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The ABCs

of Leviticus

ARTICLE: 23 MINUTES

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sins.”
(Hebrews 9:22 NIV)

To many Bible readers, the book of Leviticus seems strange. Much of it is devoted to regulations for priests as they make sacrifices, something Christians no longer do because Jesus was the final sacrifice for sins.

Many Christians, when faced with the strangeness of Leviticus, would rather avoid it. But Leviticus provides a foundation for understanding how Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross covers the sins of all who trust in him. Understanding Leviticus also helps us understand the language of the New Testament, especially in books like Hebrews and Romans.

We want to help you begin to learn the language of Leviticus, so that when you open the book and enter its world, it’s not quite so foreign to you. Here are some of the key terms and themes you’ll discover in Leviticus, the “A to Z” of Leviticus. We hope that our explanation of these terms will equip you to better understand and enjoy this book of the Bible!

You’ll notice that each term from Leviticus is paired with a Bible verse from the Psalms. Why did we do this? The Psalms are like the open journal of God’s people. They are prayers and reflections of God’s servants. As you hear terms from Leviticus used in the Psalms, you’ll get to witness these ideas not in isolation, but as part of real people’s relationship with God. We also highlight these verses to show you that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament. God’s people under this Old Covenant knew God to be gracious and loving and full of mercy, just like we know God to be that same way because of Jesus.

If you want more help reading Leviticus beyond this article, scroll down to the bottom and you’ll find a few more resources. Without further delay, here are the ABCs of Leviticus.

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The ABCs of Leviticus

Altar

The altar plays a central role in Leviticus. It is a structure on which you burn an offering. Early altars were typically made of earth, but more permanent altars were constructed using uncut stone (Exodus 20:24-25; Deuteronomy 27:5-6). Later Jewish altars used acacia wood overlaid with bronze, like those in Solomon’s temple. The priests spent much of their time at the altar.

Atonement

God provided a way under the Old Testament law to temporarily cover sins until his Son Jesus made the definitive sacrifice for sin. God provided atonement (a covering) for sin through animal sacrifices made by the Levitical priesthood.

Blood

The word “blood” appears 65 times in Leviticus. The book explains that “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Leviticus 17:11 ESV).

Blood is not a symbol of death in the Bible, but of life. In other words, the price we must pay for our sin against a holy God is life—whether our own life or the life of a sacrifice. This is why the New Testament says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 NIV) or “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sins” (Hebrews 9:22 NIV).

Today, Jesus’ blood permanently atones for our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

Covenant

A covenant is a binding promise between two parties with stipulations. God made a covenant with his people, Israel, that he would be their God and have a special relationship with them. He made them a host of wonderful promises. That was his side of the agreement. The book of Leviticus details the ceremonial laws, sacrifices, and rituals that were their part of the covenant to fulfill. This “old” covenant was conditioned on Israel’s obedience to it, as the curses and blessings in chapter 26 affirm.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

One day each year, on the 10th day of the 7th month, the Israelites celebrated the Day of Atonement. Almost all of the sacrifices made on this day atoned for unintentional or accidental sins. In effect, it was a day where God would forgive all the sins of his people that year, the ones they were aware of, and the ones they were not aware of. Willful sins such as adultery or murder were punished with death.

Ephod

God determined how his people would approach him. Priests were required to wear an ephod, an ornate robe, during the performance of their priestly duties. The ephod was designed according to the instructions God gave in Exodus 28.

Feast

God instituted annual festivals or feasts that were designed to dramatically portray important events in Israelite history. Leviticus 23 briefly describes seven of them. In some way, each of these feasts also points to aspects of Jesus‘ ministry to us.

Guilt

Guilt is a healthy emotion, signaling that we have done something deserving of punishment before a holy God. It is a signal that we have sinned, even if unintentionally or accidentally. Because sin is an offense against our holy God, restitution must be made through sacrifice. Guilt offerings are one way this is handled in Leviticus, with specific steps for the ritual offering described in Leviticus 7.

