupeds.

[1:2]  sn The bird category (Lev 1:14-17) is not included in this introduction because bird offerings were, by and large, concessions to the poor (cf., e.g., Lev 5:7-10; 12:8; 14:21-32) and, therefore, not considered to be one of the primary categories of animal offerings.

[2:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. The syntax is strange here and might suggest that it was the offerer who scooped out a handful of the grain offering for the memorial portion (G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 66), but based on v. 9 below it should be understood that it was the priest who performed this act (see, e.g., NRSV “After taking from it a handful of the choice flour and oil…the priest shall…”; see also J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:177, 181 and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 30).

[2:2]  ⁸ sn The “memorial portion” (אַזְכָרָה, ’azkharah) was the part of the grain offering that was burnt on the altar (see the previous clause), as opposed to the remainder, which was normally consumed by the priests (v. 3; see the full regulations in Lev 6:14-23[7-16]). It was probably intended to call to mind (i.e., memorialize) before the Lord the reason for the presentation of the particular offering (see the remarks in R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:335-39).

[2:2]  ⁹ tn The words “it is” have been supplied. See the notes on Lev 1:9 and 2:3. There is no text critical problem here, but the syntax suggests the same translation.

[4:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the anointed priest” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the high priest (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).

[4:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to the guilt of the people”; NRSV “thus bringing guilt on the people.”

[4:3]  ¹² tn Heb “and he shall offer on his sin which he sinned, a bull, a son of the herd, flawless.”

[4:3]  ¹³ sn The word for “sin offering” (sometimes translated “purification offering”) is the same as the word for “sin” earlier in the verse. One can tell which rendering is intended only by the context. The primary purpose of the “sin offering” (חַטָּאת, khatta’t) was to “purge” (כִּפֶּר, kipper, “to make atonement,” see 4:20, 26, 31, 35, and the notes on Lev 1:4 and esp. Lev 16:20, 33) the sanctuary or its furniture in order to cleanse it from any impurities and/or (re)consecrate it for holy purposes (see, e.g., Lev 8:15; 16:19). By making this atonement the impurities of the person or community were cleansed and the people became clean. See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:93-103.

[4:35]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Then he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here “he” refers to the offerer rather than the priest (contrast the clauses before and after).

[4:35]  ¹⁵ sn The focus of sin offering “atonement” was purging impurities from the tabernacle (see the note on Lev 1:4).

[4:35]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV similar).

[5:6]  ¹⁷ tn In this context the word for “guilt” (אָשָׁם, ’asham) refers to the “penalty” for incurring guilt, the so-called consequential אָשָׁם (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:303; cf. the note on Lev 5:1).

[5:6]  ¹⁸ sn The focus of sin offering “atonement” was purging impurities from the tabernacle (see the note on Lev 1:4).

[5:6]  ¹⁹ tn See the note on 4:26 regarding the use of מִן (min).

[5:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and if his hand does not reach enough of a flock animal” (see the note on v. 11 below). The term translated “animal from the flock” (שֶׂה, seh) is often translated “lamb” (e.g., KJV, NASB, NIV, NCV) or “sheep” (e.g., NRSV, TEV, NLT), but it clearly includes either a sheep or a goat here (cf. v. 6), referring to the smaller pasture animals as opposed to the larger ones (i.e., cattle; cf. 4:3). Some English versions use the more generic “animal” (e.g., NAB, CEV).

[5:7]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he shall bring his guilt which he sinned,” which is an abbreviated form of Lev 5:6, “and he shall bring his [penalty for] guilt to the Lord for his sin which he committed.” The words “for his sin” have been left out in v. 7, and “to the Lord” has been moved so that it follows the mention of the birds.

[5:7]  ²² tn See the note on Lev 1:14 above.

[5:11]  ²³ tn Heb “and if his hand does not reach [or is not sufficient] to”; cf. NASB “if his means are insufficient for.” The expression is the same as that in Lev 5:7 above except for the verb: נָשַׂג (nasag, “to collect, to reach, to be sufficient”) is used here, but נָגַע (nagah, “to touch, to reach”) is used in v. 7. Smr has the former in both v. 7 and 11.

[5:11]  ²⁴ tn See the note on Lev 1:14 above (cf. also 5:7).

