← Contents Outline of Leviticus

Outline of Leviticus

I. Sacrificial Worship

A. Prescriptions for All Israelites (1:1–6:7 [Heb. 5:26])

1. Burnt Offering (1:1–17)

a. Introduction (1:1–2)

b. Herd Animal Victim (1:3–9)

c. Flock Animal (1:10–13)

d. Bird (1:14–17)

2. Grain Offering (2:1–16)

a. Raw Flour (2:1–3)

b. Cooked (2:4–10)

c. Prohibition of Yeast, Honey; Requirement of Salt (2:11–13)

d. Fresh Heads of Grain (2:14–16)

3. Well-Being Offering (3:1–17)

a. Herd Animal (3:1–5)

b. Flock Animal (3:6–16)

c. Prohibition of Eating Suet/Fat and Blood (3:17)

4. Purification Offering (4:1–35)

a. Introduction (4:1–2)

b. High Priest As Offerer (4:3–12)

c. Community (4:13–21)

d. Chieftain (4:22–26)

e. Commoner (4:27–35)

5. Graded Purification Offering (5:1–13)

a. Cases of Sin (5:1–4)

b. Remedy: Confession and Sacrifice (5:5–6)

c. Alternate Less Expensive Offerings (5:7–13)

6. Reparation Offering (5:14–6:7 [Heb. 5:26])

a. Sacrilege Against Holy Things (5:14–16)

b. Suspected Sacrilege (5:17–19)

c. Sacrilege Against Oaths (6:1–7 [Heb. 5:20–26])

B. Additional Sacrificial Instructions for Priests (6:8 [Heb. 6:1]–7:38)

1. Burnt Offering (6:8–13 [Heb. 6:1–6])

2. Grain Offering (6:14–18 [Heb. 6:7–11])

3. High Priest’s Regular Grain Offering (6:19–23 [Heb. 6:12–16])

4. Purification Offering (6:24–30 [Heb. 6:17–23])

5. Reparation Offering (7:1–6)

6. Portions for Priests (7:7–10)

7. Well-being Offering (7:11–36)

a. Thanksgiving, Votive, and Freewill Offerings (7:11–21)

b. Prohibition of Eating Suet/Fat and Blood (7:22–27)

c. Portions for Priests (7:28–36)

C. Summary (7:37–38)

II. Description of Ceremonies That Founded the Ritual System

A. Consecration of Priests and Sanctuary (8:1–36)

1. Preliminary Assembly of Materials and Persons (8:1–5)

2. Washing, Dressing, Anointing (8:6–13)

3. Sacrifices (8:14–30)

a. Purification and Burnt Offerings (8:14–21)

b. Ordination Offering (8:22–30)

4. Instructions for Priests (8:31–36)

B. Inaugural Service (9:1–24)

1. Preliminary Assembly of Materials and Persons (9:1–7)

2. Sacrifices (9:8–21)

a. Purification and Burnt Offerings for Priests (9:8–14)

b. Purification and Burnt Offerings for Nonpriestly Community (9:15–16)

c. Grain and Well-Being Offerings (9:17–21)

3. Blessing and Divine Acceptance (9:22–24)

C. Tragic Disruption (10:1–20)

1. Mistake and Death of Nadab and Abihu (10:1–7)

2. Responsibility of Priests to Maintain Discernment (10:8–11)

3. Responsibility of Priests to Eat Their Portions (10:12–20)

III. Purity Versus Impurity

A. Distinctions Between Pure (Permitted for Eating) and Impure Animals (11:1–47)

1. Land Animals (11:1–8)

2. Sea Creatures (11:9–12)

3. Birds (11:13–19)

4. Winged Insects (11:20–23)

5. Carcasses That Defile by Touch (11:24–40)

6. Swarmers (11:41–45)

7. Summary (11:46–47)

B. Physical Ritual Impurities from Human Sources (12:1–15:33)

1. Postpartum Genital Discharge (12:1–8)

a. Case of Impurity (12:1–5)

b. Sacrificial Remedy (12:6–8)

2. Scaly-Skin Disease (13:1–14:57)

a. On Persons (13:1–46)

b. On Fabrics = Mold (13:47–59)

c. Ritual Purification of Persons (14:1–32)

d. Diagnosis and Ritual Purification of Houses (14:33–53)

e. Summary (14:54–57)