Holy

In its most fundamental sense, to be holy means to be set apart for a specific purpose. While it is typically understood to refer to moral purity, things that have no moral character can also be considered holy, like ground, furniture in the temple, clothing of the priests, animal sacrifices, and even food. The word “holy” appears 80 times in Leviticus, making it a major theme of the book. You will also read in Leviticus about the Holy of Holies, which is the most inner room of the Tabernacle, where only the high priest could enter once a year on the Day of Atonement. It was the place where God’s presence dwelled in the temple.

Iniquity

Sin has been a problem since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.  

Sin is an affront to God’s holy will and character and thus must be dealt with. Leviticus often uses the harsh word “iniquity” to describe the gross injustice of our sin before God. Most of Leviticus is outlining how to deal with the Israelites’ iniquity.  

Jubilee

Leviticus 25 describes the Year of Jubilee. Every seventh year the Israelites were commanded to give the land a Sabbath rest: to not tend or harvest it, but to only eat what the land naturally produced. After seven cycles of these “Sabbath years,” every 50th year, a Year of Jubilee was declared. Land was similarly left untended, but property was also returned to the original owner and indentured servants were set free.

Killing

Intentional death of animals was a common sight in early Israelite history. Sacrifices regularly occurred. However, God also commanded that death be the punishment for certain offenses. Leviticus 20 lists numerous sins where capital punishment was commanded, such as if a person.

Lamb

While many animals were acceptable for Levitical sacrifices and offerings, like a goat, ram, bull, sheep, dove, and pigeon, a lamb was used for the foundational burnt offering presented every day and evening (Exodus 29:38-42). A lamb symbolizes innocence and purity. For example, a lamb was required for the Passover meal (Exodus 12:11-13).

Mediator

While the word “mediator” is not used in Leviticus, the concept itself is foundational to the book. Sinners cannot cavalierly approach a holy God. Someone appointed as a mediator has to do so. The Levitical mediators were the priests who offered sacrifice to God on behalf of the people.

Nakedness

here are many laws in Leviticus against illicit sex. Old Testament Hebrew typically portrays “sex” as “uncovering the nakedness” of someone, which is how Leviticus 18 and 20 are translated by the English Standard Version of the Bible. Chapter 18 describes the kinds of sexual relations that are forbidden, while chapter 20 prescribes the punishment for said illicit activities. Sex with close relatives, animals, children, and the same gender are strictly forbidden. It is specifically noted that God judged the Canaanites for similar behavior (Leviticus 18:3, 27). God made our bodies and so he determines how we ought to use them. His people, the Israelites, were commanded to follow his way (Genesis 2:24-25; 1 Corinthians 7:2)

Offering

The word “offering” appears over 200 times in Leviticus, making it the most frequently used thematic word in the book. In fact, the opening seven chapters describe how the various offerings were prepared. Leviticus details five kinds of offerings used to maintain fellowship with God and atone for sin. Two of these offerings were mandatory, the other three were voluntary. They are presented here in the order presented in the opening five chapters of Leviticus:

  1. Burnt Offering (voluntary): This was the foundational sacrifice under the Mosaic law, offered every day and every evening (Exodus 29:38-42), and Leviticus begins with a description of how this offering was prepared. The entire animal was burned and presented to the Lord in thanksgiving and devotion to God, or as a voluntary atonement for sin. 
  2. Grain Offering (voluntary): This offering is unique as it does not involve sacrificing an animal but rather offering the fruit of the field. It was presented without yeast and typically coupled with a drink offering given in thanksgiving. 
  3. Peace/Fellowship Offering (voluntary): A sacrifice typically offered freely as thanksgiving to the Lord or in inauguration of a vow. This offering included aspects of a freewill offering and vow offering. Unlike the first two offerings, the meat of this offering was shared by the worshiper and the priests. 
  4. Sin Offering (mandatory): A sacrifice atoning for unintentional sin, generally with respect to violations of the ritual laws, often given even when the specific sin was unknown. 
  5. Guilt/Trespass Offering (mandatory): A sacrifice for unintentional sin where restitution is also required, particularly when sinning against another individual, and where the sinning individual feels guilt and seeks reconciliation.

