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Old Testament · The Law · Book 3 of 66

Leviticus

Holiness for a redeemed people: how Israel could draw near to a holy God and live as His people.

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27 Chapters

Leviticus 1–27

Author

Moses

Written

c. 1446 – 1406 B.C.

Written For

Israel at Mount Sinai

Summary
Title
Author
Date
Outline
Approaching God
Holy Living

Overview

Leviticus Summary

Leviticus continues the story of Exodus. At the end of Exodus the glory of the LORD filled the newly built tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–38). Leviticus opens with God calling to Moses from that tent of meeting (1:1) and explains how a sinful people could live with a holy God in their midst. Almost the whole book is God’s instruction given at Mount Sinai, covering offerings, the priesthood, cleanness and uncleanness, the festivals and everyday conduct.

The first sixteen chapters show the way to approach God: five main offerings, the ordination of Aaron and his sons, laws on what is clean and unclean, and the Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the whole nation (16:29–34). Chapters 17–27 show how a forgiven people should live, in their families, their community, their worship and their use of the land. The book’s central call is “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (19:2), and it also contains the command “love your neighbor as yourself” (19:18).

Several themes run through the book. Holiness: God is holy, and His people are to be set apart for Him in every part of life (11:44; 20:26). Atonement: sacrifice and the shedding of blood make atonement for sin, because “the life of a creature is in the blood” (17:11). God’s presence: the LORD promises to live among His people and walk with them (26:11–12). Clean and unclean: laws on food, disease and purity taught Israel to distinguish between the holy and the common (10:10). Jesus called “love your neighbor as yourself” the second greatest commandment (Mark 12:31).

Readers understand these laws in different ways. Jewish tradition treats Leviticus as living instruction for worship and daily life, and it has long been the first book studied by children. Christians commonly read the sacrifices and the priesthood in light of Christ, as the letter to the Hebrews does (Hebrews 9–10), and differ on how individual laws apply today. This outline simply follows the text.

About the Name

Title

The Hebrew title is Wayyiqra, “And He called,” the book’s first word (1:1). The English name comes through the Latin Vulgate from the Greek Septuagint title Leuitikon, meaning “relating to the Levites.” The book is mainly concerned with the priests, Aaron and his sons, who came from the tribe of Levi.

Leviticus is the third book of the Bible and the third of the five books of Moses, called the Pentateuch in English Bibles and the Torah (Law) in the Hebrew Bible. It sits at the center of the five books.

Who Wrote It

Author Details

Jewish and Christian tradition identifies Moses as the author. The book repeatedly presents its contents as words the LORD spoke to Moses (1:1; 4:1; 8:1), and it closes by saying these are the commands “the LORD gave Moses at Mount Sinai” (27:34; see also 26:46). Jesus referred to the cleansing law of Leviticus 14 as what “Moses commanded” (Matthew 8:4).

Many scholars think Leviticus took its final form later, through priestly writers who collected and shaped older material, and some see chapters 17–26 (often called the Holiness Code) as a separate collection. Others hold to Mosaic authorship. This page follows the traditional view.

When It Was Written

Date of Writing

The laws were given at Mount Sinai in the month after the tabernacle was set up (Exodus 40:17) and before the census of Numbers (Numbers 1:1). Those who date the exodus to about 1446 B.C. place the writing during the wilderness years, about 1446–1406 B.C. Others date the exodus to the 13th century B.C., and scholars who see a later final form place it in the 6th or 5th century B.C.

Leviticus was addressed to the Israelites camped at Sinai, and especially to the priests who would lead their worship, as they prepared to live in the land God had promised them (18:3; 25:2).

Study Guide

Leviticus Outline

27 chapters in two parts. Tap any section to expand it, and tap a verse reference to read it at BibleGateway.

