Leviticus 4:19 — Word Study
WLCוְאֵ֥ת כָּל־ חֶלְבּ֖וֹ יָרִ֣ים מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְהִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃
BSAAndʼêth he is to removerûwm▸ [take away, lift up] allkôl [every part, the entirety] the fatcheleb [choicest portion, richest part] from itmin and burn [it]qâṭar [offer, make perfume] on the altarmizbêach [place of sacrifice, worship]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֥ת | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| חֶלְבּ֖וֹ | fat its | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| יָרִ֣ים | he will lift up | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| מִמֶּ֑נּוּ | from it | Preposition, suffix |
| וְהִקְטִ֖יר | and he will make [it] smoke | Verb, Hiphil, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃ | the altar towards | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And he is to remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. |
| KJV | And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar. |
| ASV | And all the fat thereof shall he take off from it, and burn it upon the altar. |
| YLT | and all its fat he doth lift up from it, and hath made perfume on the altar. |
| WEB | All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar. |
| BBE | And he is to take off all its fat, burning it on the altar. |
Where they part company is הִקְטִ֖יר — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the action of removing the fat, with a subordinate clause detailing the subsequent action of burning it.



4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbרוּם
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 4:19
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 Sin Offeringsgenerated
Leviticus 4:19 outlines the procedure for a priest regarding the sin offering, emphasizing the removal of fat, which symbolizes the best part of the offering dedicated to God. This practice is part of the broader sacrificial system established for atonement and worship in ancient Israel, where the altar serves as the sacred place for such offerings.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 4:8–10 | Then he shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, |
| 2 | Leviticus 5:6 | and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin. |
| 3 | Leviticus 6:7 | In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.” |
| 4 | Leviticus 12:8 | But if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. Then the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’” |
| 5 | Leviticus 14:18 | The rest of the oil in his palm, the priest is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָרִ֣ים, ya.Rimgenerated
The verb רוּם (ruwm) means 'to lift up' or 'to exalt.' In this context, it indicates the action of removing the fat from the offering. The form is Hiphil, which means it conveys a causative action, suggesting the priest is actively causing the fat to be lifted away from the offering.
This verb is used in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, often in relation to God lifting up the humble or in sacrificial contexts, emphasizing the importance of the act within the ritual.
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 structure of the verse centers around two finite verbs: יָרִ֣ים (he will lift up) and הִקְטִ֖יר (he will make smoke). The first verb governs the action of removing the fat, while the second describes the act of burning it on the altar.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of the priest, with the object of the verbs clearly defined, ensuring the focus is on the offerings made to God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָרִ֣ים as περιελεῖ, meaning 'to take away' or 'to remove.' This word choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of removal in the sacrificial context.
For הִקְטִ֖יר, the LXX uses ἀνοίσει, which conveys the idea of making something smoke or burn, consistent with the ritualistic nature of the offering.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 4:19 gives instructions for a priest on how to handle a sin offering. The priest must remove all the fat from the animal and burn it on the altar, which is a key part of the sacrificial process in worship.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The fat symbolizes the choicest part of the offering, representing the best that is dedicated to God.
Removing the fat signifies the act of offering the best portion to God, as fat is often associated with abundance and richness.
Burning the fat on the altar transforms it into smoke, which is a fragrant offering to God, symbolizing acceptance of the sacrifice.
This verse is part of the laws governing sin offerings, which are essential for atonement and maintaining a right relationship with God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does offering the best parts of our lives to God look like for me today?
- How can I ensure that my actions reflect a dedication to God, similar to the priest's duties?
- In what ways can I offer my life as a fragrant offering to God?
- What does it mean to me to participate in worship through acts of service or sacrifice?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 4:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhen the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLeviticus 4:19 And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn [it] upon the altar.Ver. 19. And he shall take all his fat.] Christ offered himself and the best parts he had, suffering in soul and body.
Read John Trapp on Leviticus 4 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(16-21) The rest of the regulations are exactly the same as those prescribed in the sin offering for the high priest himself in Leviticus 4:5-12.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges19. all the fat thereof] described fully in Leviticus 4:8-10; the parts which were offered in the Peace-Offering.
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 4 →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
And he is to remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.
All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar.
And he is to remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.
“‘Then the priest must take all its fat and offer the fat up in smoke on the altar.
