And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
LEVITICUS 17:9KJVWhat does Leviticus 17:9 mean?
Leviticus 17:9 requires a person who offers an animal sacrifice to bring it to the entrance of the tabernacle, Israel’s worship tent. Someone who offers it elsewhere is to be “cut off” from the people, a serious consequence that the verse leaves without further detail.
God gives this instruction through Moses. Following verse 8, the rule applies both to Israelites and to foreigners living among them. The entrance was the place where the offering was brought before the LORD, the name the KJV uses for Israel’s God.
The Hebrew behind Leviticus 17:9
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“congregation” — מוֹעֵד (moʿed): This word can mean an appointed time or meeting. In “tabernacle of the congregation,” the phrase refers to the tent of meeting, the place associated with meeting the LORD.
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“cut off” — כָּרַת (karat): This word means to cut or sever. Here it pictures a person being separated from the community; the wording alone does not settle exactly how that separation occurred.
Why Leviticus 17:9 matters
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The rule covers more than Israelites by birth. Verse 8 includes both “the house of Israel” and strangers living among them.
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The location of the offering matters, not just the act of offering. Verse 9 names the tabernacle entrance as the place where the animal is to be offered “unto the LORD.”
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The nearby verses explain why the setting matters. Verse 7 forbids sacrifices to other beings, while verses 8–9 direct offerings to the LORD’s appointed place.