Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 3:17
[It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
17. Fat and blood forbidden
The prohibition is repeated more fully in Lev 7:23-27; cp. Lev 17:10 f. Note the 2nd pers. plur., and for the expression ‘a perpetual statute, etc.’ cp. Lev 23:14; Lev 23:21; Lev 23:31; Exo 12:14; Exo 12:17; Exo 12:24.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blood – See Lev 17:11 note.
Throughout all your dwellings – The suet was neither to be eaten in sacrificial meals in the sanctuary, nor in ordinary meals in private houses.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. That ye eat neither fat nor blood.] It is not likely that the fat should be forbidden in the same manner and in the same latitude as the blood. The blood was the life of the beast, and that was offered to make an atonement for their souls; consequently, this was never eaten in all their generations: but it was impossible to separate the fat from the flesh, which in many parts is so intimately intermixed with the muscular fibres; but the blood, being contained in separate vessels, the arteries and veins, might with great ease be entirely removed by cutting the throat of the animal, which was the Jewish method. By the fat therefore mentioned here and in the preceding verse, we may understand any fat that exists in a separate or unmixed state, such as the omentum or caul, the fat of the mesentery, the fat on the kidneys, and whatever else of the internal fat was easily separable, together with the whole of the tail already described. And probably it was the fat of such animals only as were offered to God in sacrifice, that was unlawful to be eaten.
As all temporal as well as spiritual blessings come from God, he has a right to require that such of them should be dedicated to his service as he may think proper to demand. He required the most perfect of all the animals, and the best parts of these perfect animals. This he did, not that he needed any thing, but to show the perfection of his nature and the purity of his service. Had he condescended to receive the meanest animals and the meanest parts of animals as his offerings, what opinion could his worshippers have entertained of the perfection of his nature? If such imperfect offerings were worthy of this God, then his nature must be only worthy of such offerings. It is necessary that every thing employed in the worship of God should be the most perfect of its kind that the time and circumstances can afford. As sensible things are generally the medium through which spiritual impressions are made, and the impression usually partakes of the nature of the medium through which these impressions are communicated; hence every thing should not only be decent, but as far as circumstances will admit dignified, in the worship of God: the object of religious worship, the place in which he is worshipped, and the worship itself, should have the strongest and most impressive correspondence possible.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Throughout all your dwellings; not only at or near the tabernacle, nor only of those beasts which you actually sacrifice, but also in your several dwellings, and of all that kind of beasts.
That ye eat neither fat: this was forbidden,
1. To preserve the reverence of the holy rites and sacrifices.
2. That they might be taught hereby to acknowledge God as their Lord, and the Lord of all the creatures, who might reserve what he pleased to himself.
3. To exercise them in obedience to God, and self-denial, and mortification of their appetites, even in those things which probably many of them would much desire.