[5:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and he shall bring his offering which he sinned.” Like the similar expression in v. 7 above (see the note there), this is an abbreviated form of Lev 5:6, “and he shall bring his [penalty for] guilt to the Lord for his sin which he committed.” Here the words “to the Lord for his sin” have been left out, and “his [penalty for] guilt” has been changed to “his offering.”

[5:11]  ²⁶ sn A tenth of an ephah would be about 2.3 liters, one day’s ration for a single person (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:306). English versions handle the amount somewhat differently, cf. NCV “about two quarts”; TEV “one kilogramme”; CEV “two pounds.”

[5:11]  ²⁷ tn See the note on Lev 2:1 above.

[5:15]  ²⁸ tn Heb “trespasses a trespass” (verb and direct object from the same Hebrew root, מַעַל, ma’al); cf. NIV “commits a violation.” The word refers to some kind of overstepping of the boundary between that which is common (i.e., available for common use by common people) and that which is holy (i.e., to be used only for holy purposes because it has been consecrated to the Lord, see further below). See the note on Lev 10:10.

[5:15]  ²⁹ tn See Lev 4:2 above for a note on “straying.”

[5:15]  ³⁰ sn Heb “from the holy things of the Lord.” The Hebrew expression here has the same structure as Lev 4:2, “from any of the commandments of the Lord.” The latter introduces the sin offering regulations and the former the guilt offering regulations. The sin offering deals with violations of “any of the commandments,” whereas the guilt offering focuses specifically on violations of regulations regarding “holy things” (i.e., things that have been consecrated to the Lord; see the full discussion in J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:320-27).

[5:15]  ³¹ tn Here the word for “guilt” (אָשָׁם, ’asham) refers to the “penalty” for incurring guilt, the so-called consequential use of אָשָׁם (’asham; see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:303).

[5:15]  ³² tn Heb “in your valuation, silver of shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary.” The translation offered here suggests that, instead of a ram, the guilt offering could be presented in the form of money (see, e.g., NRSV; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:326-27). Others still maintain the view that it refers to the value of the ram that was offered (see, e.g., NIV “of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel”; also NAB, NLT; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 72-73, 81).

[5:15]  sn The sanctuary shekel was about 10 grams (= ca. two fifths of an ounce; J. E. Shepherd, NIDOTTE 4:237-38).

[5:15]  ³³ tn The word for “guilt offering” (sometimes translated “reparation offering”) is the same as “guilt” earlier in the verse (rendered there “[penalty for] guilt”). One can tell which is intended only by the context.

[5:15]  sn The primary purpose of the guilt offering was to “atone” (see the note on Lev 1:4 above) for “trespassing” on the Lord’s “holy things” (see later in this verse) or the property of others in the community (Lev 6:1-7 [5:20-26 HT]; 19:20-22; Num 5:5-10). It was closely associated with reconsecration of the Lord’s sacred things or his sacred people (see, e.g., Lev 14:12-18; Num 6:11b-12). Moreover, there was usually an associated reparation made for the trespass, including restitution of that which was violated plus one fifth of its value as a fine (Lev 5:16; 6:5 [5:24 HT]). See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:557-66.

[5:16]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and which he sinned from the holy thing.”

[5:16]  ³⁵ sn Regarding “make atonement” see the note on Lev 1:4.

[5:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV similar).

[6:4]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and it shall happen, when he sins and becomes guilty,” which is both resumptive of the previous (vv. 2-3) and the conclusion to the protasis (cf. “then” introducing the next clause as the apodosis). In this case, “becomes guilty” (cf. NASB, NIV) probably refers to his legal status as one who has been convicted of a crime in court; thus the translation “he is found guilty.” See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:559-61.

[6:4]  ³⁸ tn Heb “that had been held in trust with him.”

[6:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. The “he” refers to the officiating priest. A similar shift between singular and plural occurs in Lev 1:7-9, but see the note on Lev 1:7 and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 89 for the possibility of textual corruption.

[6:15]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “shall take up from it with his hand some of the choice wheat flour of the grain offering.”

[6:15]  ⁴¹ sn See the note on Lev 2:2.