3. Genital Discharges (15:1–33)

a. Abnormal Male (15:1–15)

b. Normal Male, Including Impurity of Female From Intercourse (15:16–18)

c. Normal Female = Menstruation (15:19–24)

d. Abnormal Female (15:25–30)

e. Concluding Warning and Summary (15:31–33)

IV. Purgation of Sanctuary and Camp on Day of Atonement

A. Preliminary Instructions (16:1–5)

B. Preparatory Ritual Activities (16:6–10)

C. Rituals of Purgation (16:11–28)

1. Purgation of the Sanctuary by Purification Offering Blood (16:11–19)

2. Disposal of Moral Evils from Camp on Azazel’s Goat (16:20–22)

3. Concluding and Postrequisite Ritual Activities (16:23–28)

D. Conclusion: Community Observances, Date, Summary (16:29–34)

V. Holy (Sacrificial) Slaughter

A. Requirement for Sacrificial Slaughter of Sacrificeable Animals (17:1–9)

B. Prohibition of Eating Blood (17:10–14)

C. Requirement for Purification After Eating Unslaughtered Carcasses (17:15–16)

VI. Community Holiness

A. Sexuality (18:1–30)

1. Opening Exhortation (18:1–5)

2. Prohibition of Incest (18:6–18)

3. Prohibitions of Other Misuses of “Seed” = Semen/Child (18:19–23)

4. Closing Exhortation (18:24–30)

B. Comprehensive Life of Holiness (19:1–37)

1. Opening Call to Holiness (19:1–2)

2. Examples of Religious, Social, Ethical, and Agricultural Holiness (19:3–36a)

3. Closing Exhortation (19:36b–37)

C. Terminal Penalties for Inexpiable Offenses (20:1–27)

1. Molech Worship and Occult (20:1–6)

2. Exhortation (20:7–8)

3. Dishonoring/Cursing Parents (20:9)

4. Sexual Offenses (20:10–21)

5. Exhortation (20:22–26)

6. Occult (20:27)

VII. Special Holy Entities

A. Holy Priests (21:1–24)

1. Restrictions on Priests Regarding Mourning and Marriage (21:1–9)

2. Restrictions on High Priest Regarding Mourning and Marriage (21:10–15)

3. Prohibition of Physically Blemished Priests from Officiating (21:16–24)

B. Holy Offerings (22:1–33)

1. Qualifications and Disqualifications for Eating Holy Food (22:1–16)

2. Qualifications and Disqualifications of Animal Sacrifices (22:17–30)

3. Concluding Exhortation (22:31–33)

C. Holy Times (23:1–44)

1. Overall Introduction (23:1–2)

2. Sabbath (23:3)

3. Yearly Festivals (23:4–44)

a. Spring Festivals (23:4–22)

b. Autumn Festivals (23:23–44)

D. Holy Light and Bread (24:1–9)

1. Oil for Sanctuary Lamps (24:1–4)

2. “Bread of the Presence” for Sanctuary Table (24:5–9)

E. Holy Divine Name (24:10–23)

1. Narrative of Brawling Blasphemer (24:10–14)

2. Laws Against Blasphemy and Assault (24:15–22)

3. Conclusion of Narrative (24:23)

F. Holy Land (25:1–55)

1. Sabbatical Year (25:1–7)

2. Jubilee Year (25:8–55)

a. Cyclical Release to Restore Economic Equilibrium (25:8–24)

b. Remedies for Stages of Sold Property, Lost Property, and Slavery (25:25–55)

G. Holy Covenant (26:1–46)

1. Blessings for Obedience to God’s Commandments (26:1–13)

2. Curses for Covenant Violation Through Disobedience (26:14–39)

3. Restoration (26:40–45)

4. Summary (26:46)

H. Holy Consecrations, and Redemption of Them (27:1–34)

1. Consecrations Through Vows (27:1–25)

a. Of Persons (27:1–8)

b. Of Animals (27:9–13)

c. Of Real Estate (27:14–25)

2. Other Holy Items (27:26–33)

3. Summary (27:34)