Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.

LEVITICUS 7:38KJV
Know the Bible

Leviticus 7:38 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 7:38 mean?

Leviticus 7:38 explains that the instructions Moses received about offerings were given by the LORD on Mount Sinai, specifically on the day when God commanded the Israelites to present their offerings in the wilderness. This verse marks the origin and authority of the sacrificial laws described earlier in the chapter.

Leviticus 7:38 is a summary statement, clarifying that all the detailed rules about offerings came directly from God (the LORD) to Moses at Mount Sinai. The verse places these commands in a real time and place—the wilderness of Sinai—reminding the reader that these rituals were not invented by people but were given as part of God’s covenant instructions to the people of Israel.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 7:38

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that these commands come from Israel’s covenant God, not from Moses himself.
  • Commanded (צָוָה, tsavah): This word means to give an order or directive. Its use here stresses that these rituals are not optional or traditional, but are direct instructions from God.
  • Oblations (קָרְבָּן, qorban): This term refers to offerings or gifts brought near to God. It highlights that the offerings are meant to draw the people closer to God, not just fulfill a duty.
  • Wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar): Mentioning the wilderness of Sinai roots these commands in a specific historical setting, showing that God’s guidance was given during Israel’s journey, not after they settled in the land.

Why Leviticus 7:38 matters

  • Leviticus 7:38 clarifies that the detailed sacrificial laws were not later inventions or traditions, but were given by God at a specific time and place.
  • The verse connects the laws to the larger story of Israel’s journey, showing that worship and obedience were central even in the wilderness, not just in the Promised Land.
  • By stating the authority and origin of these commands, the verse underscores the seriousness with which the Israelites were to approach their worship and offerings.

Where else these words appear

“Sinai” Hebrew H5514 · used in 34 verses

  • Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
  • Exodus 34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
  • Numbers 9:5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

“oblations” Hebrew H7133 · used in 78 verses

  • Leviticus 1:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
  • Leviticus 7:16 But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
  • Numbers 7:41 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.