Read Leviticus 1 here or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
1:1-9 {s} The law of the whole burnt offering (olah) of the herd
1:10-13 {p} The law of the whole burnt offering (olah) of the flock
1:14-17 {s} The law of the whole burnt offering (olah) of the birds
“When any one of you brings an offering to YHVH, you shall bring your offering of the livestock — of the herd and of the flock.” Lev 1:2
The Hebrew Root Word parable for offering is from Strong’s H7133, qorban, a concrete noun meaning, “offering;” from Strong’s H7126 קרב qarab, a primitive root meaning, “to approach, to come near.” The 3-letter root is quph + resh + bet.
quph ק = sun on the horizon, thus condense, circle, time
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
bet ב = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
january 2011 sunset off the gulf coast of florida
The quph is a pictograph of the sun on the horizon. When the sun is on the horizon, the light seems to leave the earth and sky and gather itself to the sun. Have you ever noticed that? All the light is concentrated in the sun. So this pictograph can mean concentrate, and also, gather, as the light gathers itself back to its source.
The parable: That which draws (quph, as the light is drawn back to its source when the sun is on the horizon) the man (resh) home (bet).
Where is man’s home, from God’s perspective? With Him! Man was created to dwell with God, and the history we have read so far is revealing God’s plan to bring man back home to God. The purpose of bringing a qorban, an offering, is to cause us to draw near to God or gather us home with God. It is a form of worship.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Leviticus 1, The living olah – Christine Miller
Leviticus 1-2, Qorban: The offering which gathers home – Christine Miller
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