Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  4000 Creation  »  4600 Living beings  »  4603 animals  »  4605 animals, religious role of

Central to the OT sacrificial system, they were governed by strict laws within the Mosaic code.

Animals as defined by the Law of Moses

Animals for food

Leviticus 20:25-26 See also Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 22:8; Deuteronomy 12:15-16,21; Deuteronomy 14:3-8; Ezekiel 4:14; Ezekiel 44:31; Acts 10:9-14; Acts 11:6; Acts 15:19-20

Animals dedicated to the LORD

Exodus 13:1-2 See also Leviticus 27:9-13,26-28,32-33; Numbers 18:15

Domestic animals

Exodus 21:33-36; Exodus 22:10-15; Leviticus 24:18-21

Relationships with animals forbidden

Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 19:19

Animal carcasses

Leviticus 11:39

Animals in the context of Israel's sacrificial system

Used in various sacrifices

Leviticus 1:1-2; Psalm 66:15 See also Genesis 8:20; Leviticus 3:1; Numbers 7:87-88; Deuteronomy 16:2; 2 Chronicles 29:32-33; 2 C 10-13

Animals forbidden as sacrifices

Malachi 1:8 See also Leviticus 22:24-25; Deuteronomy 15:21; Malachi 1:13-14

Animals in the context of judgment

Involved in judgment

Zephaniah 1:3 See also Genesis 6:7; Genesis 7:20-23 the flood

The plagues of Egypt:

Exodus 9:22-25; Exodus 13:15; Psalm 135:8 Jeremiah 9:10; Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 50:3; Ezekiel 25:12-13; Joel 1:19-20; Habakkuk 2:17; Zechariah 14:15

As agents of judgment

Leviticus 26:21-22 See also Ezekiel 33:27; Ezekiel 39:4,17-18; Daniel 4:31-32; Hosea 2:12

See also

4615  bull
4651  goat
4663  lamb
4681  ram
4684  sheep
5375  law
5858  fat
7316  blood, OT sacrifices
7340  clean and unclean
7402  offerings
7435  sacrifice, in OT
9210  judgment, God's