Leviticus 8:17 · Bible study
Leviticus 8:17 Commentary: Two Words for 'Burn' and Sin's Removal
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Leviticus 8:17 shows the sin offering's hide, flesh, and dung burned outside the camp using a different Hebrew word for burning, signifying sin's complete removal and
Research Summary
- Meaning: The sin offering's hide, flesh, and dung are burned outside the camp, not on the altar, using a different Hebrew verb for burning (saraph vs. qatar).
- Key words: בָּשָׂר (flesh), עֹר (hide), פֶּרֶשׁ (dung/offal), שָׂרַף (to burn, ordinary burning), חוּץ (outside), מַחֲנֶה (camp).
- Main debate: Whether Moses himself burned the carcass or gave orders to others (Aben Ezra cited by Gill); the primary significance (ritual purity vs. typology of Christ).
- Theological theme: Sin must be completely removed from God's dwelling place; the sin offering's disposal prefigures Christ's suffering outside the gate (Hebrews 13:11, 12).
- Best use: Preaching on the seriousness of sin, the obedience of Moses, and the gospel pattern of Jesus bearing our shame outside the city.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung he burned outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded him.
WEB World English Bible 2000
But the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
KJV King James Version 1769
But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord commanded Moses.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he hath burnt with fire, at the outside of the camp, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung he burned with fire outside the camp, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the calf with the skin, and the flesh and the dung, he burnt without the camp, as the Lord had commanded.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas el becerro, y su cuero, y su carne, y su estiércol, quemólo al fuego fuera del real; como Jehová lo había mandado á Moisés.
Mas o bezerro, e seu couro, e sua carne, e seu excremento, queimou-o ao fogo fora do acampamento; como o SENHOR o havia mandado a Moisés.
Mais il brûla au feu hors du camp le taureau, sa peau, sa chair et ses excréments, comme l’ Éternel l’ avait ordonné à Moïse.
Aber den Farren mit seinem Fell, Fleisch und Mist verbrannte er mit Feuer draußen vor dem Lager, wie ihm der HERR geboten hatte.
Maar den var met zijn huid, en zijn vlees, en zijn mest, heeft hij buiten het leger met vuur verbrand, gelijk als de HEERE Mozes geboden had.
Ma il giovenco, la sua pelle, la sua carne e i suoi escrementi, li bruciò col fuoco fuori del campo, come l’Eterno aveva ordinato a Mosè.
A cielca z skórą jego i z mięsem jego i z gnojem jego spalił ogniem precz za obozem, jako był Pan rozkazał Mojżeszowi.
а тельца и кожу его, и мясо его, и нечистоту его сжег на огне вне стана, как повелел Господь Моисею.
惟有 公牛，連 皮 帶 肉 並 糞，用火 燒 在營 外，都是照 耶和華 所吩咐 摩西的。
But the ox, with its skin and its flesh and its waste, was burned with fire outside the tent-circle, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 8:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Leviticus 8:17 describes the disposal of the sin offering's remains, the hide, flesh, and dung, burned outside the camp. This action follows the pattern set in Exodus 29:14 and reappears in Leviticus 4:11, 12 and 16:27. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes a critical linguistic distinction: the Hebrew word for burning inside the camp on the altar (qatar) means “to make into sweet-smelling smoke” and is used for offerings accepted by the Lord. The word for burning outside the camp is saraph, the ordinary Hebrew term for burning as refuse. Matthew Henry observes that the sin offering’s blood sanctified the altar, but the carcass was treated as unclean, removed from the camp. Wesley adds that this hide was not given to the priest, unlike other offerings. The consistent testimony: sin is not a sweet aroma to God; it must be carried away and destroyed.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The hide, flesh, and dung of the sin offering bull were burned outside the camp, not on the altar, and Moses did this in obedience to the LORD's command.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The command to burn outside the camp | All traditions agree the hide, flesh, and dung were to be burned outside the camp, not on the altar. | Some emphasize this as a matter of ritual purity (unclean parts removed from sacred space); others see it primarily as a typological pointer to Christ bearing sin outside Jerusalem. |
| Who performed the burning | Moses acted as the agent: 'he burned with fire.' | Gill cites Aben Ezra's observation that some say Moses did it himself, others that he ordered it done. The text does not specify whether he kindled the fire personally. |
