The peace offering

3:1 “‘Now if his offering is a peace offering sacrifice, if he presents an offering from the herd, he must present before the Lord a flawless male or a female. 3:2 He must lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must splash the blood against the altar’s sides. 3:3 Then the one presenting the offering must present a gift to the Lord from the peace offering sacrifice: He must remove the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that surrounds the entrails, 3:4 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys). 3:5 Then the sons of Aaron must offer it up in smoke on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the wood in the fire as a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 3:6 “‘If his offering for a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord is from the flock, he must present a flawless male or female. 3:7 If he presents a sheep as his offering, he must present it before the Lord. 3:8 He must lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it before the Meeting Tent, and the sons of Aaron must splash its blood against the altar’s sides. 3:9 Then he must present a gift to the Lord from the peace offering sacrifice: He must remove all the fatty tail up to the end of the spine, the fat covering the entrails, and all the fat on the entrails, 3:10 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys). 3:11 Then the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar as a food gift to the Lord. 3:12 “‘If his offering is a goat he must present it before the Lord, 3:13 lay his hand on its head, and slaughter it before the Meeting Tent, and the sons of Aaron must splash its blood against the altar’s sides. 3:14 Then he must present from it his offering as a gift to the Lord: the fat which covers the entrails and all the fat on the entrails, 3:15 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys). 3:16 Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar as a food gift for a soothing aroma – all the fat belongs to the Lord. 3:17 This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live: You must never eat any fat or any blood.’”

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Leviticus 3 gives rules for the peace offering. A flawless animal from the herd, sheep, or goats may be brought. The worshiper lays a hand on the animal, it is killed at the entrance to the Meeting Tent, and the priests apply the blood to the altar. The fat and certain inner parts are burned to the LORD. Israel must not eat fat or blood.

This chapter explains the peace offering in a repeated pattern for animals from the herd, sheep, or goats. The worshiper brings a flawless animal, lays a hand on its head, and kills it before the LORD. The priests splash the blood on the altar. Then the fat and inner parts are burned as a gift to the LORD.

The repeated pattern shows that worship is not set by human preference. God gives the instructions. The offering expresses fellowship and well-being before the LORD, but that fellowship comes through sacrifice and blood at the altar. The fat is reserved for God, and the blood is treated as sacred.

The chapter ends with a lasting command for Israel: do not eat fat or blood. This teaches reverence for life and for what God has set apart. The passage calls God’s people to honor his holiness and to receive his gifts in the way he commands.

• The peace offering could come from the herd, sheep, or goats.
• The animal had to be flawless.
• The worshiper laid a hand on the animal before it was slaughtered.
• The priests applied the blood to the altar.
• The fat and certain inner parts were burned to the LORD.
• All the fat belongs to the LORD.
• Israel was forbidden to eat fat or blood.
• The command is a perpetual statute for Israel in all their dwellings.

• Warning: Do not treat sacred things as common.
• Command: Bring only an unblemished animal.
• Command: Lay a hand on the offering before slaughter.
• Command: Do not eat fat or blood.
• Promise/assurance: The offering is presented as a soothing aroma to the LORD.
• Warning: Worship must follow God’s order, not human invention.

The peace offering belonged to the Mosaic covenant and the tabernacle system. It showed covenant fellowship with a holy God through sacrifice. In the wider Bible story, this sacrificial pattern fits into the larger theme of reconciliation with God, and Christians may read it in that broader canonical context without changing its original meaning for Israel.

God’s people should worship him in the way he commands. We should not treat what is holy as ordinary. The passage also reminds us that life belongs to God and that he deserves what is best. For Christians, this ritual is not repeated, but the call to reverence, obedience, and thankful worship remains.

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