Priest

The Levitical priesthood forms the backbone of the Mosaic law. Nearly every chapter in Leviticus says something about the priests and how they are supposed to perform their liturgical duties. Only descendants of the tribe of Levi were allowed to serve as priests as they stood as mediators between a holy God and an unclean people. Every sacrifice and offering was presented in the Tabernacle by priests before God. This priesthood existed for as long as the tabernacle/temple existed.

Quantity

Weights and measures were important in the Mosaic law (Leviticus 19:35-36).

Redemption

The last three chapters of Leviticus deal extensively with the concept of redemption, which means buying back something that had initially been lost or given away, especially due to financial difficulty. Land, property, and even people who sold themselves as bondservants could be bought back according to Levitical laws.

Sprinkle

When you hear “sprinkle,” don’t think of colorful decorations on a birthday cake—think of splattering. Blood plays a central role in Levitical rituals, as it represents life. Sin before a holy God deserves death, but atoning sacrifices under the old covenant were God’s way of temporarily covering the sins of his people. The animal’s life was given as a substitute for the punishment the sinner deserved. Depending on the offering and occasion, the priest would sprinkle blood on the altar, the mercy seat covering the ark of the covenant, the furnishing in the Tabernacle, and even on the people (e.g., Leviticus 8:30), to signify the cleansing received from the atoning blood.

Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle

When the Israelites gathered in Sinai after their exodus from Egyptian slavery, God met Moses and spoke to him in what was called the Tent of Meeting. During the wilderness wanderings, the Tent of Meeting was portable, but eventually, when the Israelites settled down in the Promised Land, it became known as the Tabernacle (and later, a Temple was built by Solomon). God gave Moses the specific design details for the Tabernacle and its furnishings in Exodus 25-40. It had an outer court where anyone could enter, an inner court only for the priests, and inside that the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place where only the high priest entered, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Everything that is described in Leviticus concerning sacrifices and offerings takes place in the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle.

Unclean

In Leviticus, uncleanness refers to a state of ritual impurity that prevents people from participating in religious activities. This can be either a moral or physical impurity. For example, certain animals were unclean for the Israelites, either for food or for sacrifices (Leviticus 11), and bodily discharges could make a person unclean (Leviticus 15).

Veil

The Tabernacle had an interior room known as the Holy of Holies. It was separated from the inner court by a large, ornate veil, roughly 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 4 inches thick (described in Exodus 26:31-35). The veil represented the separation between a holy God and sinners.

Wash

Purity is a key theme in Leviticus, not only in spiritual terms, but also for health reasons. For example, the entrails of sacrifices were to be washed before being burned on the altar (e.g., Leviticus 1:9). Chapters 13-15 deal with various diseases like leprosy and bodily discharges and how to wash in order to contain the contagion.

eXamine

God provided specific requirements for sacrifices, especially when it came to the type and quality of animals presented as offerings. The Israelites were not allowed to choose lame or sick animals. They were required to pick the best of the flock. After all, is this not what we should present to God, our very best? In this general sense, then, the Israelites were to examine their offerings. However, in Leviticus the word is specifically used in chapters 13 and 14 to instruct priests on how to handle contagious skin ailments.

Year

Time is important in Leviticus, as God has mapped out a precise annual calendar for the Israelites to keep, especially regarding festivals and Sabbaths. Israelite society was designed around this calendar.

Zzzzzz Rest

We had to get a little creative here. Get it? God instituted regular days for the Israelites to rest, so that work would not become overwhelming and they could recharge their batteries and be refreshed (Sabbath, year of Jubilee).

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This article was written by our editorial team here at Bibles.net. We like to write articles as a team—one person writing, another editing, another proofreading, and all of us making sure we stick to the truth and say it well. If you see a contribution line at the end of the article, that means we didn't write the article, but we selected it from an excellent book to share with you. If you'd like to find out a little more about all of us, check out our "About Us" page.
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