Book overview of Leviticus
Book Summary of Leviticus
This summary of the book of Leviticus provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Leviticus.
Author and Date
See Introduction to Genesis: Author and Date of Writing
Title
Leviticus receives its name from the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT) and means "relating to the Levites." Its Hebrew title, wayyiqra', is the first word in the Hebrew text of the book and means "And he [i.e., the Lord] called." Although Leviticus does not deal only with the special duties of the Levites, it is so named because it concerns mainly the service of worship at the tabernacle, which was conducted by the priests who were the sons of Aaron, assisted by many from the rest of the tribe of Levi. Exodus gave the directions for building the tabernacle, and now Leviticus gives the laws and regulations for worship there, including instructions on ceremonial cleanness, moral laws, holy days, the sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee. These laws were given, at least for the most part, during the year that Israel camped at Mount Sinai, when God directed Moses in organizing Israel's worship, government and military forces. The book of Numbers continues the history with preparations for moving on from Sinai to Canaan.
Theological Themes
Leviticus is a manual of regulations enabling the holy King to set up his earthly throne among the people of his kingdom. It explains how they are to be his holy people and to worship him in a holy manner. Holiness in this sense means to be separated from sin and set apart exclusively to the Lord for his purpose and for his glory. So the key thought of the book is holiness (see notes on Lev 11:44; Ex 3:5) -- the holiness of God and his people (they must revere him in "holiness"). In Leviticus spiritual holiness is symbolized by physical perfection. Therefore the book demands perfect animals for its many sacrifices (chs. 1-7) and requires priests without deformity (chs. 8-10). A woman's hemorrhaging after giving birth (ch. 12); sores, burns or baldness (chs. 13-14); a man's bodily discharge (Lev 15:1-18); specific activities during a woman's monthly period (Lev 15:19-33) -- all may be signs of blemish (a lack of perfection) and may symbolize human spiritual defects, which break spiritual wholeness. The person with visible skin disease must be banished from the camp, the place of God's special presence, just as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Such people can return to the camp (and therefore to God's presence) when they are pronounced whole again by the examining priests. Before they can reenter the camp, however, they must offer the prescribed, perfect sacrifices (symbolizing the perfect, whole sacrifice of Christ).
After the covenant at Sinai, Israel was the earthly representation of God's kingdom (the theocracy), and, as its King, the Lord established his administration over all of Israel's life. Israel's religious, communal and personal life was so regulated as to establish them as God's holy people and to instruct them in holiness. Special attention was given to Israel's religious ritual. The sacrifices were to be offered at an approved sanctuary, which would symbolize both God's holiness and his compassion. They were to be controlled by the priests, who by care and instruction would preserve them in purity and carefully teach their meaning to the people. Each particular sacrifice was to have meaning for the people of Israel but would also have spiritual and symbolic import.
For more information on the meaning of sacrifice in general see the solemn ritual of the Day of Atonement (ch. 16; see note on Lev 16:1-34). For the meaning of the blood of the offering see Lev 17:11; Ge 9:4 and notes. For the emphasis on substitution see Lev 16:21.
Some suppose that the OT sacrifices were remains of old agricultural offerings -- a human desire to offer part of one's possessions as a love gift to the deity. But the OT sacrifices were specifically prescribed by God and received their meaning from the Lord's covenant relationship with Israel -- whatever their superficial resemblances to pagan sacrifices may have been. They indeed include the idea of a gift, but this is accompanied by such other values as dedication, communion, propitiation (appeasing God's judicial wrath against sin) and restitution. The various offerings have differing functions, the primary ones being atonement (see note on Ex 25:17) and worship.
Outline
The subjects treated in Leviticus, as in any book of laws and regulations, cover several categories:
The Five Main Offerings (chs. 1-7)
The Burnt Offering (ch. 1)
The Grain Offering (ch. 2)
The Fellowship Offering (ch. 3)
The Sin Offering (Lev 4:1; 5:13)
The Guilt Offering (Lev 5:14; 6:7)
Additional Regulations for the Offerings (Lev 6:8; 7:38)
The Installation and Ministry of Aaron and His Sons (chs. 8-10)
The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons (ch. 8)
The Ministry of the Priests (ch. 9)
The Death of Nadab and Abihu and Attendant Regulations (ch. 10)
The Distinction Between Clean and Unclean (chs. 11-15)
Clean and Unclean Food (ch. 11)
Purification After Childbirth (ch. 12)
Regulations for Skin Diseases (Lev 13:1-46)
Regulations for Mildew (Lev 13:47-59)
Cleansing from Skin Diseases (Lev 14:1-32)
Cleansing from Mildew (Lev 14:33-57)
Discharges That Cause Uncleanness (ch. 15)
The Annual Day of Atonement (ch. 16)
Holy Living (chs. 17-26)
Eating Blood Prohibited (ch. 17)
Unlawful Sexual Relations (ch. 18)
Various Laws for Holy Living (ch. 19)
Punishments for Sin (ch. 20)
Regulations for Priests (Lev 21:1; 22:16)
Acceptable and Unacceptable Sacrifices (Lev 22:17-33)
The Annual Feasts (ch. 23)
Rules for Oil and Bread in the Tabernacle (Lev 24:1-9)
Punishment for Blasphemy (Lev 24:10-23)
The Sabbath and Jubilee Years (ch. 25)
Covenant Blessings and Curses (ch. 26)
Regulations for Offerings Vowed to the Lord (ch. 27)
From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, Leviticus
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
This summary of the book of Leviticus provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Leviticus.
