The Symbolic Significance of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Abstract According to Leviticus 7:12–15, the sacrifice of thanksgiving involved three kinds of unleavened bread (Lev 7:12), and prohibited anyone from leaving any of its flesh until morning (Lev 7:15). This article proposes that this dual requirement was intended to provide a symbolic link to the Passover meal (Exod 12:8–10), which acknowledged God’s salvation of his people from bondage and slavery. This symbolic significance is confirmed through an examination of the use of the term »the sacrifice of thanksgiving« in the Psalter, in which the thanksgiving offering usually serves as a response to God’s rescue from distress and as an expression of praise for God’s salvation. This comparison aids our understanding of the symbolic significance of the thanksgiving offering in relation to the remembrance of the Exodus event.