And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.
the remainder
Leviticus 2:3,10 And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire…
Leviticus 5:13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering.
Ezekiel 44:29 They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs.
unleavened
Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
shall it
Leviticus 10:12,13 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy: …
Numbers 18:9,10 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons…
It must be eaten without leaven
Leaven, or yeast, is often symbolic of sin and corruption in the Bible. The requirement for the offering to be eaten without leaven signifies purity and holiness, reflecting the nature of God and the sanctity required in worship. This connects to the New Testament where Jesus warns against the "leaven of the Pharisees," which is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). The unleavened bread also points to Christ, the sinless one, who is the bread of life (John 6:35).
in a holy place;
The holy place refers to a location set apart for sacred purposes, emphasizing the sanctity of the act of consuming the offering. This requirement ensures that the priests maintain a reverent attitude towards the offerings, recognizing them as holy. The concept of holiness is central to Leviticus and is a reminder of God's call for His people to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44).
they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
The courtyard of the Tent of Meeting was the designated area for the priests to perform their duties and partake in the offerings. This location was accessible only to the priests, ensuring that the consumption of the offering remained a sacred act. The Tent of Meeting, also known as the Tabernacle, was the dwelling place of God's presence among the Israelites, symbolizing His desire to be with His people. This foreshadows the coming of Jesus, Emmanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:23), and the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence with humanity through the Holy Spirit.
- The “remainder” is what is left of the grain offering after a memorial portion has been burned on the altar (Leviticus 2:2–3, 10; 6:14).
- God explicitly assigns this portion to the priests as their food, showing that those who serve at the altar live from the altar (Numbers 18:8–10; 1 Corinthians 9:13).
- This provision underscores God’s care for His ministers and affirms that sacred service brings real, tangible blessing.
- Leaven often pictures sin or corruption (Exodus 12:15; Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
- By requiring the bread to be unleavened, God teaches that the priests’ fellowship with Him must be marked by purity and separation from sin.
- The spotless nature of the offering foreshadows Christ, the sinless “bread of life” (John 6:35).
- “Holy” points to that which is set apart for God; the priests may not treat these leftovers as common food to be eaten anywhere (Leviticus 10:12-13).
- Consuming the offering within consecrated space reminds the priests—and us—that fellowship with God is always on His terms, never ours.
- It also safeguards the community by keeping sacred items from casual or profane use (Ezekiel 22:26).
- The courtyard lies inside the Tabernacle fence but outside the sanctuary proper (Exodus 27:9-19).
- Eating there keeps the act visible to the worshiping congregation yet still within sanctified boundaries.
- This balances reverence (the meal remains in God’s house) with accessibility (the priests do not hide their fellowship with God).
Leviticus 6:16 teaches that God both feeds and sanctifies His priests: the leftover grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons, must remain free from leaven, and is to be eaten only within the consecrated court. These details highlight purity, provision, and reverence—timeless principles that culminate in Christ, our sinless High Priest who shares His holy life with all who serve Him.
(16) With unleavened bread shall it be eaten.--Better, unleavened shall it be eaten. That is, the remainder of the meal is to be made into unleavened cakes, and thus be eaten. (See Leviticus 10:12.) By adding the word with, which is not in the original, the Authorised Version says that the priests are to eat the meat offering with the addition of unleavened cakes.