Nor blood: this was forbidden, partly, to maintain reverence to God and his worship; partly, out of opposition to idolaters, who used to drink the blood of their sacrifices; partly, with respect unto Christs blood, thereby manifestly signified; and partly, for moral admonition about avoiding cruelty, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. ye eat neither fat nor bloodThedetails given above distinctly define the fat in animals which wasnot to be eaten, so that all the rest, whatever adhered to otherparts, or was intermixed with them, might be used. The prohibition ofblood rested on a different foundation, being intended to preservetheir reverence for the Messiah, who was to shed His blood as anstoning sacrifice for the sins of the world [BROWN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations,…. That is, unto the end of the Mosaic dispensation, until the Messiah comes, and his sacrifice is offered up, and his blood is shed, till that time in all generations: and
throughout all your dwellings; wherever their habitations should be, it is a law to be observed:
that ye eat neither fat nor blood; the Jewish writers think, that this is not to be restrained to the fat and blood of sacrifices, because these were not offered in their dwellings, but in the tabernacle and temple, and therefore interpret it of fat and blood in general; but what fat and blood are meant may be seen in Le 7:23 the Targum of Jonathan adds,
“but upon the top of the altar it shall be offered to the name of the Lord,”
which seems to restrain it to the sacrifices.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) A perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings.Better, a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings; so the Authorised Version in the only three other passages in which it occurs. (Comp. Lev. 23:14; Lev. 23:21, where it is inverted; and 31.) That is, the law not to eat fat of beeves, sheep, or goats, is to be binding upon the Israelites throughout all their future generations, and is applicable to any place wherever they may dwell. As the full legislative formula only occurs four times in the Pentateuch, and is restricted to this book, it is important to render it uniformly in all the four passages. For the import of this statute see Lev. 7:23-25.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. A perpetual statute The Hebrew word olam, here translated perpetual, is sometimes used for future duration without end, as the eternal existence of God, (Gen 21:33,) but it often signifies an indefinite future time, conditioned by the context or by the nature of the subject. Hence it may extend to only a few years, as the servant who refused to be made free, after his ear was bored with an awl became a servant, olam, forever. Therefore the modern Jew cannot logically allege that the perpetual statutes of the Levitical law bind him to the burdensome repetition of types long since done away by the presence of the glorious Antitype in his temple on Mount Moriah, and that the everlasting covenant compels him to feed his hungry soul with the shadows of good things yet to come centuries after the substance, the living Bread, has come down from heaven. The plain meaning of the perpetual statute is, that so long as the Jewish dispensation continues, and the ceremonial law retains its significance, the requirement shall stand.
Eat neither fat nor blood The prohibition extends only to the suet, and not to the fat diffused in small particles through the flesh, and to the blood in the larger veins and arteries which flows from the animal when the jugular vein is cut. The minute globules of blood in the small veins spreading through the flesh it would be impossible to remove. The prohibition does not extend to the eating of these, since it would have been a virtual interdict of the eating of any flesh. The law relates not only to all sacrifices, but also to all animals slain for food. See notes on Lev 7:23; Lev 7:25.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
A General Principle. Neither Fat Nor Blood To Be Eaten.
Lev 3:17
‘It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’
This leads on to the final instruction which is to be observed ‘throughout your generations’. It is not just temporary, it is to last while sacrifices are being offered. His people must eat neither the fat nor the blood of offerings and sacrifices.
Unknown to the people, this was partly for hygienic reasons. For both could in fact cause many diseases to be passed on. (Whether Moses had observed this in the circumstances of his life or whether it was God Who bore this in mind for His people we can only surmise). But what was equally important was what they represented. The fat protected the vital parts where the life of the animal was considered to be (see the detailed descriptions above). As such it was part of what was forbidden. Some also alternatively consider that it was seen by the ancients as the best part of the animal, with the result that it had to be given to God as His prime share (both protecting them and leaving them the meat). And the blood was the source of continual life, and when shed brought death. It was ‘the life’ of the animal (Lev 17:14). No man must partake of the life force of an animal. They are of a different kind from us. So did God for ever distinguish man from brute beast, whereas other religions sought to make them partake of each other. We Christians are not animals. Our essential nature is spiritual. (We will leave the non-believers to become wholly monkeys :-))) ).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Observe the solemn injunction respecting the blood. No doubt in honour to the blood of CHRIST, by which alone atonement is made for sin. And through the whole Levitical dispensation this is strictly attended to. Gen 9:4 ; 1Sa 14:32-34 ; , compared with Eph 1:7 . Hence the heathen worship is so spoken of, Psa 16:4 ; Luk 13:1 .
