Leviticus 1:6 — Word Study
WLCוְהִפְשִׁ֖יט אֶת־ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִתַּ֥ח אֹתָ֖הּ לִנְתָחֶֽיהָ׃
BSANext, he is to skinpâshaṭ [flay, or strip] the burnt offeringʻôlâh [a step or stairs to the altar, a complete sacrifice] and cutnâthach [to divide, hew, or separate] it into piecesnêthach [its parts, pieces, or fragments]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְהִפְשִׁ֖יט | and he will skin | Verb, Hiphil, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| הָעֹלָ֑ה | the burnt offering | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְנִתַּ֥ח | and he will cut in pieces | Verb, Piel, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| אֹתָ֖הּ | the object marker it | Particle, suffix |
| לִנְתָחֶֽיהָ׃ | into pieces its | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Next, he is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. |
| KJV | And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. |
| ASV | And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces. |
| YLT | 'And he hath stripped the burnt-offering, and hath cut it into its pieces; |
| WEB | He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. |
| BBE | And the burned offering is to be skinned and cut up into its parts. |
The translations agree on the actions described in this verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a subordinate clause detailing the actions to be taken.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbפָּשַׁט
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Leviticus 1:6
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Instructions for the Burnt Offeringgenerated
Leviticus 1:6 describes the specific actions a priest must take when preparing a burnt offering, which is a significant ritual act in the sacrificial system. This process emphasizes the importance of proper handling and preparation of offerings to God, which is further elaborated in the surrounding verses, such as Leviticus 1:5 and Leviticus 1:7.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 7:8 | As for the priest who presents a burnt offering for anyone, the hide of that offering belongs to him. |
| 2 | Genesis 3:21 | And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הָעֹלָ֑ה, ha.'o.Lahgenerated
The verb פָּשַׁט (pashat) means to strip or remove, often used in contexts of taking off garments or plundering. In this verse, it refers to the act of skinning the burnt offering, which symbolizes the removal of its outer layer in preparation for sacrifice.
The Hiphil form indicates a causative action, meaning the priest is causing the skin to be removed. This act is essential as it signifies the offering's readiness for the sacrificial process.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs הִפְשִׁ֖יט and נִתַּ֥ח govern the actions in the verse. The structure emphasizes the sequential nature of the actions: first skinning the offering, then cutting it into pieces.
The order of the Hebrew words highlights the actions taken by the priest, with the verb 'skin' coming first, indicating its primary importance in the ritual.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word ἐκδείραντες for הִפְשִׁ֖יט, which means to flay or strip off. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of removing the skin.
For נִתַּ֥ח, the LXX translates it with a term that conveys the action of cutting, maintaining the original intent of the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 1:6 instructs the priest to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. This process is part of the sacrificial system, emphasizing the importance of preparing the offering correctly.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Skinning the offering symbolizes the removal of its outer layer, preparing it for sacrifice, which is a critical step in the ritual.
Cutting the offering into pieces allows for proper arrangement on the altar and signifies the complete dedication of the offering to God.
This verse outlines a specific procedure within the sacrificial system, highlighting the detailed nature of the rituals required for offerings.
The translations consistently convey the actions of skinning and cutting, emphasizing the ritual's importance across different versions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the act of skinning the burnt offering symbolize in the context of sacrifice?
- How can understanding the preparation of offerings deepen our appreciation for the sacrificial system in the Old Testament?
- In what ways can we apply the principles of careful preparation and dedication seen in this verse to our own lives?
- What other rituals or practices in the Bible emphasize the importance of proper preparation for worship?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators have drawn lessons from this verse, emphasizing the spiritual significance of the actions described.
We strip off the skin of a victim when we remove the illusion of virtue from the eyes of our mind. We cut its limbs into pieces when we carefully distinguish the content of a virtue and ponder it step by step.Early Church Fathers on Leviticus 1 →
We strip off the skin of a victim when we remove the illusion of virtue from the eyes of our mind. We cut its limbs into pieces when we carefully distinguish the content of a virtue and ponder it step by step.Early Church Fathers on Leviticus 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 1:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he shall flay the burnt offering,.... Take off its skin; this was the only part of it that was not burnt, and was the property of the priest, Leviticus 7:8 but who this was done by is not so
Read John Gill on Leviticus 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe shall flay the burnt-offering; partly for decency, because the sacrifices being as it were God’ s food and feast, it was incongruous to offer to God that which men refused to eat; and partly to signify that the great thing which God required and regarded in men was, not their outward appearance, but their inside; and that as he doth see all men’ s insides, , so he will one day make them visible to others. Into his pieces, to wit, the head, and fat, and inwards, and legs, ,9.