[6:15]  ⁴² tc Smr reading, which includes the locative ה (hey, translated “on” the altar), is preferred here. This is the normal construction with the verb “offer up in smoke” in Lev 1-7 (see the note on Lev 1:9).

[6:15]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and he shall offer up in smoke [on] the altar a soothing aroma, its memorial portion, to the Lord.”

[6:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “a perpetual regulation”; cf. NASB “a permanent ordinance”; NRSV “as their perpetual due.”

[6:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “for your generations”; cf. NIV “for the generations to come.”

[6:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “touches them”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In this context “them” must refer to the “gifts” of the Lord.

[6:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “anyone/anything that touches them shall become holy” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:443-56). The question is whether this refers to the contagious nature of holy objects (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or whether it simply sets forth a demand that anyone who touches the holy gifts of the Lord must be a holy person (cf. CEV). See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:900-902.

[7:12]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “for a thank offering.”

[7:12]  ⁴⁹ tn See the notes on Lev 2:4.

[7:12]  ⁵⁰ tn See the note on Lev 6:21 [6:14 HT].

[7:12]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “choice wheat flour well soaked ring-shaped loaves.” See the note on Lev 2:1.

[7:21]  ⁵² sn For these categories of unclean animals see Lev 11.

[7:21]  ⁵³ sn For the interpretation of this last clause see the note on Lev 7:20.

[8:31]  ⁵⁴ tn Several major ancient versions have the passive form of the verb (see BHS v. 31 note c; cf. Lev 8:35; 10:13). In that case we would translate, “just as I was commanded.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “a he-goat of goats.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and a calf and a lamb, sons of a year, flawless”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “without blemish”; NASB, NIV “without defect”; NLT “with no physical defects.”

[10:14]  ⁵⁷ tn The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the cleanness of the place specified is ritual or ceremonial in nature.

[10:14]  ⁵⁸ sn Cf. Lev 7:14, 28-34 for these regulations.

[11:32]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “And all which it shall fall on it from them.”

[11:32]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “in water it shall be brought.”

[12:6]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “And when” (so KJV, NASB). Many recent English versions leave the conjunction untranslated.

[12:6]  ⁶² tn Heb “a lamb the son of his year”; KJV “a lamb of the first year” (NRSV “in its first year”); NAB “a yearling lamb.”

[12:6]  ⁶³ sn See the note on Lev 1:3 regarding the “burnt offering.”

[12:6]  ⁶⁴ sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term “sin offering.”

[12:8]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “If her hand cannot find the sufficiency of a sheep.” Many English versions render this as “lamb.”

[12:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168, with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14; cf. Lev 1:14 and esp. 5:7-10).

[12:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “she will be[come] pure.”

[13:6]  ⁶⁸ tn That is, at the end of the second set of seven days referred to at the end of v. 5, a total of fourteen days after the first appearance before the priest.

[13:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and behold.”

[13:6]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “he shall make him clean.” The verb is the Piel of טָהֵר (taher, “to be clean”). Here it is a so-called “declarative” Piel (i.e., “to declare clean”), but it also implies that the person is put into the category of being “clean” by the pronouncement itself (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 176; cf. the corresponding opposite in v. 3 above).

[13:6]  ⁷¹ tn On the term “scab” see the note on v. 2 above. Cf. NAB “it was merely eczema”; NRSV “only an eruption”; NLT “only a temporary rash.”

[13:6]  ⁷² tn Heb “and he shall wash his clothes.”

[14:8]  ⁷³ tn Heb “the one cleansing himself” (i.e., Hitpael participle of טָהֵר [taher, “to be clean”]).

[14:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he shall be clean” (so ASV). The end result of the ritual procedures in vv. 4-7 and the washing and shaving in v. 8a is that the formerly diseased person has now officially become clean in the sense that he can reenter the community (see v. 8b; contrast living outside the community as an unclean diseased person, Lev 13:46). There are, however, further cleansing rituals and pronouncements for him to undergo in the tabernacle as outlined in vv. 10-20 (see Qal “be[come] clean” in vv. 9 and 20, Piel “pronounce clean” in v. 11, and Hitpael “the one being cleansed” in vv. 11, 14, 17, 18, and 19). Obviously, in order to enter the tabernacle he must already “be clean” in the sense of having access to the community.

