The term "butchered" in the context of the Bible often refers to the act of slaughtering animals for sacrifice or food, as well as the violent killing of humans. The practice of butchering animals is deeply rooted in the sacrificial system established by God for the Israelites, as outlined in the Old Testament. This system was a central aspect of worship and atonement for sin.

Animal Sacrifice and Butchering

In the Old Testament, the butchering of animals was a significant part of the sacrificial rituals. The book of Leviticus provides detailed instructions on how these sacrifices were to be conducted. For instance, Leviticus 1:5 states, "Then he shall slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." This verse highlights the process of butchering as an act of obedience and worship, where the blood of the animal played a crucial role in the atonement process.

The butchering of animals for sacrifice was not only a religious duty but also a means of providing food for the priests and their families. Leviticus 7:31 explains, "The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons." This indicates that while certain parts of the animal were offered to God, others were consumed by the priests, integrating the act of butchering into the daily life and sustenance of the Levitical priesthood.

Human Violence and Butchering

The term "butchered" can also refer to the violent killing of humans, often in the context of warfare or judgment. The Bible records numerous instances where individuals or groups were "butchered" as a result of divine judgment or military conquest. For example, in 1 Samuel 15:33 , the prophet Samuel executes King Agag of the Amalekites: "But Samuel declared, 'As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.' And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal." This act of butchering was a fulfillment of God's command to utterly destroy the Amalekites, demonstrating the severity of divine judgment.

Similarly, the conquest of Canaan involved the butchering of its inhabitants as part of God's command to the Israelites to take possession of the land. Joshua 11:12 recounts, "Joshua captured all these royal cities and their kings and struck them down with the sword, devoting them to destruction, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded." The use of the sword in these instances signifies the complete and total destruction of the enemies of Israel, often described in terms of butchering.

Symbolism and Typology

The act of butchering, particularly in the context of animal sacrifice, holds significant symbolic meaning in the Bible. It foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who was "butchered" on the cross for the sins of humanity. Isaiah 53:7 prophetically describes the Messiah: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth." This imagery connects the sacrificial system of the Old Testament with the redemptive work of Christ, emphasizing the necessity of His death for the atonement of sin.

In summary, the concept of "butchered" in the Bible encompasses both the ritualistic slaughter of animals for sacrifice and the violent killing of humans in judgment or warfare. It serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin, the holiness of God, and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the redemption of mankind.(imp. & p. p.) of Butcher.2380. thuo -- to offer, sacrifice
... verb Definition to offer, sacrifice NASB Word Usage butchered (1), kill (4), killed
(2), offer sacrifice (1), offering sacrifice (1), sacrifice (2), sacrificed ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2380.htm - 7k2874. tebach -- slaughtering, slaughter
... beast, slaughter, slay, sore. From tabach; properly, something slaughtered;
hence, a beast (or meat, as butchered); abstr. Butchery ...
/hebrew/2874.htm - 6k

A Sermon to Open Neglecters and Nominal Followers of Religion
... for their heathen gods, and all vociferous in the joy with which they gazed upon
the agonies of the disciple of the hated Galilean, butchered to make a Roman ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 13 1867/a sermon to open neglecters.htm

The Absurdity and Impiety of the Heathen Mysteries and Fables ...
... the frenzied Dionysus, celebrating their sacred frenzy by the eating of raw flesh,
and go through the distribution of the parts of butchered victims, crowned ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter ii the absurdity and impiety.htm

But Although Patience be a virtue of the Mind...
... these unbroken: and in their bodies they were bound, imprisoned, vexed with hunger
and thirst, tortured, gashed, torn asunder, burned, butchered; and with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on patience /8 but although patience be.htm

If the Scorpion, Swinging his Tail in the Air...
... I can say with the Wisdom of God; It is Christ who gave Himself up for our
offences. [8262] Already has Wisdom butchered herself also. ...
/.../scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter vii if the scorpion.htm

We Keep Therefore the one Position, And, in Respect of this ...
... David is persecuted; Elias put to flight; Jeremias stoned; Esaias cut asunder;
Zacharias butchered between the altar and the temple, imparting to the hard ...
/.../scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter viii we keep therefore.htm

The Crown of Thorns.
... the field of battle were inured to bloodshed and at Rome found their chief delight
in watching the sports of the arena, where gladiators butchered one another ...
/.../stalker/the trial and death of jesus christ/chapter vii the crown of.htm

Supplementary Note to Chapter ii. The Year of Christ's Birth.
... The wise men had not told him that the child was a year old"it was obvious that
they thought very differently"but the tyrant butchered all who came, within ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/supplementary note to chapter ii.htm

The Second Trumpet.
... v.9. Whence blood, or to become bloody, is the image which has suffered destruction,
as if it were like an animal slain or butchered, dropping with gore. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the second trumpet.htm

Of the Fourth Seal.
... sprung up in different parts of the Roman world; and almost all these were slain,
either by their own people or by one another, or were butchered by legitimate ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the fourth seal.htm

Jesus Before Pilate.
... of the name of Zadoc, first-cousin to Obed, the husband of Veronica; two of his
children were among the Innocents whom Herod had caused to be butchered at the ...
/.../chapter xvii jesus before pilate.htm

Butchered (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Butcher. Multi-Version Concordance
Butchered (4 Occurrences). Matthew 22:4 Again he sent ...
/b/butchered.htm - 7k

Butler (9 Occurrences)

/b/butler.htm - 11k

Offal (6 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The rejected or waste parts of a butchered
animal. 2. (n.) A dead body; carrion. 3. (n.) That ...
/o/offal.htm - 8k

Tryphon
... himself. By an act of shrewd treachery, Tryphon captured Jonathan at Ptolemais
and butchered all his followers (1 Maccabees 12:48). ...
/t/tryphon.htm - 9k

Butcher (2 Occurrences)

/b/butcher.htm - 7k

Sidon (35 Occurrences)
... first burned their fleet and then their houses, perishing with their wives and children
rather than fall into the hands of Ochus, who butchered all whom he ...
/s/sidon.htm - 25k

Nero
... mother, and later Annaeus Mela, brother of Seneca and father of Lucan, T. Petronius
Arbiter, "the glass of fashion." Finally, "Nero having butchered so many ...
/n/nero.htm - 41k

Empire (8 Occurrences)
... A "huge multitude" need not cause us to distrust Tacitus. It is a relative term;
it was a considerable number to be so inhumanly butchered. ...
/e/empire.htm - 80k

Roman (26 Occurrences)
... A "huge multitude" need not cause us to distrust Tacitus. It is a relative term;
it was a considerable number to be so inhumanly butchered. ...
/r/roman.htm - 101k

Christianity
... A "huge multitude" need not cause us to distrust Tacitus. It is a relative term;
it was a considerable number to be so inhumanly butchered. ...
/c/christianity.htm - 101k

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