Encyclopedia entry
Burnt offering
Hebrew olah; i.e., “ascending,” the whole being consumed by fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this was wholly burnt, a “whole burnt offering.” It was the most frequent form of sacrifice, and apparently the only one mentioned in the book of Genesis. Such were the sacrifices offered by Abel (Gen. 4:3, 4, here called minhah; i.e., “a gift”), Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 22:2, 7, 8, 13), and by the Hebrews in Egypt (Ex. 10:25).
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The law of Moses afterwards prescribed the occasions and the manner in which burnt sacrifices were to be offered. There were “the continual burnt offering” (Ex. 29:38-42; Lev. 6:9-13), “the burnt offering of every sabbath,” which was double the daily one (Num. 28:9, 10), “the burnt offering of every month” (28:11-15), the offerings at the Passover (19-23), at Pentecost (Lev. 23:16), the feast of Trumpets (23:23-25), and on the day of Atonement (Lev. 16).
On other occasions special sacrifices were offered, as at the consecration of Aaron (Ex. 29) and the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:5, 62-64).
Free-will burnt offerings were also permitted (Lev. 1:13), and were offered at the accession of Solomon to the throne (1 Chr. 29:21), and at the reformation brought about by Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29: 31-35).
These offerings signified the complete dedication of the offerers unto God. This is referred to in Rom. 12:1. (See ALTAR, SACRIFICE.)
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
The word is applied to the offering which was wholly consumed by fire on the altar, and the whole of which, except the refuse ashes “ascended” in the smoke to God. The meaning of the whole burnt offering was that which is the original idea of all sacrifice, the offering by the sacrificer of himself, soul and body, to God—the submission of his will to the will of the Lord. The ceremonies of the burnt offering are given in detail in the book of Leviticus. [Sacrifice]
In the Bible
191
Verses where Burnt offering is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 6:49
But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
- 1 Chronicles 16:2
When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 16:40
to regularly present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the Law of the LORD, which He had commanded Israel to keep.
- 1 Chronicles 21:23
Ornan said to David, “Take it! May my lord the king do whatever seems good to him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering—I will give it all.”
- 1 Chronicles 21:26
And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
- 1 Chronicles 21:29
For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,
+185 more verses naming Burnt offering.
Scripture on Burnt offering
76
See all 76 +−
- Leviticus 4Genesis 222 Chronicles 29Exodus 29Leviticus 6Leviticus 14Ezekiel 46Leviticus 16Leviticus 23Numbers 15Numbers 23Ezekiel 45Exodus 40Leviticus 7Leviticus 8Numbers 61 Samuel 131 Chronicles 21Ezekiel 40Exodus 30Leviticus 5Leviticus 12Leviticus 15Joshua 22Judges 131 Samuel 72 Kings 161 Chronicles 162 Chronicles 35Psalms 51Genesis 4Genesis 8Exodus 10Exodus 18Exodus 31Exodus 35Exodus 38Leviticus 3Leviticus 10Leviticus 17Leviticus 22Numbers 8Deuteronomy 12Deuteronomy 13Judges 6Judges 111 Samuel 62 Samuel 62 Samuel 241 Kings 82 Kings 32 Kings 52 Kings 101 Chronicles 61 Chronicles 221 Chronicles 292 Chronicles 42 Chronicles 7Ezra 3Ezra 8Nehemiah 10Job 42Psalms 40Isaiah 40Isaiah 43Isaiah 61Jeremiah 14Ezekiel 43Ezekiel 44Romans 12Hebrews 10
Burnt offering references
20
Voices on Burnt offering
2
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.