¹sn The “peace offering sacrifice” (Heb “sacrifice of peace offering[s]”; <ym!l*v= jb^z\ [z\b^t v=l*m!<]) primarily enacted and practiced communion between God and man (and between the people of God). This was illustrated by the fact that the fat parts of the animal were consumed on the altar of the Lord but the meat was consumed by the worshipers in a meal before God. This is the only kind of offering in which common worshipers partook of the meat of the animal. When there was a series of offerings that includes a peace offering (see, e.g., Lev 9:8-21, sin offerings, burnt offerings, and afterward the peace offerings in vv. 18-21), the peace offering was always offered last because it expressed the fact that all was well between God and his worshiper(s). There were various kinds of peace offerings, depending on the worship intended on the specific occasion. The “thank offering” expressed thanksgiving (e.g., Lev 7:11-15; 22:29-30), the “votive offering” fulfilled a vow (e.g., Lev 7:16-18; 22:21-25), and the “freewill offering” was offered as an expression of devotion and praise to God (e.g., Lev 7:16-18; 22:21-25). The so-called “ordination offering” was also a kind of peace offering that was used to consecrate the priests at their ordination (e.g., Exod 29:19-34; Lev 7:37; 8:22-32). See NIDOTTE 1:1066-73 and 4:135-43.
²tn Heb “if a male if a female, perfect he shall present it before the Lord.” The “or” in our translation is not expressed here, but see v. 6 below.
³tn See the remarks on Lev 1:3-5 above for some of the details of translation here.
⁴tn Heb “Then he”; the referent (the person presenting the offering) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. the note on Lev 1:5).
⁵sn The fat layer that covers the entrails as a whole (i.e., “which covers the entrails”) is different from the fat that surrounds the various organs (i.e., “which is on the entrails”; Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 [AB], 205-207).
⁶tn Heb “…and the protruding lobe on the liver on the kidneys he shall remove it.”
⁷tn Or “…on the fire—[it is] a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord” (see Lev 1:13b, 17b, and the note on 1:9b).
⁸tn Heb “a flawless male or female he shall present it.”
⁹sn See the note on this phrase in 3:3.
¹⁰tn Heb “…and the protruding lobe on the liver on the kidneys he shall remove it.”
¹¹tn Heb “food, a gift to the Lord.”
¹²sn See the note on this phrase in 3:3.
¹³tn Heb “…and the protruding lobe on the liver on the kidneys he shall remove it.”
¹⁴tn The words “This is” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied due to requirements of English style.
¹⁵tn Heb “for your generations.”
¹⁶tn Heb “all fat and all blood you must not eat.”