Read Matthew Poole on Leviticus 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLeviticus 1:6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.Ver. 6. And he shall flay the burntoffering.] To show the grievousness of our Saviour’ s sufferings; the cruel usage of his suffering saints; and the duty of all that have benefit by him, to flay off the old man with his deceitful lusts, dealing thereby as the Turk dealt by him that betrayed the Rhodes. He presented unto him his promised wife and portion; but with it told him that he would not have a Christian to be his son-in-law; and therefore caused his baptized skin, as he called it, to be flayed off, and him to be cast into a bed strawed with salt, that he might get a new skin. See Mark 9:49. Leunclavius.
Read John Trapp on Leviticus 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) And he shall flay.—After the priest threw the blood on the walls of the altar, the sacrificer himself had to skin and cut up the sacrifice into its natural limbs (comp. Leviticus 1:12; Leviticus 8:20; Exodus 29:17), as head, breast, legs, &c., and not mangle it. The skin was the perquisite of the officiating priest (Leviticus 8).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. He shall flay] Probably meaning the person who brought the sacrifice, who, according to some of the rabbins, killed, flayed, cut up, and washed the sacrifice, and then presented the parts and the blood to the priest, that he might burn the one, and sprinkle the other upon the altar. But it is certain that the priests also, and the Levites, flayed the victims, and the priest had the skin to himself; see Leviticus 7:8, and 2 Chronicles 29:34. The red heifer alone was not flayed, but the whole body, with the skin, &c., consumed with fire. See Numbers 19:5.
Read AdamClarke on Leviticus 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesCh. Leviticus 1:3-17. The Burnt-Offering For general remarks on the Burnt-Offering see on Leviticus 6:9. Three varieties may be brought, viz. (a) Bullock (Leviticus 1:3-9), (b) Sheep or Goat (Leviticus 1:10-13), (c) Fowls (Leviticus 1:14-17).
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd he shall flay - The sacrificer, or his assistant, had to skin and cut up the victim. The hide was the gratuity of the officiating priest. Leviticus 7:8.
Read Albert Barnes on Leviticus 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Next, he is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.
He shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.
Next, he is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.
Next, the one presenting the offering must skin the burnt offering and cut it into parts,
Tyndale line
And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.
And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into its pieces.
And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces,
Then shall he fley the burnt offering, and cut it in pieces.
Strictly literal
And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it up into its pieces.
'And he hath stripped the burnt-offering, and hath cut it into its pieces;
And he has stripped the burnt-offering, and has cut it into its pieces;
And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces.
Then he must skin the burnt offering and cut it to pieces.
From the Latin
And when they have flayed the victim, they shall cut the joints into pieces,
Simplified
Then you are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.
And the burned offering is to be skinned and cut up into its parts.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch differ slightly in wording, with the Samaritan using הפשׁיטו and נתחו. However, both convey the same essential actions of skinning and cutting the burnt offering.
וְהִפְשִׁ֖יט אֶת־ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִתַּ֥ח אֹתָ֖הּ לִנְתָחֶֽיהָ׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
והפשׁיטו את העלה ונתחו אתה לנתחיה
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: הפשׁיטו (strip off), נתחו (cut)
[והפשיט] [את] [העלה] [ונתח] [את׳ה] [לנתחי׳ה]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Leviticus 1:6
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
פָּשַׁט (pashat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strip off or to invade. It encompasses actions like unclothing, plundering, and making a dash, with various forms indicating different nuances such as flaying or putting off garments. The term appears in different contexts, including military actions and personal disrobing.
פָּשַׁט vb. strip off, make a dash, raid
Qal
strip off, put off, one’s garment
put off (one’s shelter), i.e. make a dash (from a sheltered place)
Pi. to strip the slain
Hiph.
strip one of garment
strip off
flay
Hithp. he stripped himself of his garment
base
H6584 פָּשַׁט strip off, make a dash, raid
6584 pashat paw-shat'
a primitive root; to spread out (i.e. deploy in hostile
array); by analogy, to strip (i.e. unclothe, plunder, flay,
etc.):--fall upon, flay, invade, make an invasion, pull off,
put off, make a road, run upon, rush, set, spoil, spread
selves (abroad), strip (off, self).
פָּשַׁט (pa.shat) — to strip.
