Contents

Abbreviations
Pronunciation Guide
Series Foreword
Author’s Preface

Introduction to Leviticus
A Book of Worship and Life
Why Leviticus?
God Is Gracious
God Is Holy
Ethics Matter
God Is Present
Leviticus Is about Being God’s People
Reading Leviticus Helps Us Understand the New Testament
Ritual Texts
A Road Map to Leviticus
The Method of This Commentary
The Essays
Using This Commentary
PART 1 (1:1–15:33): RITUALS FOR GOD’S PRESENCE 1A (1:1–7:38): Sacrificial Rituals
Introduction, 1:1-2a
Rituals for Pleasing God: The Whole Burnt Offering, 1:2b-17
Rituals for Pleasing God: The Grain Offering, 2:1-16
Rituals for Pleasing God: The Peace Offering, 3:1-17
Words and Ritual
Sacrifice for Jesus and the Early Church
Grace and Worship
Prayer as Sacrifice
Forgiveness Rituals: Inadvertent Sins, 4:1-35
Forgiveness
In Praise of Negative Commands
Forgiveness Rituals: The Penalty Offering, 5:1–6:7
Forgiveness and Relationships
The Elements of Public Worship
Priestly Instructions for Sacrifice, 6:8–7:38

1B (8:1–10:20): Inauguration of Worship
The Installation of the Priesthood, 8:1-36
The Dedication of the Sanctuary, 9:1-24
A Tragic Act of Worship, 10:1-20
The Apparent Violence of God
Dynasty and Temple
Specialized Functions and the Rest of Us

1C (11:1–15:33): Rituals for Purity
Rituals for Food Impurity, 11:1-47
Birthing Rituals, 12:1-8
Rituals for Blemishes, 13:1–14:57
Rituals for Reproductive Impurities, 15:1-33
Individual Impurity but Social Consequences
Requirements for Entering God’s Presence
Jesus and Paul on Ritual and Social Implications
The Relevance of Purity

PART 2 (16:1–17:16): A HINGE The Day of Cleansing, 16:1-34
What Is Sin?
The Effects of Sin
Getting Rid of Sin
Sin as Understood in the New Testament
Forgiveness Rituals and Purification Rituals

Why Blood Has Power of Removal, 17:1-16
Eating Blood
The Noachian Laws
Eating Blood in the Early Church

PART 3 (18:1–27:34): LIVING IN LIGHT OF GOD’S PRESENCE 3A (18:1–22:33): Holy
Living
Forbidden Sexual Practices, 18:1-30
The Law Gives Life
Paul and the Law
Latent Anti-Semitism
Leviticus and Jesus
Practicing Christians
Holiness in Daily Life, 19:1-37
Love Your Neighbor
Love for Each Other
Holiness as Obedience, 20:1-27
Is Israel Special?
Sexual Prohibitions
The Significance of Sexual Prohibitions
Holiness for Priests, 21:1–22:33
Holy Things, Holy People
New Testament Holiness and Ethics
Holy Places and Holy People

3B (23:1–25:55): Holy Time
Celebrating Religious Festivals, 23:1-44
The Festivals in the Bible
Festivals and the New Testament
Duties and a Case of Blasphemy, 24:1-23
Homicide and Capital Punishment Humans as the Image of God
The Sabbatical and Jubilee Years, 25:1-55
Was the Jubilee Ever Practiced?
The Jubilee Idea
Social Justice and Mission
The Use of Resources

3C (26:1-46): The Promise and Danger of Covenant
Curses and Covenant
Covenant and Continuation
Jews and Christians
Jews, Gentiles, and Christians Today
3D (27:1-34): Addendum: Vows, Dedications, and Tithes

Outline of Leviticus
Essays
Aaron
Anointing
Atonement
Atonement as Transfer
Atonement in Christian Thinking and Leviticus
Bearing/Removing Iniquity or Sin
Blessings and Curses
Calendar
Cleansing Offering
Covenant
Cut Off
Forgiveness
Hebrews and Leviticus
Holy and Holiness
Jubilee Year
Law
Leadership
Levites
Literary Style
Noachian Covenant
Plain-Sense Interpretation
Pure
Radical Reformation and Mennonite Use of Leviticus
Ransom
Sacrificial System in Leviticus
Scapegoat
Sin (see TBC on Lev 16, p. 160)
The Tabernacle
Taboo
The Traditional Western Method of Exegesis
Worship and Ethics
Yahweh
Map of Palestine for Leviticus
Map of the Ancient Near East for Leviticus
Bibliography
Selected Resources
Index of Ancient Sources
The Author

God is gracious, holy, and present. As a book about how to worship and how to live, Leviticus unfurls these critical characteristics of God in relation to humanity. In the thirty-third volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, Old Testament scholar Perry B. Yoder argues that the oft-neglected book of Leviticus discloses valuable truths, symbols, and practices of the New Testament. Traversing difficult interpretive territory such as the sacrificial system, purity laws, and priestly instructions, Yoder writes with a clarity and nuance that will interest a wide swath of readers. He eloquently poses for readers the focal question of Leviticus: how to live in the presence of God.