Hebrew Word Reference — Leviticus 7:22
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Definition: : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
Usage: Occurs in 1049 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work. See also: Genesis 8:15; Exodus 12:25; Leviticus 23:9.
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Definition: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Usage: Occurs in 4205 OT verses. KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in). See also: Genesis 1:9; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 31:13.
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Definition: A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10; son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115); brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855); father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?) § Moses = "drawn" the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus
Usage: Occurs in 704 OT verses. KJV: Moses. See also: Exodus 2:10; Exodus 13:1; Exodus 32:21.
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
Context — Fat and Blood Forbidden
20But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.
21If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.”
22Then the LORD said to Moses,
23“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘You are not to eat any of the fat of an ox, a sheep, or a goat.
24The fat of an animal found dead or mauled by wild beasts may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.
Leviticus 7:22 Summary
This verse shows that God is about to give Moses some new instructions for the Israelites. The Lord wants His people to be holy and set apart, and He gives them rules to follow so they can stay close to Him. Just like the Israelites needed to listen to God's instructions to maintain their relationship with Him, we can learn to listen to God's voice in our lives through prayer and reading the Bible, as encouraged in Psalm 1:1-3 and Matthew 4:4. By following God's commands and seeking to please Him, we can deepen our relationship with Him and become more like Jesus, as seen in Ephesians 5:1-2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of the Lord speaking to Moses in this verse?
The Lord speaking to Moses in Leviticus 7:22 indicates that God is about to give a new instruction or command to the Israelites through Moses, as seen in other instances like Exodus 3:4 and Numbers 12:6-8.
How does this verse relate to the previous warnings about eating peace offerings while unclean?
The Lord's speech to Moses in Leviticus 7:22 serves as a transition to further instructions on maintaining ritual purity, as the previous verses warned about the consequences of eating peace offerings while unclean, such as in Leviticus 7:20-21.
What can we learn about God's character from this verse?
This verse shows that God is a God of order and instruction, as He speaks to Moses to guide the Israelites in their actions, demonstrating His care for their well-being and desire for a holy people, as stated in Leviticus 11:44-45.
How does this verse fit into the broader context of the book of Leviticus?
Leviticus 7:22 is part of a larger section on the rules for peace offerings and ritual purity, highlighting God's concern for the Israelites' relationship with Him and their distinction from other nations, as seen in Leviticus 20:24-26.
Reflection Questions
- What does it mean for God to speak to us today, and how can we hear His voice in our lives?
- In what ways can we, like the Israelites, maintain ritual purity in our daily lives and relationships with God?
- How can we balance the desire for God's guidance with the need for obedience to His commands, as seen in this verse and others like Psalm 119:1-8?
- What are some ways we can apply the principle of separating ourselves from uncleanness, as warned against in the surrounding verses, to our own lives and relationships?
Gill's Exposition on Leviticus 7:22
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... Continued speaking to him: saying; as follows.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 7:22
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat.
Trapp's Commentary on Leviticus 7:22
Leviticus 7:22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,Ver. 22. And the Lord spake unto Moses.] This is oft repeated to draw attention and get authority. See 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
Ellicott's Commentary on Leviticus 7:22
(22) And the Lord spake unto Moses.—This formula introduces a fresh communication made to the lawgiver (Leviticus 7:22-27), containing explanations and restrictions of the precept laid down in Leviticus 3:17, about the fat and blood of animals. The section before us, therefore, supplements and expands the previous law upon the same subject, just as the foregoing section supplemented and expanded the regulations about the different sacrifices.
Cambridge Bible on Leviticus 7:22
Fat and Blood prohibited (22–27) The Peace-Offering being the only sacrifice which was partly consumed by the offerer, any rule as to portions of the animal that were not to be eaten would appropriately be added to the regulations concerning this sacrifice. Accordingly, in ch. 3, which treats of the Peace-Offering, the prohibition of fat and blood occurs in a short form (Leviticus 7:17). It is repeated here in connexion with the preceding regulations about Peace-Offerings. The fat which is prohibited is that contained in the portions reserved as an offering made by fire unto the Lord, described at length in chs. 3, 4 and Leviticus 7:3-5. They were the same in the Peace-, Guilt-, and Sin-Offerings. The ordinary fat found with the flesh was not forbidden. Leviticus 7:25 explains that the portions which in a sacrifice are set apart for the Lord must not be consumed as food by man, even when the animals were not suitable to be offered on the altar, as in the case of that which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts. If the animal were fit to be offered, according to Leviticus 17:4-5, it must when killed be brought before the Lord, and these portions would be burnt on the altar by the priest. The prohibition extends only to the ox, sheep, or goat, i.e. to the animals which were brought for sacrifice, but the prohibition of blood (Leviticus 7:26) is more general. No manner of blood may be eaten, whether of fowl or beast.
It is of permanent obligation (Leviticus 3:17). The command is given to Noah, Genesis 9:4 (P), and is repeated in this book, Leviticus 17:10-14. Cp. 1 Samuel 14:32-34. The prohibition of blood was enforced among the Arabs by Mohammed. See J. M. Rodwell’s Koran2, Sur. 2. [xci. The Cow] 168.