What Does Leviticus 7:16 Mean?
But if the slaughter of his offering be a vow, or a freely given offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he brings near his slaughter. And on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten.
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.
King James wording
King James Version
But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:THE KEY
A vow and a freely offered gift arrive by different roads, yet both become food that can outlast the day of giving.
THE MEANING
A vow and a voluntary gift come from different intentions, yet both are eaten on the day they are offered and again the next day. What remains is still part of the gift’s reception; the offering’s meaning carries on through the meal.
THE ROOT
נְדָבָה
nedavah
GROWS FROM
נדב
n-d-b
To offer willingly or volunteer; the root also carries the sense of noble willingness.
“freely given offering” in this verse is nedavah. English makes this sound like a category of offering, while the root points to a willing impulse within the giver. The gift is received as food, so that willingness becomes something shared and tasted.
ALSO GROWS
nadiv: Willing; noble or generous
נָדִיב
This branch shows the character of the giver echoed in the free gift: willingness is part of what the offering carries.
nediv lev: Willing-hearted
נְדִיב לֵב
This phrase links free giving to the heart’s readiness, illuminating the offering’s unforced origin.
נֶדֶר
neder
GROWS FROM
נדר
n-d-r
To vow or make a pledged commitment.
A vow begins as a spoken pledge, while the verse describes its offering becoming food. The promised act does not remain only in words; it takes material form and is received across two days.
ALSO GROWS
nadar: To vow or pledge
נָדַר
The verb names the act behind the offering: a vow is a commitment made, not merely an inward intention.
nedarim: Vows
נְדָרִים
The plural keeps the pledged word visible as something carried into action and into the meal.
זֶבַח
zevach
GROWS FROM
זבח
z-b-ch
To slaughter for sacrifice; the root names the sacrificial act and its offering.
“slaughter” in this verse is zevach. The English ‘sacrifice’ can sound like something simply surrendered, but זבח belongs to an act whose offering becomes food. Here, the slain gift is also eaten, holding offering and nourishment together.
ALSO GROWS
zavach: To slaughter or sacrifice
זָבַח
The verb makes the act behind the meal explicit: what is eaten first passes through the sacrificial act.
mizbeach: Altar
מִזְבֵּחַ
This related word names the place of sacrifice and connects the offering’s presentation with its later consumption.
THE PATTERN
An offering becomes food, and its appointed form shapes how that food is received.
And the flesh of the slaughter of his wholeness offerings, for the open hand, shall be eaten the same day that it is brought near. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you stretch out your hand to, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.Look at Israel according to the flesh. Are not those who eat the slain offerings sharers in common of the altar?THE THREAD
And the flesh of the slaughter of his wholeness offerings, for the open hand, shall be eaten the same day that it is brought near. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.Both verses use זֶבַח (zevach), meaning a sacrifice or sacrificial offering. The shared root opens a distinction hidden by the English word ‘sacrifice’: thanksgiving is eaten that day, while a vow or voluntary offering may extend into the next.
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