Leviticus Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Leviticus.
When God came in glory to dwell in the tabernacle, it marked the close of the book of Exodus (40:34–38). Leviticus begins with God calling Moses from the tabernacle and ends with God’s commands to Moses in the form of binding legislation. The people of Israel stay at the foot of Sinai throughout Leviticus (25:1; 26:46; 27:34).
Jump to: Background-Outlines; ** Maps; ** Encyclopedia; ** Key Words; ** Commentaries; ** Articles; ** GotQuestions ** Feasts **Next **Leviticus Basics
- Main themes: Holiness, especially “You shall be holy , for I the Lord your God am holy” (Lev 19:2; “I am the Lord” appears 42 times in Leviticus 18-26).
- Also the need for forgiveness, fellowship with God, the importance of worship and the connection between worship and ethics.
- The aim of the laws is fellowship with the Holy God.
Leviticus Structure
- Legal: Leviticus 1-7; Types of sacrifices
- Narrative: Leviticus 8-10; Ordination of priest and sacrifices
- Legal: Leviticus 11-15; Purity Laws
- Narrative: Leviticus 16; Day of Atonement established
- Legal: Leviticus 17-26; “Holiness code”
- Narrative: Leviticus 27; appendix on vow requirements
Outline
- Chapters 1-7 – Sacrifices
- Chapters 8-10 – Institution of the priesthood
- Chapters 11-15 – Clean/unclean in daily life
- Chapter 16 – Day of Atonement (literary and theological center of the book)
- Chapters 17-20 – Holy/profane in daily life
- Chapters 21-22 – Legislation for the priesthood
- Chapters 23-27 – Festivals / sacred time
A simple outline for the first six chapters of Leviticus
- Burnt Offering: —Leviticus 1:1-17
- Grain Offering: —Leviticus 2:1-16
- Fellowship Offering: —Leviticus 3:1-17
- Sin Offering:—Leviticus 4:1-5:13
- Guilt Offering:—Leviticus 5:14-6:7
Principles for interpreting OT Law: See How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Fee & Stuart, page 147.
Background & Outlines
Chart: Bible History at a glance
Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline
Jensen’s Survey of the Old Testament
Bible Atlas: Mount Horeb/Sinai
Introduction to the Pentateuch
Ray C Stedman: Overview of the Book
John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
ESV The Global Message of Leviticus
Ligonier: Introduction to Leviticus
Ligonier: Introduction to the Pentateuch
NIV: Introduction to Leviticus
Biblehub: Timeline of Leviticus
Leviticus Quotes in the New Testament
James van Dine: Analysis of Leviticus
David Malick (Bible.org): Introduction to Leviticus
David Malick: Argument of the Book of Leviticus
Jewish Feasts
Hebrew4Christians: A Simplified overview of the Feasts of the Lord
Passover (Pesach) – Nisan (Lev 23:4,5)
Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotzi) – Nisan (Lev 23:6-8)
First Fruits (Yom habikkurim) – Nisan (Lev 23:9-14)
Pentecost (Shavu’ot) – Sivan (Lev 23:15-22)
Trumpets (Yom Teru’ah) – Tishri (Lev 23:23-25)
Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Tishri (Lev 23:26-32)
Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Tishri (Lev 23:33-44)
More: Introduction to Jewish Feasts
Maps – Route of the Exodus
Route of the Exodus – Studylight.org
Route of Exodus from Egypt – Insight for Living
Route of Exodus – Holman Bible Atlas
Route of the Exodus – Bible-History online
Tabernacle Diagram – source unknown
Expulsion of the Hyksos – Holman Bible Atlas
Egypt and Palestine in the Late Bronze Age – Holman Bible Atlas
Sites in the Amarna Archive (Akhetaton; Tell el-Amarna) – Holman Bible Atlas
Campaigns of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II – Holman Bible Atlas
Canaan in the 14th Century: The Tell el-Amarna Tablets – Holman Bible Atlas
The Egyptian Empire and the Hittites – Holman Bible Atlas
Egyptian Empire and Balance of Power, ca. 1400 BCE – Holman Bible Atlas
The Route of the Exodus – Holman Bible Atlas
Events during the Sojourn at Kadesh-Barnea – Holman Bible Atlas
Journey of the Spies – Holman Bible Atlas
The Journey from Kadesh-Barnea to the Plains of Moab – Holman Bible Atlas
Exodus from Egypt (Map 3) – English Standard Version Bible
Key words in Leviticus
