The Meaning of Leviticus 6:12 Explained

Leviticus 6:12

KJV: And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.

YLT: And the fire on the altar is burning on it, it is not quenched, and the priest hath burned on it wood morning by morning, and hath arranged on it the burnt-offering, and hath made perfume on it with the fat of the peace-offerings;

Darby: And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning on it: it shall not be put out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.

ASV: And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the fire  upon the altar  shall be burning  in it; it shall not be put out:  and the priest  shall burn  wood  on it every morning,  and lay the burnt offering  in order  upon it; and he shall burn  thereon the fat  of the peace offerings. 

What does Leviticus 6:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 6:8-23 - Law Of The Burned-Offering
Notice well the teaching of this paragraph, which has special reference to the fire, which was to be kept always burning upon the altar. Thrice is the injunction repeated, Leviticus 6:9; Leviticus 6:12-13. As it originally descended from God, Leviticus 9:24, so it was to be ever maintained by the watchful care of the priests. It is interesting to notice that a different Hebrew word is used for the fire that burned on the great brazen altar within the sacred enclosure from that which consumed the sin-offering without the camp, Leviticus 4:12. That symbolized the wrath of God against sin, while this symbolizes His love and grace, which descend to burn in human hearts. The Apostle was very conscious of the latter when he said: "The love of Christ constraineth us." Whenever you feel the glow of that fire in your heart be sure to nurse it. Ask that it may burn hotly. See Song of Solomon 8:6. It must be fed by the continual fuel of God's Word, consumed and absorbed in meditation. But remember the teaching of the latter part of this paragraph: Only holy souls may partake aught of the Heavenly Bread. "Let a man examine himself!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 6

1  The trespass offering for sins done wittingly
8  The law of the burnt offering
14  and of the meat offering
19  The offering at the consecration of a priest
24  The law of the sin offering

What do the individual words in Leviticus 6:12 mean?

And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it not it shall be put out and shall burn on it the priest wood on it every every morning and lay in order on it the burnt offering and he shall burn the fat of the peace offerings
וְהָאֵ֨שׁ עַל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ תּֽוּקַד־ בּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִכְבֶּ֔ה וּבִעֵ֨ר עָלֶ֧יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן עֵצִ֖ים בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וְעָרַ֤ךְ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ הָֽעֹלָ֔ה וְהִקְטִ֥יר חֶלְבֵ֥י הַשְּׁלָמִֽים

וְהָאֵ֨שׁ  And  the  fire 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
תּֽוּקַד־  shall  be  kept  burning 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַד 
Sense: to burn, kindle, be kindled.
בּוֹ֙  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
תִכְבֶּ֔ה  it  shall  be  put  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּבָה  
Sense: to quench, put out, be put out, be quenched, be extinguished.
וּבִעֵ֨ר  and  shall  burn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּעַר 
Sense: to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled.
עָלֶ֧יהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַכֹּהֵ֛ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
עֵצִ֖ים  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
בַּבֹּ֣קֶר  on  it  every 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
בַּבֹּ֑קֶר  every  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
וְעָרַ֤ךְ  and  lay  in  order 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָרַךְ  
Sense: to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare.
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָֽעֹלָ֔ה  the  burnt  offering 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
וְהִקְטִ֥יר  and  he  shall  burn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
חֶלְבֵ֥י  the  fat 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חֵלֶב  
Sense: fat.
הַשְּׁלָמִֽים  of  the  peace  offerings 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֶׁלֶם  
Sense: peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship.