Leviticus 7:28-34 - Exposition

Continuation of the ritual of the peace offerings (see note on Le Leviticus 3:1 ). The equal dignity of the peace offerings with the other offerings is vindicated by the command that the offerer shall bring it with his own hands , whereas it might have been regarded as merely the constituent part of a feast, and so sent by the hand of a servant. The breast and the right shoulder were to be waved and heaved (for "heaved" does not merely mean" taken off," as some have said). The waving consisted of the priest placing his hands beneath those of the offerer who held the piece to be waved, and moving them slowly backwards and forwards before the Lord, to and from the altar; the heaving was performed by slowly lifting the pieces heaved upwards and downwards. The movements were made to show that the pieces, though not burnt on the altar, were yet in a special manner consecrated to God's service. The right shoulder was most probably the hind leg, perhaps the haunch. The Hebrew word is generally translated "leg" ( Deuteronomy 28:35 ; Psalms 147:10 ). This part was the perquisite of the officiating priest; the waved breast was given to the priests' common stock. Afterwards an addition was made to the priests' portion ( Deuteronomy 18:3 ; see 1 Corinthians 9:13 ).