Albert Barnes Commentary Leviticus 17:3-7

"What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it without the camp, and hath not brought it unto the door of the tent of meeting, to offer it as an oblation unto Jehovah before the tabernacle of Jehovah: blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, even that they may bring them unto Jehovah, unto the door of the tent of meeting, unto the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace-offerings unto Jehovah. And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of Jehovah at the door of the tent of meeting, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto Jehovah. And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the he-goats, after which they play the harlot. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations." — Leviticus 17:3-7 (ASV)

Every domesticated animal that was slaughtered for food was a type of peace offering (Leviticus 17:5). This law could only be kept as long as the children of Israel lived in their camp in the wilderness. The restriction was removed before they settled in the Holy Land, where their numbers and dispersion over the country would have made its strict observance impossible. See Deuteronomy 12:15-16, Deuteronomy 12:20–24.

(Leviticus 17:4) Blood shall be imputed unto that man – that is, he has incurred guilt in shedding blood in an unlawful manner.

Cut off – See Exodus 31:14 note.

(Leviticus 17:5) Rather, May bring their beasts for slaughter, which they (now) slaughter in the open field, even that they may bring them before Yahweh to the entrance of the tent of meeting to the priests, and slaughter them as peace offerings to Yahweh.

(Leviticus 17:7) Devils – The word in the original is the “shaggy goat” of Leviticus 4:23. But it is sometimes used, as here, to denote an object of pagan worship or a demon dwelling in the deserts (2 Chronicles 11:15; Isaiah 13:21; Isaiah 34:14). The worship of the goat, accompanied by the foulest rites, prevailed in Lower Egypt; and the Israelites may have been led into this snare while they lived in Egypt.

This law for the slaughtering of animals was not merely to exclude idolatry from the chosen nation. It had a more positive and permanent purpose. It bore witness to the sanctity of life: it served to remind the people of the solemnity of the grant of the lives of all inferior creatures made to Noah (Genesis 9:2–3); it purged and directed toward Yahweh the feelings regarding animal food which seem to be common to human nature; and it connected a habit of thanksgiving with the maintenance of our human life by means of daily food (1 Timothy 4:3–5). Having acknowledged that the animal belonged to Yahweh, the devout Hebrew received back its flesh as Yahweh’s gift.