REFLECTIONS
MY soul! I would charge it upon thee to behold in these scriptures, how great stress is continually laid upon the priest’s putting his hands upon the head of the beast offered in sacrifice. As if, that it might be suitably impressed upon the minds of the people, the pleasure JEHOVAH had in this shadowy transfer of sin, from his people to the sacrifice. Oh! most holy blessed GOD and FATHER, how gracious was it in thee thus to silence all the fears and apprehensions of thy people, of the right and justice of the thing itself, by thus repeatedly manifesting that it was from thine own appointment. Yes, blessed GOD! though it be not in the power of any man to transfer his sin to another, yet it is not beyond thy right and prerogative as GOD. And since the glory of thy holy law, by the obedience and sacrifice of thy dear SON, is so abundantly secured and glorified; now may every poor sinner take comfort in the assurance, that GOD can be just and the justifier of him that believeth in JESUS.
How sweet is it to behold, in every ordinance, and under every sacrifice, the leading features of him, who in his one sacrifice, once offered, hath forever perfected them that are sanctified! Blessed JESUS! be thou my peace-offering for thou hast made my peace in the blood of thy cross. Oh! grant me grace to rest my soul, as the priest rested his hand on the devoted sacrifice, on thy precious merits, blood, and righteousness. And may my soul be so thoroughly satisfied with this complete redemption of thine, that I may seek no other. May I know, by heartfelt experience, under the teaching, and application of GOD the HOLY GHOST, that there is salvation in no other; neither is there any other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 3:17 [It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
Ver. 17. That ye neither eat fat nor blood. ] Neither be carnal nor cruel; but let your souls delight in the fatness and sweetness of God’s ordinances.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a perpetual statute, &c. Hebrew “a statute for ever, throughout your generations, in all your dwellings”. This important phrase occurs only four times, Lev 3:17; Lev 23:14, Lev 23:21 (inverted), 31.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a perpetual: Lev 6:18, Lev 7:36, Lev 16:34, Lev 17:7, Lev 23:14, Num 19:21
eat neither: That is, neither the blood which is contained in the larger veins and arteries, nor the fat or suet which is within the animal, which exists in a separate or unmixed state, as the omentum or caul, the fat of the mesentery, or fatty part of the substance which connects the convolutions of the alimentary canal or small intestines, the fat of the kidneys, and whatever else of the internal fat was easily separable, together with the whole of the tail already described; for the blood which assumes the form of gravy, and the fat which is intermixed with the other flesh, might be eaten. This law not only related to the sacrifices, but to all the cattle which the Israelites slaughtered for food. Lev 3:16, Deu 32:14, Neh 8:10
blood: Lev 7:23, Lev 7:25-27, Lev 17:10-14, Gen 9:4, Deu 12:16, Deu 12:23, Deu 15:23, 1Sa 14:32-34, Eze 33:25, Eze 44:7, Eze 44:15, Mat 16:24, Mat 26:28, Act 15:20, Act 15:21, Act 15:29, Eph 1:7, Eph 5:26, 1Ti 4:4
Reciprocal: Gen 4:4 – fat Exo 27:21 – a statute for ever Lev 7:26 – ye shall eat Lev 7:34 – by a statute Lev 10:9 – it shall be Lev 19:26 – with the blood 2Ch 29:31 – sacrifices
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 3:17. All your dwellings Not only at or near the tabernacle, not only of those beasts which you actually sacrifice, but also in your several dwellings, and of all that kind of beasts. Fat Was forbidden, 1st, To preserve the reverence of the holy rites and sacrifices. 2d, That they may be taught hereby to acknowledge God as their Lord, and the Lord of all the creatures, who might reserve what he pleased to himself. 3d, To exercise them in obedience to God, and self-denial and mortification of their appetites, even in those things which probably many of them would much desire. Blood Was forbidden, partly to maintain reverence to God and his worship; partly, according to Maimonides, out of opposition to idolaters, who used to drink the blood of their sacrifices; partly, with respect to Christs blood, thereby manifestly signified. God would not permit the very shadows of this to be used as a common thing. Nor will he allow us, though we have the comfort of the atonement made, to assume to ourselves any share in the honour of making it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:17 [It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither {f} fat nor blood.
(f) Eating fat was a symbol of carnality, and eating blood signified cruelty.