Bible Dictionaries
Liver

Holman Bible Dictionary

The large organ which secretes bile. According to the NAS, the lobe of the liver was offered to God with the other choice parts of the burnt offering (Leviticus 3:4 ,Leviticus 3:4,3:10 ,Leviticus 3:10,3:15 ). Only the covering of the liver was offered according to the NIV (also KJV). NRSV understood the offering to consist of the appendage to the liver, likely the pancreas. The ancients examined livers to discern the future. The only scriptural mention of the practice concerns the king of Babylon (Ezekiel 21:21 ). In Lamentations 2:11 , the liver is likely regarded as the seat of emotions (liver, KJV, NAS margin; heart, NAS, NIV, RSV; bile, NRSV). Several references to glory (Genesis 49:6; Psalm 16:9; Psalm 57:8 ) are possibly expansions of an earlier reading liver (glory, NAS; soul, RSV; spirit, REB; tongue, NIV).