Read Leviticus at BibleGateway

Part I

The Way to Approach God

1:1–16:34 · Offerings, priesthood, purity and atonement

  1. The burnt offering: a whole animal given to the LORD · 1:1–17
  2. The grain offering · 2:1–16
  3. The fellowship offering · 3:1–17
  4. The sin offering for the anointed priest · 4:1–12
  5. The sin offering for the whole community · 4:13–21
  6. The sin offering for a leader · 4:22–26
  7. The sin offering for a member of the community · 4:27–35
  8. Specific sins and offerings for those who are poor · 5:1–13
  9. The guilt offering and making restitution · 5:14–6:7
  10. Instructions for priests: the burnt offering and the fire that must not go out · 6:8–13
  11. Instructions for priests: the grain offering · 6:14–23
  12. Instructions for priests: the sin offering · 6:24–30
  13. Instructions for priests: the guilt offering · 7:1–10
  14. Instructions on the fellowship offering · 7:11–21
  15. Eating fat and blood forbidden · 7:22–27
  16. The priests’ share and summary of the offerings · 7:28–38
  1. Aaron and his sons are washed, clothed and anointed · 8:1–13
  2. The ordination sacrifices · 8:14–29
  3. Seven days at the entrance to the tent of meeting · 8:30–36
  4. Aaron offers the first sacrifices for himself and the people · 9:1–21
  5. Fire from the LORD consumes the offering · 9:22–24
  6. The death of Nadab and Abihu · 10:1–7
  7. Priests must distinguish between holy and common · 10:8–11
  8. Eating the priests’ portions · 10:12–20
  1. Clean and unclean land animals · 11:1–8
  2. Creatures that live in the water · 11:9–12
  3. Birds · 11:13–19
  4. Flying insects · 11:20–23
  5. Touching dead animals · 11:24–40
  6. Creatures that move along the ground; “be holy, because I am holy” · 11:41–47
  7. Purification after childbirth · 12:1–8
  8. Swellings, rashes and spots · 13:1–17
  9. Boils and burns · 13:18–28
  10. Sores on the head or chin · 13:29–37
  11. White spots and loss of hair · 13:38–44
  12. Living outside the camp · 13:45–46
  13. Mold in clothing and fabrics · 13:47–59
  14. Cleansing on the first day: the two birds · 14:1–9
  15. Offerings on the eighth day · 14:10–20
  16. Provision for those who cannot afford the offerings · 14:21–32
  17. Cleansing from mold in houses · 14:33–53
  18. Summary of the laws on skin disease and mold · 14:54–57
  19. Discharges from men · 15:1–18
  20. Discharges from women · 15:19–30
  21. Why these laws were given · 15:31–33
  1. Aaron’s preparation and the two goats · 16:1–10
  2. Atonement for the priest, the people and the sanctuary · 16:11–19
  3. The scapegoat sent into the wilderness · 16:20–28
  4. A lasting ordinance for Israel · 16:29–34

Part II

Living as a Holy People

17:1–27:34 · Holiness in daily life, worship and the land

  1. Sacrifices must be brought to the tent of meeting · 17:1–9
  2. Eating blood forbidden: “the life of a creature is in the blood” · 17:10–16
  1. Do not follow the practices of Egypt and Canaan · 18:1–5
  2. Forbidden sexual relations · 18:6–23
  3. The land will vomit out those who defile it · 18:24–30
  4. Be holy: honor parents, keep the Sabbath, reject idols · 19:1–4
  5. Eating the fellowship offering on time · 19:5–8
  6. Leave the gleanings for the poor and the foreigner · 19:9–10
  7. Honesty and justice; “love your neighbor as yourself” · 19:11–18
  8. Mixed kinds and a betrothed slave woman · 19:19–22
  9. Fruit trees in the new land · 19:23–25
  10. Pagan practices forbidden · 19:26–31
  11. Respect the elderly and love the foreigner · 19:32–34
  12. Honest weights and measures · 19:35–37
  13. Molek worship and mediums · 20:1–8
  14. Penalties for sins against family · 20:9–21
  15. Israel set apart from the nations · 20:22–27
  1. Mourning and marriage rules for priests · 21:1–9
  2. Rules for the high priest · 21:10–15
  3. Priests with physical defects · 21:16–24
  4. Eating the sacred offerings · 22:1–16
  5. Acceptable and unacceptable sacrifices · 22:17–33
  1. The Sabbath · 23:1–3
  2. Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread · 23:4–8
  3. Offering the firstfruits · 23:9–14
  4. The Festival of Weeks · 23:15–22
  5. The Festival of Trumpets · 23:23–25
  6. The Day of Atonement · 23:26–32
  7. The Festival of Tabernacles · 23:33–44
  1. Olive oil for the lampstand · 24:1–4
  2. Bread set before the LORD · 24:5–9
  3. A blasphemer is judged; “eye for eye” · 24:10–23
  1. The Sabbath year for the land · 25:1–7
  2. The Year of Jubilee · 25:8–22
  3. Redemption of land and houses · 25:23–34
  4. Lending to the poor without interest · 25:35–38
  5. Israelites who sell themselves to Israelites · 25:39–46
  6. Redemption from foreign owners · 25:47–55
  1. Reward for obedience · 26:1–13
  2. Punishment for disobedience · 26:14–39
  3. God remembers His covenant · 26:40–46
  1. Dedicating people · 27:1–8
  2. Dedicating animals · 27:9–13
  3. Dedicating houses · 27:14–15
  4. Dedicating fields · 27:16–25
  5. Firstborn animals · 27:26–27
  6. Things devoted to the LORD · 27:28–29
  7. Tithes and closing statement · 27:30–34

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