| The significance of the different Hebrew word for 'burn' | The Cambridge Bible notes the Hebrew word for burning on the altar (qatar) differs from the one used here (saraph). | Jewish commentators often focus on the lexical difference as practical; Christian commentators frequently draw a theological contrast between sweet-smelling acceptance and the disposal of sin's refuse. |
| Typological connection to Christ | Hebrews 13:11, 12 explicitly links the burning outside the camp to Jesus' suffering outside the gate. | Some traditions read this as a direct type prophesying Christ; others see it as a New Testament application of an Old Testament pattern rather than a prophecy. |
| Distinction from other sin offerings | Wesley notes that in offerings for the people the priest received the hide, but here it is burned. | The reason: some say because this was a special sin offering for the priests themselves, not for the people, so its disposal was stricter. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within the consecration ceremony of Aaron and his sons, recorded in Leviticus 8. The bull of the sin offering (verse 14) serves to purify the altar and atone for the priests. Its blood is dabbed on the altar’s horns (verse 15); its fat, kidneys, and liver covering are burned on the altar as a sweet aroma (verse 16). Then comes verse 17: the hide, flesh, and dung are burned “outside the camp.”
The “camp” in the wilderness was the ordered community of Israel surrounding the tabernacle. Outside the camp was a place of uncleanness, lepers were sent there (Leviticus 13:46), and executions occurred there (Numbers 15:35, 36). By burning the sin offering’s remains outside, the ritual enacted the removal of sin from the community’s midst. The two different Hebrew verbs for burning underline this: qatar (used of the fat in verse 16) means to turn into incense; saraph (used here) means to consume as refuse. The same distinction holds in Leviticus 9:10, 11 and 4:11, 12.
Moses carries out the command “as Yahweh commanded,” echoing the refrain that runs through the chapter. The book of Leviticus is built on obedience to divine instruction; even the disposal of the carcass is not left to human judgment. Later, the author of Hebrews will take up this imagery: “For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp” (Hebrews 13:11). The writer then applies the pattern to Christ, who suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people through his own blood (Hebrews 13:12). The wilderness camp becomes a picture of the world, and the sin offering’s fate points to the Savior who bears sin’s shame outside the city.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Leviticus 8:17. The verse appears consistently in the Masoretic Text and is quoted verbatim in the Targums and Septuagint (LXX). The phrase "as Yahweh commanded Moses" is a refrain throughout Leviticus 8 and is textually stable.
Reception History
Leviticus 8:17 has been received in Jewish tradition as part of the detailed instructions for the sin offering, emphasizing the removal of impurity from the sanctuary. The Talmud (Yoma 68a) discusses the burning of the sin offering's remains outside the camp as a required procedure. In Christian interpretation, the verse has been linked to Hebrews 13:11, 12 from at least the patristic era. Origen and Chrysostom read the burning outside the camp as a type of Christ's crucifixion outside Jerusalem. The Reformers, Luther and Calvin, saw here the severity of sin and the grace of substitution. The difference between the two Hebrew words for burning (qatar vs. saraph) has been noted by lexicographers and commentators since the medieval period, including Kimchi and Aben Ezra. Hymnody has occasionally referenced “outside the camp” (e.g., “There is a fountain filled with blood”), but the verse itself is seldom the direct subject of hymns.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sin is not a sweet aroma. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the altar as a pleasing smoke, but the hide, flesh, and dung were burned elsewhere. Some parts of our sin can be put to death openly, but the residue must be removed entirely from our presence.
- Sin must be removed from the community. Outside the camp was a place of unclean things. The sin offering’s carcass could not remain inside. Confession and repentance do not merely cover sin; they send it away.
- Complete obedience to God’s instructions. Moses did exactly as the LORD commanded, down to where the carcass was burned. The smallest details of worship matter because they teach us God’s holiness.
Five-point outline
- The sin offering’s blood sanctified the altar, but the body could not stay.