1) to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to strip off, put off
1a2) to put off (one's shelter), make a dash
1b) (Piel) to strip
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to strip of
1c2) to strip off
1c3) to flay
1d) (Hithpael) to strip oneself of
Conj | V-Hiphil-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/Vhq3ms
(`or, geledh, "human skin" (Job 16:15), basar, "flesh," in the sense of "nakedness" (Ps 102:5 the King James Version); derma):
Literal:
The word `or designates the skin of both men and animals, the latter both raw and in tanned condition: "Yahweh God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins (`or), and clothed them" (Ge 3:21); "She put the skins (`or) of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck" (Ge 27:16); "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" (Jer 13:23). The Hebrew geledh is found in the sense of human skin: "I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid…
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
עֹלָה (olah) refers to both a whole burnt-offering and an ascent or stairway. It is derived from a feminine active participle of the root meaning to go up. The term is used in contexts related to sacrifices, particularly in the Old Testament, where it signifies offerings that ascend in smoke. The entries consistently highlight its dual meaning without significant disagreement.
ref
H5930a עֹלָה whole burnt-offering H5930b עֹלָה ascent, stairway
5930 `olah o-law'
or mowlah {o-law'}; feminine active participle of 5927; a
step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a
holocaust (as going up in smoke):--ascent, burnt offering
(sacrifice), go up to. See also 5766.
see HEBREW for 05927
see HEBREW for 05766
עֹלָה (o.lah) — burnt offering.
whole burnt offering
Aramaic equivalent: a.lah (עֲלָת "burnt offering" H5928)
עֹלָה (o.lah) — ascent.
ascent, stairway, steps
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
Burnt offering
Hebrew olah; i.e., “ascending,” the whole being consumed by fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this was wholly burnt, a “whole burnt offering.” It was the most frequent form of sacrifice, and apparently the only one mentioned in the book of Genesis. Such were the sacrifices offered by Abel (Gen. 4:3, 4, here called minhah; i.e., “a gift”), Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 22:2, 7, 8, 13), and by the Hebrews in Egypt (Ex. 10:25).
The law of Moses afterwards prescribed the occasions and the manner in which burnt sacrifices were to be offered. There were “the continual…
The word is applied to the offering which was wholly consumed by fire on the altar, and the whole of which, except the refuse ashes "ascended" in the smoke to God. The meaning of the whole burnt offering was that which is the original idea of all sacrifice, the offering by the sacrificer of himself, soul and body, to God--the submission of his will to the will of the Lord. The ceremonies of the burnt offering are given in detail in the book of Leviticus. [SACRIFICE]
→ See OFFERINGS, BURNT
נָתַח (nathach) is a primitive root meaning to cut or dismember. It specifically refers to actions like cutting up, dividing, or hewing in pieces, particularly in the Piel form, which emphasizes the act of cutting into pieces or dividing by joints.
[נָתַח] vb. only Pi. cut up, cut in pieces, divide by joints
base
H5408 נָתַח
5408 nathach naw-thakh'
a primitive root; to dismember:--cut (in pieces), divide,
hew in pieces.
נָתַח (na.tach) — to cut.
1) to cut, cut up, cut in pieces, divide
1a) (Piel) to cut up, cut in pieces, divide by joints
Conj | V-Piel-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/Vpq3ms
Pieces
(1) of silver. In Ps. 68:30 denotes “fragments,” and not properly money. In 1 Sam. 2:36 (Heb. agorah), properly a “small sum” as wages, weighed rather than coined. Josh. 24:32 (Heb. kesitah, q.v.), supposed by some to have been a piece of money bearing the figure of a lamb, but rather simply a certain amount. (Comp. Gen. 33:19).
(2.) The word pieces is omitted in many passages, as Gen. 20:16; 37:28; 45:22, etc. The passage in Zech. 11:12, 13 is quoted in the Gospel (Matt. 26:15), and from this we…
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo/Sp3fs — Particle · suffixHTo/Sp3fs
נֵ֫תַח (nethach) refers to a fragment or piece, particularly in the context of a divided carcass as noted in Ezekiel 24:4. It is derived from the root word for 'fragment' and is used to describe a part or piece of flesh or meat.
נֵ֫תַח n.m. Ez 24:4 piece of a divided carcass
base
H5409 נֵ֫תַח
5409 nethach nay'-thakh
from 5408; a fragment:--part, piece.
see HEBREW for 05408
נֵ֫תַח (ne.tach) — piece.
piece, a piece of flesh or meat
Prep | N-mp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncmpc/Sp3fs