“But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Leviticus 1:9 Mean?
This verse describes the final stage of the burnt offering — the olah, from the Hebrew root meaning "to ascend." The entire animal goes up in smoke to God. Unlike other sacrifices where portions were eaten by priests or worshippers, the burnt offering was completely consumed. Nothing was held back.
The washing of the inwards and legs is a detail that reveals God's concern with purity even in the act of sacrifice. The internal organs and the legs — the parts that would have been soiled by the animal's waste — had to be cleaned before they touched the altar. God would not accept an offering that was carelessly presented, even if the act of giving it was sincere. The offering had to be whole, clean, and intentional.
The phrase "a sweet savour unto the LORD" — re'ach nichoach — is striking. It literally means a "soothing" or "restful" aroma. The image is of God receiving the sacrifice with something like satisfaction or pleasure. Not because God needs the smell of burning meat, but because the offering represents something He deeply values: a heart that holds nothing back and presents itself fully to Him.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What are the 'inwards and legs' in your life — the parts you'd rather hide than bring to God?
- 2.Is there something you've been holding back from God, offering Him everything except the one thing that would cost you the most?
- 3.What does it mean to you that God calls wholehearted surrender a 'sweet savour' rather than a painful obligation?
- 4.How do you practice 'washing the inwards' — honestly examining your inner life before God — without falling into shame or perfectionism?
Devotional
The burnt offering is the most total sacrifice in the Levitical system. Everything burns. The worshipper keeps nothing. And God calls it a sweet aroma. There's a principle here that cuts across every era of faith: God is moved by wholehearted surrender, not by calculated portions of yourself that you're comfortable parting with.
Most of us are generous in the areas that cost us the least. We'll give time but guard our money. We'll serve publicly but protect our private habits. We'll trust God with our future but clutch our reputation. The burnt offering doesn't allow that kind of selective giving. It asks: will you put all of it on the altar? The comfortable parts and the messy parts — the inwards and legs, washed but still offered?
Notice that the inwards had to be washed first. God doesn't ask you to throw your mess at Him carelessly. He invites you to bring it — but honestly, intentionally, having done the work of examining what's inside. That washing isn't about perfection. It's about willingness to look at the parts of yourself you'd rather hide and say, "This too, Lord." That's the offering that rises as a sweet savour.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But the inwards and his legs shall he wash in water,.... This was first done in a room in the court of the temple,…
The parts which were washed were the stomach, and bowels, and feet, divided from the carcass at the knee-joint. The…
An offering - of a sweet savor - אשה ריח ניחוח ishsheh reiach nichoach, a fire-offering, an odour of rest, or, as the…
If a man were rich and could afford it, it is supposed that he would bring his burnt-sacrifice, with which he designed…
a sweet savour a soothing odour (McNeile on Exo 29:18). The word -savour" in old English is applied to the smell as well…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture