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Leviticus 1:17

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Leviticus 1:17 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, [but] shall not divide it asunder; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, [but] shall not divide it asunder; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
Leviticus 1:17 — American Standard Version

Context — Leviticus 1

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14And if his oblation to Jehovah be a burnt-offering of birds, then he shall offer his oblation of turtle-doves, or of young pigeons.
15And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be drained out on the side of the altar;
16and he shall take away its crop with the filth thereof, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes:
17and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, [but] shall not divide it asunder; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
← Leviticus 1:16Leviticus 2:1 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, etc.] One wing being on one side, and the other on the other side: but shall not divide it asunder; the body of the bird, though it was cleaved down in the middle, yet not parted asunder, nor any of its wings separated from it; the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, “but shall not separate its wings from it”; this denoted, that though, by the death of Christ, his soul and body were separated from each other, yet the human nature was not separated from his divine Person, the personal union between the two natures still continuing; nor was he divided from his divine Father, though he was forsaken by him, yet still in union with him as the Son of…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“He shall cleave the bird through the whole length, yet so as not to separate the one side from the other. A sweet savour unto the Lord - Yet after all, to love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbour as ourselves, is better than all burnt - offerings and sacrifices. Next: Leviticus Chapter 2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“1:17 tear . . . without tearing it apart: Cutting larger animals into pieces (1:6, 12) probably reflects the ancient rite of covenant-making, in which the participant passed between the two halves of a sacrificed animal (see Gen 15:10). Because of their small size, birds were not cut in half. If it was necessary to pass between them, they were arranged in pairs.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“shall not: Gen 15:10; Psa 16:10; Mat 27:50; Joh 19:30; Rom 4:25; Pe1 1:19-21, Pe1 3:18 it is: Lev 1:9, Lev 1:10, Lev 1:13; Gen 8:21; Heb 10:6-12, Heb 13:15, Heb 13:16 Next: Leviticus Chapter 2”
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Related study paths

Read Leviticus 1 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification