Appendix D: Sacrifice in the Old Testament
The Sacrificial System
Name |
Portion Burnt |
Other Portions |
Animals |
Occasion |
Reference |
Burnt offering |
All |
None |
Male without blemish; animal according to wealth |
Propitiation for general sin; demonstrating dedication |
Lev. 1 |
Meal offering or tribute offering |
Token portion |
Eaten by priest |
Unleavened cakes grains, must be salted |
General thankfulness for first fruits |
Lev. 2 |
Peace offering a. Thank offering b. Vow offering c. Freewill offering |
Fat portions |
Shared in fellowship meal by priest and offerer |
Male or female without blemish according to wealth; freewill, slight blemish allowed |
Fellowship a. For an unexpected blessing b. For deliverance when a vow was made on that condition c. For general thankfulness |
Lev. 3 Lev. 22: 18–30 |
Sin offering |
Fat portions |
Eaten by priest |
Priest or congregation: bull; king: he-goat; individual: she-goat |
Applies basically to situation in which purification is needed |
Lev. 4 |
Guilt offering |
Fat portions |
Eaten by priest |
Ram without blemish |
Applies to situation in which there has been desecration or de-sacrilization of something holy or there has been objective guilt |
Lev. 5:1–6:7 |
From John H. Walton, Chronological Charts of the Old Testament, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 21 (used by permission). |
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Animals to be offered |
Bullocks |
Rams |
Lambs |
Goats |
Occasions for Offerings |
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Daily (morning & evening) |
2 |
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Additional offerings on the Sabbath |
2 |
|||
New Moons |
2 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
Annual Festivals |
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Unleavened Bread (daily offering) |
2 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
Total for 7 days |
14 |
7 |
49 |
7 |
Weeks (Firstfruits) |
2 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
1st day of 7th month |
1 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
|
Day of Atonement |
1 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
|
Tabernacles: Day 1 |
13 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 2 |
12 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 3 |
11 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 4 |
10 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 5 |
9 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 6 |
8 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 7 |
7 |
2 |
14 |
1 |
Day 8 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
Total for 8 days |
71 |
15 |
105 |
8 |
Number of animals to be offered at the public sacrifices, daily, weekly, and at festivals.
The two lambs on the Sabbath are additional to the usual daily two. The total for seven days refers to the seven days of the Festival of Unleavened Bread (i.e., 2 bullocks per day for 7 days = 14).
Similarly, the total for eight days refers to the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles (i.e., 1 goat per day for 8 days = 8 goats).
Chart of the occasions laid down for public sacrifice and offerings (Num. 28–29).
Taken from New Bible Dictionary, 3d ed., ed. I. Howard Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman; copyright © 1996, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Leicester, England. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL, 60515. www.ivpress.com.