[15:10]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “which shall be under him.” The verb is perhaps a future perfect, “which shall have been.”

[15:10]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the previously mentioned items which were under the unclean person) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he shall bring its blood into from house to the veil-canopy.”

[16:18]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “And.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) indicates the sequence of events here.

[16:18]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “And he shall take.”

[17:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “for the life/soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) of all flesh, its blood in its life/soul (נֶפֶשׁ) it is.” The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate leave out “in its life/soul,” which would naturally yield “for the life of all flesh, its blood it is” (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 261, 263). The present translation is something of an oversimplification, but the meaning is basically the same in any case. Cf. NRSV “For the life of every creature – its blood is its life.”

[17:14]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “of all flesh” (also later in this verse). See the note on “every living thing” in v. 11.

[17:14]  ⁸² tn For remarks on the “cut off” penalty see the note on v. 4 above.

[17:15]  ⁸³ tn Heb “And any soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh).

[17:15]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “carcass,” referring to the carcass of an animal that has died on its own, not the carcass of an animal slaughtered for sacrifice or killed by wild beasts. This has been clarified in the translation by supplying the phrase “of natural causes”; cf. NAB “that died of itself”; TEV “that has died a natural death.”

[17:15]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “in the native or in the sojourner.”

[19:20]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “And a man when he lies with a woman the lying of seed.”

[19:20]  ⁸⁷ sn That is, the woman had previously been assigned for marriage to another man but the marriage deal had not yet been consummated. In the meantime, the woman has lost her virginity and has, therefore, lost part of her value to the master in the sale to the man for whom she had been designated. Compensation was, therefore, required (see the explanation in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 130-31).

[23:3]  ⁸⁸ tn This is a superlative expression, emphasizing the full and all inclusive rest of the Sabbath and certain festival times throughout the chapter (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 155). Cf. ASV “a sabbath of solemn rest.”

[23:18]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “And you shall present on the bread.”

[23:18]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “seven flawless lambs, sons of a year.”

[23:18]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and one bull, a son of a herd.”

[23:18]  ⁹² tc Smr and LXX add “flawless.”

[23:18]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and their grain offering.”

[23:18]  ⁹⁴ sn See the note on Lev 1:9.

[23:39]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “Surely on the fifteenth day.” The Hebrew adverbial particle אַךְ (’akh) is left untranslated by most recent English versions; however, cf. NASB “On exactly the fifteenth day.”

[25:33]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “And which he shall redeem from the Levites shall go out, sale of house and city, his property in the jubilee.” Although the end of this verse is clear, the first part is notoriously difficult. There are five main views. (1) The first clause of the verse actually attaches to the previous verse, and refers to the fact that their houses retain a perpetual right of redemption (v. 32b), “which any of the Levites may exercise” (v. 33a; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 418, 421). (2) It refers to property that one Levite sells to another Levite, which is then redeemed by still another Levite (v. 33a). In such cases, the property reverts to the original Levite owner in the jubilee year (v. 33b; G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 321). (3) It refers to houses in a city that had come to be declared as a Levitical city but had original non-Levitical owners. Once the city was declared to belong to the Levites, however, an owner could only sell his house to a Levite, and he could only redeem it back from a Levite up until the time of the first jubilee after the city was declared to be a Levitical city. In this case the first part of the verse would be translated, “Such property as may be redeemed from the Levites” (NRSV, NJPS). At the first jubilee, however, all such houses became the property of the Levites (v. 33b; P. J. Budd, Leviticus [NCBC], 353). (4) It refers to property “which is appropriated from the Levites” (not “redeemed from the Levites,” v. 33a) by those who have bought it or taken it as security for debts owed to them by Levites who had fallen on bad times. Again, such property reverts back to the original Levite owners at the jubilee (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 177). (5) It simply refers to the fact that a Levite has the option of redeeming his house (i.e., the prefix form of the verb is taken to be subjunctive, “may or might redeem”), which he had to sell because he had fallen into debt or perhaps even become destitute. Even if he never gained the resources to do so, however, it would still revert to him in the jubilee year. The present translation is intended to reflect this latter view.

[27:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and the priest shall cause him to be valued.”

[27:8]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “on the mouth which the hand of the one who vowed reaches.”