Tyndale line
And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.
And all the fat thereof shall he take off from it, and burn it upon the altar.
And all the fat thereof shall he take off from it, and burn it upon the altar.
And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.
And he shall take all his fat from him, and burne it vpon the altar.
Strictly literal
And all its fat shall he take off from it and burn on the altar.
and all its fat he doth lift up from it, and hath made perfume on the altar.
and he lifts up all its fat from it, and has made incense on the altar.
And all his fat shall he take from him, and burn it upon the altar.
He will cut off all the fat from it and burn it on the altar.
From the Latin
And all the fat thereof he shall take off, and shall burn it upon the altar:
Simplified
Then he shall remove all the fat from the bull and burn it on the altar.
And he is to take off all its fat, burning it on the altar.
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 agree word for word in this verse, confirming the consistency of the sacrificial instructions across these texts. The Septuagint also matches the Hebrew closely in its word-by-word correspondence.
וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־ חֶלְבּ֖וֹ יָרִ֣ים מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְהִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃
7 of the 7 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.
ואת כל חלבו ירים ממנו והקטיר המזבחה
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
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 4:19
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.
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)
Conj | DirObjM — Conjunction · particleHC/To
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
חֵ֫לֶב (cheleb) means fat, referring to both human and animal fat, as well as the choicest parts of agricultural products. It conveys the idea of richness or abundance, highlighting the best or finest portions. The entries consistently emphasize its literal and figurative uses, but do not provide specific verse references.
חֵ֫לֶב n.m. fat
fat of human body
fat of beasts
choicest, best part of products of land
base
H2459 חֵ֫לֶב fat . fat of human body
. fat of beasts
. choicest, best part of products of land
2459 cheleb kheh'-leb
or cheleb {khay'-leb}; from an unused root meaning to be fat;
fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or
choice part:--X best, fat(-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.
חֵ֫לֶב (che.lev) — fat.
1) fat
1a) fat (of humans)
1b) fat (of beasts)
1c) choicest, best part, abundance (of products of the land)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
רוּם (ruwm) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be high or exalted, covering a range of actions such as rising, lifting, and promoting. It can refer to physical elevation, like raising an ark or setting up a throne, as well as figurative exaltation, particularly in relation to God. The word also has a related form, רָמַם (ramam), which means to be wormy.
רוּם vb. be high, exalted, rise
Qal
be high, lit. rock (in fig.)
esp. of י׳
be raised, uplifted
be lifted, rise, of ark
Pō‛lēl
raise, rear, children
cause tree to grow
lift up
exalt, extol, acc. י׳
Pō‛lal be lift up
Hiph.
raise, rear, c. acc., hand
raise poor
lift up voice
(take into one's hand and) lift, take up, stone
set up, erect, stone
set on high, throne
lift up, exalt, c. acc. pers.
lift up and take away, remove
lift off and present, contribute, offer
Hoph. be taken off from; be abolished
Hithpō‛l. and he shall exalt and magnify himself above, etc.; I will raise myself
base
[רָמַם] vb. denom. be wormy;—Ex 16:20
ref
H7311a רוּם be high, exalted, rise .. . be high, lit. rock (in fig.)
. esp. of י׳
. be raised, uplifted
. be lifted, rise, of ark
.. . raise, rear, children
. cause tree to grow
. lift up
. exalt, extol, acc. י׳
.be lift up
. . . . raise, rear, c. acc., hand
. raise poor
. lift up voice
. (take into one's hand and) lift, take up, stone
. set up, erect, stone
. set on high, throne
. lift up, exalt, c. acc. pers.
. lift up and take away, remove
. lift off and present, contribute, offer
. be taken off from; be abolished
. and he shall exalt and magnify himself above, etc.; I will raise myself
H7311b רָמַם vb. denom. be wormy
7311 ruwm room
a primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise (in
various applications, literally or figuratively):--bring up,
exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be,
lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up,
levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, (X a-)loud, mount up, offer
(up), + presumptuously, (be) promote(-ion), proud, set up,
tall(-er), take (away, off, up), breed worms.
רוּם (rum) — to exalt.
1) to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be high, be set on high
1a2) to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted
1a3) to be lifted, rise
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to raise or rear (children), cause to grow up
1b2) to lift up, raise, exalt
1b3) to exalt, extol
1c) (Polal) to be lifted up
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to raise, lift, lift up, take up, set up, erect, exalt, set on high
1d2) to lift up (and take away), remove
1d3) to lift off and present, contribute, offer, contribute
1e) (Hophal) to be taken off, be abolished
1f) (Hithpolel) to exalt oneself, magnify oneself
Aramaic equivalent: rum (רוּם "to rise" H7313)
רָמַם (ra.mam) — be rotten.
(Qal) to be rotten, be wormy
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.
מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal
from, against
מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from
of position, off, on the side of, on
Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex
Partitively
Of time—
as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since
as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after
towards, to
(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to
In comparisons, beyond, above
מן is prefixed to an infin.:
with causal force, from, on account of, through
after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.
with a temporal force, since, after
Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that
In compounds:
base
H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against
. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from
. of position, off, on the side of, on
. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex
. Partitively
. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since
. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after
. towards, to
. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to
. In comparisons, beyond, above
. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through
. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.
. with a temporal force, since, after
. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that
4480 min min
or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)
{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;
hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as
follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason
of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,
since, X then, through, X whether, with.
see HEBREW for 04482
מִן־ (min) — from.
prep
1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than
1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of
1b) out of
1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)
1b2) (of material from which something is made)
1b3) (of source or origin)
1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)
1d) from, since, after (of time)
1e) than, more than (in comparison)
1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or
1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)
1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)
conj
2) that
Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)
מֵן (men) — portion.
n.m.
portion
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word קָטַר (*qatar*) is a verb meaning to smoke or burn, particularly in the context of sacrifices and incense. It has various forms, including nouns for incense (מֻקְטָר, *muqtar*) and incense-altar (מְקַטֵרָה, *meqaterah*). The entries indicate its use in worship practices, with a focus on creating fragrance through fire.
[קָטַר] 116 vb. denom. Pi. Hiph. make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke
Pi. make sacrifices smoke, offer them by burning
Pu. fumigated with myrrh
Hiph.
make sacrifices smoke
cause incense to smoke, offer incense
make smoke upon
Hoph. be made to smoke as a sacrifice
H6999a קָטַר vb. denom. Pi. Hiph. make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke H6999b מֻקְטָר incense H6999c מְקַטֵרָה incense-altar
6999 qatar kaw-tar'
a primitive root (identical with 7000 through the idea of
fumigation in a close place and perhaps thus driving out the
occupants); to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire
(especially as an act of worship):--burn (incense, sacrifice)
(upon), (altar for) incense, kindle, offer (incense, a
sacrifice).
see HEBREW for 07000
קָטַר (qa.tar) — to offer: burn.
: burn
v
1) to sacrifice, burn incense, burn sacrifices, make sacrifices smoke
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to make sacrifices smoke
1a2) to sacrifice
1b) (Pual) to smoke a sacrifice
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make sacrifices smoke
1c2) to cause incense to smoke, offer incense
1c3) to make smoke upon
1d) (Hophal) to be made to smoke
מֻקְטָר (muq.tar) — incense.
v
incense
מְקַטֵרָה (me.qa.te.rah) — incense-altar.
incense-altar
קָטַר (qa.tar) — to offer: offer.
: offer
v
1) to sacrifice, burn incense, burn sacrifices, make sacrifices smoke
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to make sacrifices smoke
1a2) to sacrifice
1b) (Pual) to smoke a sacrifice
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make sacrifices smoke
1c2) to cause incense to smoke, offer incense
1c3) to make smoke upon
1d) (Hophal) to be made to smoke
קָטַר (qa.tar) — to offer: to perfume.
: perfume
v
Conj | V-Hiphil-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/Vhq3ms
מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) means 'altar' in Hebrew. It is derived from the root word meaning to slay or kill, indicating its use in sacrificial contexts. The term is consistently used throughout the Old Testament to refer to places of sacrifice and worship.
מִזְבֵּחַ 401 n.m. altar
base
H4196 מִזְבֵּחַ altar
4196 mizbeach miz-bay'-akh
from 2076; an altar:--altar.
see HEBREW for 02076
מִזְבֵּחַ (miz.be.ach) — altar.
altar
Art | N-ms | Suff — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute · suffixHTd/Ncmsa/Sd
