Verses 3-9 describe the whole burnt offering of an animal taken from the group of larger animals referred to in verse 2.
If his offering is a burnt offering: this expression is similar to 3.1, “If a man’s offering is a sacrifice of peace offering….” In both cases the first term is the general one for anything offered to God, and the second is the more specific expression. The word translated burnt offering here has already been discussed under the heading for this section.
From the herd: Good News Translation has “one of his cattle.” This is parallel to “from the flock” (Good News Translation “one of his sheep or goats”) in verse 10 and “of birds” in verse 14. In each case the topic of the paragraph is introduced. If natural, the beginning of these three paragraphs should be made parallel in the receptor language in order to highlight the discourse structure of this chapter.
A male: in English the word “bull” contains the idea of maleness as well as a member of the group called cattle. The translator should use whatever conveys this idea naturally in the receptor language.
Without blemish: any kind of physical defect such as blindness, skin disease, or paralysis automatically excluded an animal from being offered in sacrifice to the LORD. The details of this requirement are given in 22.17-25. What is needed in this verse is a simple term that would include any kind of deformity. Some languages may have to say “that is not spoiled in the least,” or “that has not the slightest flaw,” or simply “flawless.”
He shall offer it: this does not refer to the act of killing the animal, as a literal translation may imply, but to bringing it near to the LORD for use as a sacrifice. Good News Translation “present it” is a good model.
At the door of the tent of meeting: the term door may be understood as referring either to the large entrance way leading into the court, or to the entrance way of the tent itself. In either case, it may not be appropriate to use the word “door” since this would give the idea of some kind of wooden or metal object used to close an entrance way. In this context the word probably refers to the opening or entrance way to the “Tent of the LORD’s presence” and was near the altar of sacrifices on the outside of the Tent (see Exo 40.6-7, 29-30). In some languages this may be expressed by a word meaning “mouth,” “hole,” or “opening.”
That he may be accepted before the LORD: literally “for his/its favor before the LORD.” Grammatically the Hebrew possessive may refer to the animal (“in order that it might be accepted”), as in New Jerusalem Bible and New International Version, or to the one who is offering the animal (“in order that he might be accepted”). The usage of this kind of expression elsewhere in the Old Testament leads many scholars to the latter meaning, which corresponds to what is found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (see especially 19.5; 22.19,29; and 23.11, where the meaning is unambiguous). But the overall meaning of the passage is not radically changed if one accepts the other possibility. The person offering the sacrifice is accepted only if the sacrifice itself is acceptable. Compare the New Jewish Version (New Jerusalem Bible) rendering: “for acceptance in his behalf before the LORD.” A person who is “accepted” by the LORD in this context is one who is allowed to participate in this act of worship. He recognizes his unworthiness and his need to placate God. He is therefore considered “good enough” or “worthy” to offer the sacrifice.
It should be noted that here and throughout this passage, when the word LORD occurs, the translation will depend on the decision made about direct versus indirect discourse at the beginning of the chapter. If the translators have made this a direct quotation as in New International Version, for example, most languages will require that the LORD speak of himself in the first person rather than the third person. So this verse will then read “before me” or “before me, the LORD.” And verse 9 will then end with the words “pleasing to me” rather than “pleasing to the LORD.” Since the passage that may be translated as a direct quotation is very long, it is easy to forget this modification. But translators should pay attention each time the word LORD appears, and ask themselves whether it is part of a passage where God himself is speaking. If it is unnatural in the language for a person to speak of himself in the third person, then the proper changes must be made in the translation.
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 .