fat, oil

The different Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Leviticus 7:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 7:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “If a person brings the sacrifices with which he wants/plans to thank God, he shall also bring bread where things that make it rise have not been added and it has been mixed with olive oil, flat cakes which have been smeared with olive oil and cakes of finely ground flour which have been well mixed with olive oil.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If someone offers a thank offering for a Fellowship Offering to the LORD, along with the animal that is brought to sacrifice, he must offer of unleavened bread soaked in oil as well as thin unleavened "pebble bread" mixed together and kneaded in oil and thick loaves mixed with oil.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If the animal which is offered for a good relationship will-be-offered by a person as a thanksgiving to the LORD, he is-to-accompany/[lit. pair-up] this with bread. He is-to-bring bread which causes-to-expand- was not -put-in-it: thick bread mixed with oil, thin bread which has-been-spread with oil, and bread that was-made from a good kind of flour which was-mixed with oil.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘If you bring an offering to thank Yahweh, along with the animal that you slaughter you must offer loaves of bread made with olive oil mixed with the flour but without yeast, and wafers that are made without yeast but with olive oil smeared on them, and loaves made from fine flour with olive oil well mixed with the flour.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 7:12

Verses 12-15 deal with the sacrifice made as “a thanksgiving.” On the one hand, these verses develop certain aspects not mentioned in chapter 3 (such as grain offerings), and on the other hand, they deal with the lay person’s eating his part of the sacrifice.

For a thanksgiving: or “in thanksgiving” (New American Bible), or “with praise” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “as an expression of thankfulness” (New International Version), or simply “because he is thankful (for something).” This focuses on the motivation behind the sacrifice. This particular fellowship offering is made to praise God because the worshiper wants to express his gratitude. It is mentioned in a number of Psalms (56.12; 100.2; 107.22) as well as in other Old Testament passages (Jer 17.26; Amos 4.5; 2 Chr 29.31; 33.16).

With the thank offering: that is, “in addition to the thank offering” (New English Bible) or “together with the sacrifice of thanksgiving” (New Jerusalem Bible). In some cases it may be advisable to make this even more explicit with something like “in addition to the animal brought as a fellowship offering to express thanks to God….”

Mixed with oil … spread with oil …: see 2.4.

Cakes … wafers … cakes: there were three types of unleavened bread to accompany the animal sacrifice: (1) The first were perforated loaves made with flour mixed with oil but without yeast. (2) The second are those mistakenly called wafers. These were a kind of thin round bread also made without yeast, but on which olive oil was spread. These were similar to biscuits or possibly pancakes. And (3) there is some question about exactly what is meant by the third kind of bread. It was apparently to be similar to the first, perhaps pierced or perforated, but there is no mention of its being made without yeast and no indication that it was actually baked. This has led some commentators to assume that it was merely a kind of dough made of choice flour and oil. However, Good News Translation seems to understand the text to imply both the fact of being unleavened and of being baked. Since David shared such loaves with people (2 Sam 6.19), it seems best to assume they were baked. And although “unleavened” is not explicitly mentioned for the third type, the contrast with verse 13 probably indicates that they were made without yeast.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .