What Does Leviticus 4:7 Mean?

And the priest sets some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of smoke before the LORD, which is in the tent of meeting, and pours out all the blood of the young bull at the foundation of the altar of the rising offering, which is at the opening of the tent of meeting.

Leviticus 4:7 · SDV

Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.

Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.

This verse in the King James

King James wording

King James Version

And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

THE KEY

The same blood marks two altars, on the incense altar’s horns before the LORD and at the burnt-offering altar’s base, joining what is set high with what is poured at the foundation.

THE MEANING

Blood from one bullock reaches two places: some marks the horns of the incense altar before the LORD, and the rest is poured at the base of the burnt-offering altar by the entrance. The verse holds the point before the LORD and the foundation at the threshold within one continuous act.

THE ROOT

מִזְבֵּחַ

mizbēaḥ

GROWS FROM

זבח

To slaughter or sacrifice.

English gives both fixtures the neutral word “altar,” but Hebrew calls each a ⁨מִזְבֵּחַ⁩ (mizbeach), formed from ⁨זבח⁩ (z-b-ḥ), “to slaughter” or “sacrifice.” The blood’s path links the incense altar and the burnt-offering altar through that shared root: the inner horns and the base at the entrance belong to one sacrificial act.

ALSO GROWS

zāvaḥ: To slaughter; to sacrifice.

זָבַח

This verb is the action held inside the name for both altars, even though one altar serves incense.

zevaḥ: A slaughtered offering; a sacrifice.

זֶבַח

The bullock’s offering and the two altars are linked by the same root of sacrifice.

THE PATTERN

Blood is placed on the altar as life given through which covering and cleansing are enacted.

For the living soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make a covering for your living souls, for it is the blood that covers the living soul.

Leviticus 17:11 · SDVThis verse names blood as the life given upon the altar, where covering is enacted.

You take some of the blood of the young bull, and set it upon the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out all the blood at the foundation of the altar.

Exodus 29:12 · SDVIt repeats the movement of blood from the altar’s horns to its base.

And nearly all things are cleansed in blood according to the instruction, and without the pouring out of blood, no release comes.

Hebrews 9:22 · SDVIt states the same connection between shed blood and cleansing, with remission carrying the sense of release.

THE THREAD

And Aaron shall make a covering upon its horns once in a year, with the blood of the offering for falling short, the offering of coverings; once in the year he shall cover it throughout your generations; it is most set apart to the LORD.

Exodus 30:10 · SDV

The altar in both verses is ⁨מִזְבֵּחַ⁩ (mizbeach), from ⁨זבח⁩ (z-b-ḥ), “to slaughter” or “sacrifice,” and Exodus specifies blood on its horns. This places the horns in Leviticus 4:7 within a repeated pattern: the incense altar itself is a surface marked by blood.

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