The Meaning of Leviticus 17:7 Explained

Leviticus 17:7

KJV: And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

YLT: and they sacrifice not any more their sacrifices to goats after which they are going a-whoring; a statute age-during is this to them, to their generations.

Darby: And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto demons, after whom they go a whoring. This shall be an everlasting statute unto them for their generations.

ASV: And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the he-goats, after which they play the harlot. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they shall no more offer  their sacrifices  unto devils,  after  whom they have gone a whoring.  This shall be a statute  for ever  unto them throughout their generations. 

What does Leviticus 17:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 17:1-16 - "the Life Of The Flesh Is In The Blood"
Every animal that was slain for food was regarded as a kind of peace-offering, and was therefore slain at the door of the Tabernacle. This law, though it expressed a great principle, was only provisional. It was kept as long as Israel dwelled in the Wilderness, but repealed when they entered the Land of Promise, where their numbers and diffusion would have rendered its strict observance impossible. See Deuteronomy 12:15-24.
Very earnest insistence is laid on the prohibition of blood as an article of diet. See Leviticus 17:10, etc. The reason of this is in the repeated announcement that the life (or soul) is in the blood, Leviticus 17:11 and Leviticus 17:14. When we are told that the blood maketh atonement, we learn that it does so because it represents the soul of the victim. Life is given for life, soul for soul.
Thus our Lord gave His blood, i.e., His life or soul, a ransom for many. "He poured out His soul unto death." See Isaiah 53:12. It was His blood, not as it was in His veins, but as poured out, that effected the reconciliation. See Ephesians 1:7. It is the death of Christ in which the sinner finds peace. Compare Leviticus 16:30 and 1 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 17

1  The blood of slain beasts must be offered to the Lord at the tabernacle door
7  They must not offer to idols
10  All eating of blood is forbidden
15  and of all that dies by itself, or is torn

What do the individual words in Leviticus 17:7 mean?

And no they shall offer more - their sacrifices to demons after whom they have prostituted themselves A statute forever shall be this for them throughout their generations
וְלֹא־ יִזְבְּח֥וּ עוֹד֙ אֶת־ זִבְחֵיהֶ֔ם לַשְּׂעִירִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם תִּֽהְיֶה־ זֹּ֥את לָהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָֽם

וְלֹא־  And  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִזְבְּח֥וּ  they  shall  offer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
עוֹד֙  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זִבְחֵיהֶ֔ם  their  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
לַשְּׂעִירִ֕ם  to  demons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׂעִיר 
Sense: hairy.
אֲשֶׁ֛ר  after  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
זֹנִ֖ים  have  prostituted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם  themselves 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
חֻקַּ֥ת  A  statute 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
עוֹלָ֛ם  forever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
תִּֽהְיֶה־  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
זֹּ֥את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לָהֶ֖ם  for  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
לְדֹרֹתָֽם  throughout  their  generations 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.