And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to skim over the details of "the fat," but this wasn't just any fat; it was the most choice, delectable part of the animal. By offering this richest portion, the people were giving God their absolute best, a symbolic act of dedicating their most valued possessions and even their very selves to Him.
And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes the instructions for the "peace offering," a type of sacrifice that was a communal celebration of thanksgiving and fellowship with God. Unlike other offerings that were entirely consumed or given to priests, the peace offering involved specific parts of the animal, primarily the fat, being burned for God. This particular portion highlights the choicest parts of the animal being dedicated to the Lord, setting the stage for the meal that followed where the offerer, their family, and friends would eat together in God's presence.
When you bring an offering, what part do you think of giving? The law here is very specific about what goes up in smoke, and it’s not just random pieces. It’s the very best.
In the peace offering, the fat was set aside to be burned on the altar as a 'food offering' to the Lord. This wasn't just any fat, but the richest, most desirable parts – the fat covering the entrails and the fat clinging to them.
Why the Fat?
This principle teaches us that our devotion to God should not be about giving Him leftovers or our least valuable possessions. He deserves our best, the 'fat' of our lives – our time, our energy, our deepest affections.
Unlike other offerings that were fully consumed or given to priests, the peace offering involved a shared meal. What does this tell us about God's desire for relationship?
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The peace offering was unique because it celebrated the restored relationship – the 'peace' or 'wholeness' – between God and the worshipper. While the fat was for God and the altar, the meat was divided.
A Shared Meal:
This meal wasn't just a barbecue; it was a tangible expression of communion. It showed that when we are right with God, we can celebrate His goodness and enjoy fellowship, not only with Him but also with others. Christ, the ultimate peace offering, makes this fellowship possible for us today.
Understand the original words
cheleb · Hebrew Noun
In the sacrificial system, fat was considered the richest part of the animal and was reserved entirely for God, symbolizing the best that one has to offer.
This passage describes the fat of the ram of ordination being offered by fire to the LORD, highlighting the sacredness of the fat as God's portion.
Psalm 63:5This verse uses the imagery of being satisfied with 'marrow and fatness,' likening spiritual satisfaction to the richness and choicest parts, mirroring the significance of the fat in Leviticus.
Malachi 1:12This passage rebukes the people for defiling the Lord's table with their offerings, contrasting with the 'sweet savor' of the prescribed fat offering, showing the importance of giving God the best.
Romans 12:1Paul calls believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, drawing a parallel to offering the best parts of the animal to God as a spiritual sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20This passage reminds believers that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and belong to God, implying that all parts of their lives should be offered to Him, much like the choicest fat was reserved for God.
jfbLeviticus 3:3: "And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,"
- he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering—The peace offering differed from the oblations formerly mentioned in this respect: while the burnt offering was wholly consumed on the altar, and the freewill offering was partly consumed and partly assigned to the priests; in this offering the fat a…
calvinLeviticus 3:1-17: "And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD."
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Et imponet manum suam super caput oblationis suae, et immolabit eum ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis: f…
It's easy to skim over the details of "the fat," but this wasn't just any fat; it was the most choice, delectable part of the animal. By offering this richest portion, the people were giving God their absolute best, a symbolic act of dedicating their most valued possessions and even their very selves to Him.
This passage describes the instructions for the "peace offering," a type of sacrifice that was a communal celebration of thanksgiving and fellowship with God. Unlike other offerings that were entirely consumed or given to priests, the peace offering involved specific parts of the animal, primarily the fat, being burned for God. This particular portion highlights the choicest parts of the animal being dedicated to the Lord, setting the stage for the meal that followed where the offerer, their family, and friends would eat together in God's presence.
This passage describes the instructions for the "peace offering," a type of sacrifice that was a communal celebration of thanksgiving and fellowship with God. Unlike other offerings that were entirely consumed or given to priests, the peace offering involved specific parts of the animal, primarily the fat, being burned for God. This particular portion highlights the choicest parts of the animal being dedicated to the Lord, setting the stage for the meal that followed where the offerer, their family, and friends would eat together in God's presence.
"And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails," — It's easy to skim over the details of "the fat," but this wasn't just any fat; it was the most choice, delectable part of the animal. By offering this richest portion, the people were giving God thei…
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Last reviewed October 2026