- The hide, flesh, and dung, everything not burned on the altar, was destroyed by fire.
- The location was outside the camp, a place of separation and uncleanness.
- The Hebrew verb for this burning (saraph) differs from the one used for the fat (qatar), marking the difference between acceptance and disposal.
- New Testament writers saw this as a type of Christ’s suffering outside the gate (Hebrews 13:11, 12).
Illustration hooks
- A hospital’s biohazard disposal: infected materials are not treated like ordinary trash; they are incinerated in a separate facility. The sin offering’s disposal outside camp shows that sin is a spiritual biohazard requiring special handling.
- Quarantine: a person with a contagious disease is isolated from the community. The sin offering’s removal outside camp pictures sin as a contamination that cannot be allowed near God’s dwelling.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why couldn’t the hide be given to the priest like in some other offerings? (Wesley notes this distinction: the hide of the sin offering for the people belonged to the priest, but here it is burned.)
- Does this mean Jesus’ death was a sin offering in the same sense? (Point to Hebrews 13:11, 12 and the way the New Testament uses the sin offering imagery.)
- What does “outside the camp” mean for us today when we confess sin? (Separating ourselves from sin, not hiding it, and trusting Christ who bore shame for us.)
Leading a Discussion
This verse seems like a small detail, the disposal of a bull’s carcass. But every detail in the consecration ceremony teaches something about God’s holiness and his way of dealing with sin. The bull’s blood had already been used to purify the altar. The fat had been offered as a sweet aroma. Now the rest must go outside the camp. As you work through these questions, consider what this says about sin’s seriousness and the lengths God goes to so that his people can dwell in his presence.
Discussion questions
- What items are listed in verse 17 that are burned outside the camp? Why do you think each part is named?
- The Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew word for “burned” here is different from the one used for the fat in verse 16. What difference does that make to how we understand the sin offering?
- Read Exodus 29:14 and Leviticus 4:11, 12. What pattern do you see repeated? Why might the place of burning matter so much?
- How does Wesley’s observation that the hide is burned here rather than given to the priest affect the meaning? What does that say about this particular sin offering?
- In what ways does Hebrews 13:11, 12 connect this verse to Jesus? What does “outside the camp” mean in that context?
- If the sin offering’s carcass was removed from the community, what does that suggest about how we should handle sin in our own lives?
- This account emphasizes that Moses did “as Yahweh commanded.” How does obedience to God’s specific instructions shape your view of worship and repentance?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 29:14 | But the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. It is a sin offering. |
| Leviticus 4:11 | He shall carry the bull’s skin, all its meat, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung |
| Leviticus 4:12 | —all the rest of the bull—outside of the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out. |
| Leviticus 4:21 | He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly. |
| Leviticus 6:30 | No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. |
| Leviticus 16:27 | The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire. |
| Galatians 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” |
| Hebrews 13:11 | For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the Hebrew text uses two different words for “burned.” One word, related to “incense,” describes sacrificial burning that produces a pleasing aroma. The other is the ordinary word for burning, used for disposal outside the camp.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note observes that the bullock's hide, flesh, and even the dung were burned entirely outside the camp, not on the altar. This detail underscores the complete removal of the sin offering's impurity from the community, as God commanded Moses, leaving nothing within the camp that might defile it.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes a rabbinic debate over who burned the bullock's remains outside the camp. Some held that Moses did it himself; others believed he ordered servants to do it. Gill considers the second view more probable, but both readings agree that the action followed God's command exactly.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the Levitical priesthood was wholly unique, divinely appointed rather than elected by the people, and its ceremonies—washing, anointing, and sacrifices—were symbolic types pointing to Christ. This priestly system sharply contrasted with the Egyptian priesthood, and its imperfections underscored the need for the true mediator.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees in the blood placed on ear, thumb and toe a picture of total consecration: the priest must hear God's word, do God's work, and walk in God's ways. The order matters too—atonement through the sin offering must come before dedication to service.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes a specific detail in the sacrificial ritual: the animal's hide was not burned with the rest of the offering. Instead, it was given to the priest. This distinction shows a practical provision for the priesthood within the worship system.