Book 3 of 66 · Old Testament

Leviticus

The laws of worship and holiness — the offerings, the priesthood, and how Israel was to be set apart.

27 chapters859 versesWritten in HebrewSet Mount Sinai (c. 1440 BC)

Overview

Leviticus is the ritual heart of the Torah. Given at Mount Sinai, it lays out how Israel — now with a tabernacle in its midst — is to worship and live as a people set apart to God: the system of offerings, the ordination of the priests, the difference between clean and unclean, the Day of Atonement, and the "holiness code" of the later chapters. Its refrain is "Be holy, for I am holy."

Book facts

Author: Moses, by traditionThe third book of the Torah, traditionally credited to Moses.
Date written: c. 1400 BC (traditional)The traditional date; many scholars date the writing later.
Original language: HebrewHebrew law and ritual instruction.
Setting: Mount Sinai (c. 1440 BC)Given to Israel at the mountain, before they set out for the land.

How it came to be

Leviticus is the third book of the Torah and names no author within it. Tradition credits Moses; it continues directly from the end of Exodus, at Mount Sinai.

Its name comes from the Levites, the priestly tribe whose duties it describes.

What is arguedWhether Moses wrote it and when. Scholars debate how its ritual laws were gathered and how old they are.

The whole book, chapter by chapter

Chapter	What happens	Who is in it
The offerings — the system of sacrifices, chapters 1–7
Chapter 1The burnt offering	The law of the burnt offering, given wholly to God.
Chapter 2The meat offering	The law of the grain ("meat") offering.
Chapter 3The peace offering	The law of the peace, or fellowship, offering.
Chapter 4The sin offering	The offering for unintentional sin.
Chapter 5The trespass offering	The offering for guilt and restitution.
Chapter 6The law of the offerings	Further instructions to the priests on the offerings.	,
Chapter 7The priests' portion	The priests' share of the offerings.	,
The priesthood — Aaron and his sons set apart, chapters 8–10
Chapter 8The consecration of Aaron	Aaron and his sons are ordained as priests.	,
Chapter 9The first offerings	Aaron offers the first sacrifices, and God's glory appears.	,
Chapter 10Nadab and Abihu	Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire and are struck dead.	, , ,
Clean and unclean — purity in daily life, chapters 11–15
Chapter 11Clean and unclean beasts	Which animals may and may not be eaten.	,
Chapter 12Purification after childbirth	The purification of a woman after childbirth.
Chapter 13The law of leprosy	How the priests are to examine skin diseases and mould.	,
Chapter 14The cleansing of lepers	The ritual for cleansing a healed leper.	,
Chapter 15Bodily issues	Laws about bodily discharges and cleanness.	,
The holiness code — atonement and holy living, chapters 16–27
Chapter 16The day of atonement	The great Day of Atonement, when the high priest cleanses the sanctuary and a scapegoat carries sin away.	,
Chapter 17The blood of sacrifices	Sacrifice is to be brought to one place, and blood is not to be eaten.
Chapter 18Unlawful relations	Laws forbidding immoral relationships.
Chapter 19Holiness laws	A wide range of laws on holy living — "love thy neighbour as thyself."
Chapter 20Penalties for defilement	The penalties for breaking the holiness laws.
Chapter 21Rules for priests	Special rules of holiness for the priests.	,
Chapter 22The holy things	How the priests are to handle the holy offerings.	,
Chapter 23The feasts of the LORD	The yearly feasts — Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.
Chapter 24The lamps and the shewbread	The tabernacle lamps and bread, and a case of blasphemy.
Chapter 25The year of jubile	The sabbath year and the year of jubilee, when debts are released and land returns.
Chapter 26Blessings and curses	The blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience.
Chapter 27Vows and valuations	The rules for vows and dedicating things to God.

All 27 chapters. Start reading →

Worth knowing

Key people

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Key places

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Known for

Some of the book's best-known lines — tap the verse to read it.

"Love thy neighbour as thyself"Leviticus 19:18
"Be holy, for I am holy"Leviticus 19:2
The Day of Atonement scapegoatLeviticus 16:22
The year of jubileeLeviticus 25:10