Sacrifice

A sacrifice is an offering presented to God, especially the animal and grain offerings of the Law of Moses. The death of Christ is a sacrifice for sin offered once for all, and believers offer spiritual sacrifices.

Early sacrifices

• Genesis 4:3-5
  ³And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, ⁴And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
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• Genesis 8:20
  And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
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• Genesis 22:7-8
  ⁷And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” ⁸And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.
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• Genesis 22:13
  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
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Offerings under the law

• Leviticus 1:3-4
  ³If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.If one’s offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the LORD. ⁴And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
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• Leviticus 16:15-16
  ¹⁵Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it. ¹⁶And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.So he shall make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the impurities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting which abides among them, because it is surrounded by their impurities.
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• Leviticus 17:11
  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
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• Hebrews 9:22
  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
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To obey is better than sacrifice

• 1 Samuel 15:22
  And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
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• Psalm 51:16-17
  ¹⁶For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. ¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
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• Hosea 6:6
  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
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• Micah 6:6-8
  ⁶Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? ⁷Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ⁸He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
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The sacrifice of Christ

• Hebrews 9:26
  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
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• Hebrews 10:10-12
  ¹⁰By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹²But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.
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• Ephesians 5:2
  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
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• 1 Corinthians 5:7
  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
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Spiritual sacrifices

• Romans 12:1
  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
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• Hebrews 13:15-16
  ¹⁵By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name. ¹⁶But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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• Philippians 4:18
  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
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• 1 Peter 2:5
  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
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See also

• Atonement
• Crucifixion of Jesus
• Lamb of God
• Priesthood
• Law of Moses

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.