Author and Date
See Introduction to Genesis: Author and Date of Writing
Title
Leviticus receives its name from the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT) and means "relating to the Levites." Its Hebrew title, wayyiqra', is the first word in the Hebrew text of the book and means "And he [i.e., the Lord] called." Although Leviticus does not deal only with the special duties of the Levites, it is so named because it concerns mainly the service of worship at the tabernacle, which was conducted by the priests who were the sons of Aaron, assisted by many from the rest of the tribe of Levi. Exodus gave the directions for building the tabernacle, and now Leviticus gives the laws and regulations for worship there, including instructions on ceremonial cleanness, moral laws, holy days, the sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee. These laws were given, at least for the most part, during the year that Israel camped at Mount Sinai, when God directed Moses in organizing Israel's worship, government and military forces. The book of Numbers continues the history with preparations for moving on from Sinai to Canaan.
Theological Themes
Leviticus is a manual of regulations enabling the holy King to set up his earthly throne among the people of his kingdom. It explains how they are to be his holy people and to worship him in a holy manner. Holiness in this sense means to be separated from sin and set apart exclusively to the Lord for his purpose and for his glory. So the key thought of the book is holiness (see notes on Lev 11:44; Ex 3:5) -- the holiness of God and his people (they must revere him in "holiness"). In Leviticus spiritual holiness is symbolized by physical perfection. Therefore the book demands perfect animals for its many sacrifices (chs. 1-7) and requires priests without deformity (chs. 8-10). A woman's hemorrhaging after giving birth (ch. 12); sores, burns or baldness (chs. 13-14); a man's bodily discharge (Lev 15:1-18); specific activities during a woman's monthly period (Lev 15:19-33) -- all may be signs of blemish (a lack of perfection) and may symbolize human spiritual defects, which break spiritual wholeness. The person with visible skin disease must be banished from the camp, the place of God's special presence, just as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Such people can return to the camp (and therefore to God's presence) when they are pronounced whole again by the examining priests. Before they can reenter the camp, however, they must offer the prescribed, perfect sacrifices (symbolizing the perfect, whole sacrifice of Christ).
After the covenant at Sinai, Israel was the earthly representation of God's kingdom (the theocracy), and, as its King, the Lord established his administration over all of Israel's life. Israel's religious, communal and personal life was so regulated as to establish them as God's holy people and to instruct them in holiness. Special attention was given to Israel's religious ritual. The sacrifices were to be offered at an approved sanctuary, which would symbolize both God's holiness and his compassion. They were to be controlled by the priests, who by care and instruction would preserve them in purity and carefully teach their meaning to the people. Each particular sacrifice was to have meaning for the people of Israel but would also have spiritual and symbolic import.
For more information on the meaning of sacrifice in general see the solemn ritual of the Day of Atonement (ch. 16; see note on Lev 16:1-34). For the meaning of the blood of the offering see Lev 17:11; Ge 9:4 and notes. For the emphasis on substitution see Lev 16:21.
Some suppose that the OT sacrifices were remains of old agricultural offerings -- a human desire to offer part of one's possessions as a love gift to the deity. But the OT sacrifices were specifically prescribed by God and received their meaning from the Lord's covenant relationship with Israel -- whatever their superficial resemblances to pagan sacrifices may have been. They indeed include the idea of a gift, but this is accompanied by such other values as dedication, communion, propitiation (appeasing God's judicial wrath against sin) and restitution. The various offerings have differing functions, the primary ones being atonement (see note on Ex 25:17) and worship.
Outline
The subjects treated in Leviticus, as in any book of laws and regulations, cover several categories:
The Five Main Offerings (chs. 1-7)
The Burnt Offering (ch. 1)
The Grain Offering (ch. 2)
The Fellowship Offering (ch. 3)
The Sin Offering (Lev 4:1; 5:13)
The Guilt Offering (Lev 5:14; 6:7)
Additional Regulations for the Offerings (Lev 6:8; 7:38)
The Installation and Ministry of Aaron and His Sons (chs. 8-10)
The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons (ch. 8)
The Ministry of the Priests (ch. 9)
The Death of Nadab and Abihu and Attendant Regulations (ch. 10)
The Distinction Between Clean and Unclean (chs. 11-15)
Clean and Unclean Food (ch. 11)
Purification After Childbirth (ch. 12)
Regulations for Skin Diseases (Lev 13:1-46)
Regulations for Mildew (Lev 13:47-59)
Cleansing from Skin Diseases (Lev 14:1-32)
Cleansing from Mildew (Lev 14:33-57)
Discharges That Cause Uncleanness (ch. 15)
The Annual Day of Atonement (ch. 16)
Holy Living (chs. 17-26)
Eating Blood Prohibited (ch. 17)
Unlawful Sexual Relations (ch. 18)
Various Laws for Holy Living (ch. 19)
Punishments for Sin (ch. 20)
Regulations for Priests (Lev 21:1; 22:16)
Acceptable and Unacceptable Sacrifices (Lev 22:17-33)
The Annual Feasts (ch. 23)
Rules for Oil and Bread in the Tabernacle (Lev 24:1-9)
Punishment for Blasphemy (Lev 24:10-23)
The Sabbath and Jubilee Years (ch. 25)
Covenant Blessings and Curses (ch. 26)
Regulations for Offerings Vowed to the Lord (ch. 27)
From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, Leviticus
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.