Fat
The Fat of the land
Is the term in Hebrew for fat another one of those common metaphors, metonymies[1], or one of those symbolic rituals representing ideas and concepts?
Leviticus 16:25 "And the fat[2] of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar."
Cheleb חֶלֶב[2] appears about ninety-two times in the Old Testament and consistently points to the rich or choicest part of animal, produce, or land. Although most English versions render it “fat,” the term functions far beyond dietary fat: it denotes the best, the abundance, and the part devoted to the LORD.
While in Leviticus 4:31 we see,
"And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice(zeḇaḥ זֶ֣בַח)[3] of peace offerings(hašəlāmîm הַשְּׁלָמִים֒)[4]; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him."
The same letters for the word fat(חֶלֶב)[2] also mean milk(חֶלֶב)[5] and is a metaphor for abundance.
Leviticus 3:9 And he shall offer(וְהִקְרִ֨יב) of the sacrifice (מִזֶּ֣בַח) of the peace offering an offering made by fire(אִשֶּׁ֣ה) unto the LORD; the fat(הַחֵ֔לֶב) thereof, and the whole rump(הָאַלְיָ֣ה)[6], it shall he take off hard[7] by the backbone <הֶעָצֶ֖ה>; and the fat(הַחֵ֔לֶב) that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards(הַקֶּ֔רֶב),
Since, backbone is also the word for advise and hard can also mean "agreeing with, corresponding to, exactly as, close beside" is it possible this is about the distribution of the value/fat of the offering in agreement with the living stones of the Altar?
The fat, whether literally or figuratively; is the richest or choice or valued part but what makes it a sweet savour is that it is a peace offerings(hašəlāmîm הַשְּׁלָמִים֒)[4] voluntarily given like Melchizedek king of Salem.
When the priest burns it in Fire, and not strange fire, the value is given where it may be used wisely, fervently to bear fruit.
Prohibition on eating fat
The prohibition on eating fat (helev) in Leviticus 3:17, 7:23-25) refers specifically to what is said to mean the suet, or the rich, solid fat covering the vital organs of sacrificial animals (cattle, sheep, goats), not all animal fat.
But what could that mean as a metaphore?
If it was a theological, not dietary, restriction, meaning this "best part" of the animal supposedly belonged exclusively to God, symbolizing that He is owed the finest portion. But God has no appetite for the fat of animals.
The word we see translated is ṯōḵəlū תֹֽאכְל֔וּ which contains AlefKafLamed (אָכַל)[8] and can mean to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
We also see the word לֹ֥א [9]no, none, nay, never.
We see this same word ṯōḵəlū תֹּאכְל֖וּ in Exodus 12:9-11-15-18-20 telling us to eat unleavened bread. We should know that unleavened bread is not about the leaven or yeast but oppression.[10] Jesus also warned[11] us about the bread that came by way of the Corban of the Pharisees and Herod.
Concerning blood
Are the instructions in Leviticus concerning blood sacrifice talking about the liver[12] and squeezing kidney[13] fat out before burning up dead animals on altars of clay and stone just to please God in heaven?
Or are these symbols of a personal connection to or conformity with God and His image or nature?
Leviticus 9:19 “And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth [the inwards], and the kidneys, and the caul [above] the liver:”
Long before the teachings of Christ, there were written community disciplines that understood the need for and the purpose of freewill offerings in the care of society and the cultivation of the social bonds as essential elements of a free society. They were writing that “They shall expiate guilty rebellion and sinful infidelity... without the flesh of burnt offerings and the fat(חֶלֶב)[2] of sacrifice, but the offering of the lips in accordance with the Law will be as an agreeable odor of righteousness, and perfection of the way shall be as the voluntary gift of a delectable oblation.” Community Rule 1QS 9.3-5
Philo Judaeus writes, in his Every Good Man is Free 75, in reference to the Essene, “they do not offer animal sacrifice” and they “are men utterly dedicated to the service of God”.
They served each other and the nation as Moses intended before the apostasy and sophistry of the Pharisees.
The Essenes held all things in common with no personal estate, like Moses' Levites and the early ministers of the Church, and “thanks to their type of community, goods were at any rate so great that they were the only Jewish organization of their time to be able to afford to include nonmembers in their charitable system.”[14]
Appearances
- Strong's Hebrew: 02459. חֵ֫לֶב (cheleb) --
- Strong's Hebrew: 01878. דָּשֵׁן (dashen) -- to be fat, grow fat
- Strong's Hebrew: 0451. אַלְיָה (alyah) -- the fat tail (of sheep)
- Strong's Hebrew: 01880. דָּ֫שֶׁן (deshen) -- fatness, ashes of fat
- ↑ the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse races.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 02459 חֶלֶב cheleb [kheh’-leb] or חלב cheleb [khay’-leb]; from an unused root meaning to be fat; n m; [BDB-316b] [{See TWOT on 651 @@ "651a" }] AV-fat 79, fatness 4, best 5, finest 2, grease 1, marrow 1; 92
- 1) fat
- 1a) fat (of humans)
- 1b) fat (of beasts)
- 1c) choicest, best part, abundance (of products of the land)
- see 02461 חָלָב chalab "milk... abundance of the land (metaph.)";
- 1) fat
- ↑ 02077 זֶבַח ZayinBeitChet zebach [zeh’-bakh] from verb 02076 134 times; n m; [BDB-257a] [{See TWOT on 525 @@ "525a" }] AV-sacrifice 155, offerings 6, offer 1; 162
- 1) sacrifice
- 1a) sacrifices of righteousness
- 1b) sacrifices of strife
- 1c) sacrifices to dead things
- 1d) the covenant sacrifice
- 1e) the passover
- 1f) annual sacrifice
- 1g) thank offering
- 1) sacrifice
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 08002 ^םלשׁ^ shelem \@sheh’- lem\@ from 07999 שָׁלַם shalam to be in a covenant of peace; n m; AV-peace offerings 81, peace 6; 87
- 1) peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship
- 1a) voluntary sacrifice of thanks
- 07999 שָׁלַם shalam make peace; 08000 שְׁלַם shëlam finish; 08001 שְׁלָם shëlam welfare, (from 07965 שָׁלוֹם shalowm welfare, safe, health); 08002 שֶׁלֶם shelem peace offering; 08003 שָׁלֵם shalem complete, safe, peaceful, perfect, whole; 08004 שָׁלֵם Shalem Melchizedek's polis; 08005 שִׁלֵּם shillem recompense; 08006 שִׁלֵּם Shillem repaid; 08008 שַׂלְמָה salmah garment and 08010 שְׁלמֹה Shëlomoh which is the name of Solomon, from 07965 שָׁלוֹם shalowm translated peace 175, well 14, peaceably 9, welfare 5,
- 1) peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship
- ↑ 02461 חָלָב chalab [khaw-lawb’] from the same as 02459; n m; [BDB-316a] [{See TWOT on 650 @@ "650a" }] AV-milk 42, cheeses 1, sucking 1; 44
- 1) milk, sour milk, cheese
- 1a) milk
- 1b) abundance of the land (metaph.)
- 1c) white (as milk)
- 1) milk, sour milk, cheese
- ↑ 0451 אַלְיָה ‘alyah [al-yaw’] AlefLamedYodHey from 0422 אָלָה translated swear, curse, adjure(Said to be in the original sense of strength); n f; [BDB-46b] [{See TWOT on 95 @@ "95a" }] AV-rump 5; 5
- 1) tail, fat-tail (of sheep-an Eastern delicacy)
- Same root letters as (אֵלִיָּה AlefLamedYodHey) Elijah 0452
- 0421 אָלָה ‘alah lament; 0422 אָלָה ‘alah to swear; 0423 אָלָה ‘alah curse or oath; 0424 אַלָּה under the oak, also valley where Goliath was killed, from 0352 אַיִל ‘ayil Ram; 0425 אֵלָה Elah, Edomite chief; 0426 אַלָהּ ‘elahh (Aramaic) God or gods; 0427 אַלָּה ‘allah under the oak; 0428 אֵלֶּה ‘el-leh and 0429 אֵלֶּה ‘elleh these; First three letters of אֱלהִים ‘elohiym ruling judge God or gods.
- ↑ 05980 עֻמָּה ‘ummah oom-maw’ from 06004 עָמַם ‘amam AyinDouble Mem; n f; [BDB-769b] {See TWOT on 1640 @@ "1640f" } AV-against 26, beside 2, answerable 1, at 1, hard 1, points 1; 32
- 1) juxtaposition
- 1a) used only as a prep
- 1a1) close by, side by side with, alongside of, parallel with
- 1a2) agreeing with, corresponding to, exactly as, close beside
- 1a3) correspondingly to
- 1a) used only as a prep
- 1) juxtaposition
- ↑ 0398 ^לכא^ ‘akal \@aw-Kal’\@ a primitive root AlefKafLamed; v; {See TWOT on 85} AV-eat 604, devour 111, consume 32, misc 55; 810
- 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to eat (human subject)
- 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)
- 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)
- 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)
- 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects i.e., pestilence, drought)
- 1a6) to devour (of oppression)
- 1b) (Niphal)
- 1b1) to be eaten (by men)
- 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)
- 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)
- 1c) (Pual)
- 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with
- 1c2) to cause to devour
- 1d) (Hiphil)
- 1d1) to feed
- 1d2) to cause to eat
- 1e) (Piel)
- 1e1) consume
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed
- ↑ 03808 ^אל^ lo’ \@lo\@ or ^אול^ low’ \@lo\@ or ^הל^ loh (#De 3:11) \@lo\@
a primitive particle; adv; {See TWOT on 1064} AV-not, no, none, nay, never, neither, ere, otherwise, before; 76
- 1) not, no
- 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
- 1b) not (with modifier-negation)
- 1c) nothing (subst)
- 1d) without (with particle)
- 1e) before (of time)
- 1) not, no
- ↑ Bread of oppression
- Matthew 16:6 "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees... 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning daily bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade [them] not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
- Mark 8:15 "And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and [of] the leaven of Herod."
- Matthew 16:11 "How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?"
- Mark 8:15 "And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod."
- Luke 12:1 "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
- Jesus and John the Baptist opposed the leaven of Herod, the Pharisees and of the Sadducees because they misinterpreted the way of Moses and the LORD. They collected the resources for their tables of welfare, their social safety net of free bread and care for the needy of society through forced offerings. Peter, Paul, David, and the prophets have been warned us that such covetous practices were setting a snare and a trap. Herod and the Pharisees had set up a system of legal charity rather than fervent charity which always makes the word of God to none effect so that Christ would say the kingdom of God shall be taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits. We should know that their system "degenerates" the "masses" until they become "perfect savages". Legal charity and its benefits and dainties provided through men who exercise authority are the wages of unrighteousness and the covetous practices that makes men merchandise and will curse children.
- ↑ Beware of that leaven
- Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees... 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
- Mark 8:15 "And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod."
- Luke 12:1 "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."
- ↑ 03516 כָּבֵד kabed [kaw-bade’] KufBeitDalet the same as 03515 כָּבֵד kabed great 03514 כֹּבֶד kobed heavy from 03513 כָּבַד kabad honor; from 03513 כָּבַד kabad honor; n f; [BDB-458a] [{See TWOT on 943 @@ "943b" }] AV-liver 14; 14
- 1) the liver
- 1a) the liver (as the heaviest organ)
- 1) the liver
- ↑ 03629 כִּלְיָה kilyah [kil-yaw’] KafLamedYodHey or (plural) כליות KafLamedYodVavTav from 03627 KafLamedYod AV-vessel, instrument, weapon. (only pl.); which is from 03615 KafLamedHey AV-consume, end, finish. n f p; [BDB-480a] [{See TWOT on 983 @@ "983a" }] AV-kidneys 18, reins 13; 31
- 1) kidneys
- 1a) of physical organ (lit.)
- 1b) of seat of emotion and affection (fig.)
- 1c) of sacrificial animals
- 1) kidneys
- ↑ The Library of Qumran : On the Essenes, Qumran, John the Baptist, and Jesus, written by Hartmut Stegemann, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands, 1993 / 1998:(pp. 186 - 187)