The Meaning of Leviticus 1:9 Explained

Leviticus 1:9

KJV: But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

YLT: and its inwards and its legs he doth wash with water; and the priest hath made perfume with the whole on the altar, a burnt-offering, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah.

Darby: but its inwards and its legs shall he wash in water; and the priest shall burn all on the altar, a burnt-offering, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour.

ASV: but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water: and the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But his inwards  and his legs  shall he wash  in water:  and the priest  shall burn  all on the altar,  [to be] a burnt sacrifice,  an offering made by fire,  of a sweet  savour  unto the LORD. 

What does Leviticus 1:9 Mean?

Study Notes

sweet savour
The sweet savour offerings are so called because they typify Christ in His own perfections, and in His affectionate devotion to the Father's will. The non-sweet savour offerings typify Christ as bearing the whole demerit of the sinner. Both are substantial. In our place Christ, in the burnt-offering, makes good our lack of devotedness, and, in the sin- and trespass-offerings, suffers because of our disobediences.

Context Summary

Leviticus 1:1-17 - Burned-Offerings Of The Herd, Flocks And Fowls
Jehovah speaks with Moses, not from Sinai's summit, but from the Tabernacle, because He has come to dwell with men on the earth. Compare Exodus 20:22; Exodus 25:8. The early chapters of this book contain the law of the offerings. He who was to be worshiped prescribed the manner in which He was to be approached. These sacrifices also were intended to typify the great offering which our Lord would one day, in the fullness of time, consummate on Calvary. Here we have the burned-offering, presenting the more general aspect of our Lord's self-giving. It represents His entire surrender to the Father's will. See Hebrews 10:8-9. The principal feature of this offering was that the whole body of the victim was consumed and ascended in fire and smoke. The Hebrew word comes from a root which means to ascend. Three grades of this offering were permitted-herd, flock, fowl-to bring it within the means of all, and to typify the varying degrees in which men apprehend and value Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 1

1  The law of burnt offerings
3  of the herd
10  of the flocks
14  of the fowls

What do the individual words in Leviticus 1:9 mean?

But its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water and shall burn the priest - all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice an offering made by fire aroma a sweet to Yahweh -
וְקִרְבּ֥וֹ וּכְרָעָ֖יו יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־ הַכֹּל֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עֹלָ֛ה אִשֵּׁ֥ה רֵֽיחַ־ נִיח֖וֹחַ לַֽיהוָֽה ס

וְקִרְבּ֥וֹ  But  its  entrails 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
וּכְרָעָ֖יו  and  its  legs 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֶּרַע  
Sense: leg.
יִרְחַ֣ץ  he  shall  wash 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
בַּמָּ֑יִם  with  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וְהִקְטִ֨יר  and  shall  burn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
הַכֹּהֵ֤ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה  on  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
עֹלָ֛ה  as  a  burnt  sacrifice 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
אִשֵּׁ֥ה  an  offering  made  by  fire 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִשֶּׁה  
Sense: burnt-offering, offering made by fire, fire offering.
רֵֽיחַ־  aroma 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֵיחַ  
Sense: scent, fragrance, aroma, odour.
נִיח֖וֹחַ  a  sweet 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נִיחֹחַ  
Sense: soothing, quieting, tranquillising.
לַֽיהוָֽה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation