Offering

An offering is seen as a precious gift to God in the Old Testament. People brought offerings for different reasons and in different ways.

Animals were the most common sacrifice. They were partially or completely burnt. With some offerings, God was also given wine or grain.

There is not a distinct word for “offering” in Hebrew. Instead, the Old Testament uses two concepts that can be described as approaching God (Leviticus 1:3) and a gift to God (Genesis 4:3). People came to God to give back to him what he had given them.

Offerings were brought for different reasons:

The book of Leviticus describes the bringing of offerings in especially extensive detail. There are different types of offerings:

Offerings were performed in the tabernacle (and later in the Temple in Jerusalem) or in another sanctuary.

The instructions in Leviticus are inclusively formulated: everyone could bring their gifts to the sanctuary, both men and women (see Leviticus 12).

Within the sanctuary, the priest had a particular function during the sacrifice. Killing the animal was usually done by the person bringing the sacrifice while the priest stood by the altar. He determined which parts of the offering were to be burnt and which were not.

In the Bible, prophets often criticise offerings that are purely for show. If a person is not prepared to respect God’s commandments, bringing offerings is pointless. According to Amos 5:24, God prefers justice and righteousness to offerings. In Psalm 50:12, for example, the psalmist ridicules the idea that the offering is food for God.