Holy (90x/76v; with forms of the root for holy 152x; more than in any OT book) – 2:3, 10; 5:15f; 6:16f, 25-27, 29f; 7:1, 6; 8:9; 10:3, 10, 12f, 17; 11:44-45; 14:13; 16:2-4, 16f, 20, 23f, 27, 32f; 19:2, 8, 24; 20:3, 7, 26; 21:6-8, 22; 22:2-4, 6f, 10, 14-16, 32; 23:2-4, 7f, 20f, 24, 27, 35-37; 24:9; 25:12; 27:9f, 14, 21, 23, 28, 30, 32f;
Atonement (51x/45v) – 1:4; 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7, 30; 7:7; 8:15, 34; 9:7; 10:17; 12:7f; 14:18-21, 29, 31, 53; 15:15, 30; 16:6, 10f, 16-18, 24, 27, 30, 32-34; 17:11; 19:22; 23:27f; 25:9
Offering (326x/199v) – 1:2-4, 6, 9f, 13f, 17; 2:1-16; 3:1-3, 5-9, 11f, 14, 16; 4:3, 7f, 10, 14, 18, 20f, 23-26, 28-35; 5:6-8, 15f, 18f; 6:5f, 9f, 12, 14f, 17f, 20f, 23, 25, 30; 7:1f, 5, 7-11, 13-16, 18, 20f, 25, 29f, 32-35, 37f; 8:2, 14, 18, 21, 27-29, 31; 9:2-4, 7f, 10, 12-18, 21f, 24; 10:12-17, 19; 12:6, 8; 14:10, 12-14, 17, 19-22, 24f, 28, 31; 15:15, 30; 16:3, 5f, 9, 11, 15, 24f, 27; 17:4f, 8; 19:5, 21f, 24; 21:6, 21; 22:12, 18, 21-23, 25, 27; 23:8, 12-14, 25, 27, 36-38; 24:7, 9; 27:9, 11
Tent of meeting (43x/41v) – 1:1, 3, 5; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4f, 7, 14, 16, 18; 6:16, 26, 30; 8:3f, 31, 33, 35; 9:5, 23; 10:7, 9; 12:6; 14:11, 23; 15:14, 29; 16:7, 16f, 20, 23, 33; 17:4ff, 9; 19:21; 24:3
Law (16x/16v) –6:9, 14, 25; 7:1, 7, 11, 37; 11:46; 12:7; 13:59; 14:2, 32, 54, 57; 15:32
Sacrifice (41x/34v) –3:1, 3, 6, 9; 4:10, 26, 31, 35; 7:11-13, 15-18, 20f, 29, 32, 34, 37; 9:4, 18; 10:14; 17:5, 7f; 19:5; 22:21, 24, 27, 29; 23:19, 37
Anoint (17x/15v) –Lev 4:3, 5, 16; 6:20, 22; 7:36; 8:2, 10-12, 30; 10:7; 16:32; 21:10, 12
Sin (111x/90v) – Lev 4:2f, 8, 14, 20-29, 32-35; 5:1, 5-13, 15-18; 6:2-4, 17, 25f, 30; 7:7, 37f; 8:2, 14; 9:2f, 7f, 10, 15, 22; 10:16-19; 12:6, 8; 14:13, 19, 22, 31; 15:15, 30; 16:3, 5f, 9, 11, 15f, 21, 25, 27, 30, 34; 19:17, 22; 20:20; 21:21; 22:9; 23:19; 24:15; 25:1, 27; 26:18, 21, 24, 28, 46; 27:34
Iniquity (10x/8v) – 7:18; 16:21f; 19:8; 26:39-41, 43
Death (17/16v) –Lev 16:1; 19:20; 20:2, 4, 9-11, 15f, 27; 24:16f, 21; 27:29
Die (15x) – 7:24; 8:35; 10:2, 6f, 9; 11:39; 15:31; 16:1f, 13; 17:15; 20:20; 22:8f
Blood (86x/65v) –Lev 1:5, 11, 15; 3:2, 8, 13, 17; 4:5-7, 16-18, 25, 30, 34; 5:9; 6:27, 30; 7:2, 14, 26f, 33; 8:15, 19, 23f, 30; 9:9, 12, 18; 10:18; 12:4f, 7; 14:6, 14, 17, 25, 28, 51f; 15:19, 25; 16:14f, 18f, 27; 17:4, 6, 10-12; 18:6, 12f, 17; 19:26; 20:18f; 25:49
Sabbath (13x/10v) – Lev 16:31; 23:3, 11, 15f, 32; 24:8; 25:2, 4, 6
The LORD spoke to Moses (28x) – 4:1; 5:14; 6:1, 8, 19, 24; 7:22, 28; 8:1; 12:1; 13:1; 14:1; 16:1; 17:1; 18:1; 19:1; 20:1; 21:16; 22:1, 17, 26; 23:9, 23, 26, 33; 24:1, 13; 27:1
Jubilee (20x/18v) – Lev 25:10-13, 15, 28, 30f, 33, 40, 50, 52, 54; 27:17-18, 21, 23-24
Consecrate (24x/23v) Lev 6:18, 27; 7:35; 8:10-12, 15, 30; 11:44; 12:4; 16:19; 20:7; 21:8, 10; 25:10; 27:14-19, 22, 2
Covenant (10x/8v) – 2:13; 24:8; 26:9, 15, 25, 42, 44f
Fat (52x/33v) – 3:3f, 9f, 14-17; 4:8f, 19, 26, 31, 35; 6:12; 7:3f, 23-25, 30f, 33; 8:16, 25f; 9:10, 19f, 24; 10:15; 16:25; 17:6
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Leviticus
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Theology of Leviticus
American Tract Society Leviticus
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Leviticus
Chabad Knowledge Base Leviticus
Easton’s Bible Dictionary Leviticus
Fausset Bible Dictionary Leviticus
Holman Bible Dictionary Leviticus
Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible Leviticus
Hawker’s Poor Man’s Dictionary Leviticus
Watson’s Theological Dictionary Leviticus
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Leviticus
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Leviticus
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Leviticus
McClintock and Strong’s Bible Encyclopedia Leviticus
The Nuttall Encyclopedia Leviticus
The Catholic Encyclopedia Leviticus
The Jewish Encyclopedia Leviticus
Bible Survey: Book of Leviticus
Feasts & Festivals
American Church Dictionary Feasts or festivals
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Festivals
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Moon, New, Festival of Feasts and Festivals of Israel
Holman Bible Dictionary Festivals
Smith Bible Dictionary Festivals
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Festival
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Festivals
The Jewish Encyclopedia Festivals
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Type, Typology
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Offerings and Sacrifices
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Priest, Priesthood
Leprosy
Medical Article – Biblical Leprosy- A Suggested Interpretation (In depth – 25 page article)
Why is leprosy talked about so much in the Bible?
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Leprosy
Leprosy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leprosy- Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia
Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) – CDC
Journal Articles & Online Books
Key: The Levitical Dietary Laws in the Light of Modern Science
Masterman: Hygiene and Disease in Palestine in Modern and Biblical Times, Part 1
Masterman: Hygiene and Disease in Palestine in Modern and Biblical Times, Part 2
Masterman: Hygiene and Disease in Palestine in Modern and Biblical Times, Part 3
Kidner: Sacrifice in the Old Testament. Tyndale Press, 1952 (26 page article)
Keller: Are We Still Under the Law?
Kurtz: Sacrificial Worship of the Old Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark [reprinted Baker, 1980]
Leder: Leviticus – Reading and Hearing Leviticus – Why Is It Not Preached
Alfred Edersheim on Leviticus:
Leviticus 23 Feast of Unleavened Bread & Day of Pentecost (cp Acts 2)
Festive Cycles and Arrangement of the Calendar
The Paschal Feast and the Lord’s Supper
The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Day of Pentecost
The New Moons: The Feast of the Seventh New Moon, or of Trumpets, or New Year’s Day
Commentaries
Ligionier.org Best Commentaries: Leviticus
Tim Challies Best Commentaries: Leviticus
Commentary Reviews: Leviticus
Biblehub Commentaries: Leviticus
Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: Leviticus
Matthew Henry: Leviticus
Albert Barnes Notes: Leviticus
Reformation Study Bible Notes: Leviticus
Geneva Study Bible: Leviticus
Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Leviticus
Got Questions.org
What was the purpose of the Levitical Law?
How did Jesus fulfill the meanings of the Jewish feasts?
Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament law?
What is the documentary hypothesis?
Why did God require animal sacrifices in the Old Testament?
What does the Bible mean when it says something is unclean?
What is the difference between the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the judicial law in the Old Testament?
Does God view unintentional sin differently?
Why would the aroma of a sacrifice be important to God?
Why did the time period of being unclean end in the evening?
What was the firstfruits offering? Should Christians give a firstfruits offering today?
Why were the people guilty for a priest’s sin?
Why was the fire in the altar to burn continuously (Leviticus 6:13)?
What is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)?
What is the meaning of the strange fire in Leviticus 10:1?
Why was it bad that Aaron and his sons burned the sin offering in Leviticus 10:16–20?
What does the Bible say about what foods we should eat?
Why does the Bible say that rabbits chew the cud? Is this an error in the Bible?
What laws were given to Israel in exact response to pagan practices?
Is it wrong to have a relationship with a close relative?
What does the Bible mean by “an eye for an eye”?
What were the Urim and Thummim?
Why were non-Israelites allowed to participate in the sacrificial system?
Why does the Bible speak against wearing clothing made of different types of fabric?
Did the high priest have a rope tied to him when he entered the Holy of Holies?
Does the Bible really say that parents should have their rebellious children stoned?
Didn’t the Old Testament punish blasphemy with death? How is that different from radical Islam?
How did the Israelites deny themselves in Leviticus 23:27?
What was a sacred stone in Leviticus?
Why was the redemption price for men and women different in Leviticus 27:3–8?
Next: Numbers
Previous: Exodus
Series: Resources by Book
Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash