The burnt offerings

Before CHRIST

1490.

CHAP. I.

3 If his offering be a burnt sacri

ses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye

Chap. I. ver. 1. the Lord called unto Moses,] The repetition, frequent as it is, of this form of promulgation is truly solemn and majestick, "The Lord called," that is, He declared and published his pleasure distinctly and aloud, as princes on their thrones, and generals in their camps, are wont to do. Yet He did this, as the rabbies observe, with expressions of tenderness and love; for it was not for his own sake that He imposed on them these rites of worship, but for their's; and that they might continually have in remembrance how much their whole dependance was upon Him. Biblioth. Bibl.

2. If any man of you bring an offering] It is observable, that in this beginning of the laws respecting sacrifices, God does not command the Israelites to offer these rites; but, appearing to suppose that they would offer them in compliance with the customs in which they had been brought up, and the usages of the world at that time, directs them to Himself, as the right object, and limits them to such things as are most agreeable to human nature. They were to offer them, of the herd as bullocks, or of the flock as sheep and goats. Bp. Patrick. One great end of the Levitical sacrifices was the prevention of idolatry. God needed them not: the sacrifice of a pure and humble mind was more agreeable to Him who is an intellectual Spirit. But the Israelites doated on such gross manner of expressing their devotion; and seeing they must needs offer sacrifice, it pleased God to give them a law which might indulge them in their inclinations, and restrain them from sacrificing unto idols. Abp. Tenison. Sacrifices had been appointed from the fall of man, but the design of them had been perverted or forgotten. The sacrifices in the Levitical law are to be considered, first, in a carnal worldly view, as freeing the Jew from all contracted uncleanness, and rendering him worthy to continue a member of that Church, and an inheritor of the land of Canaan. 2ndly, In a spiritual sense, with regard to the sacrifice of Christ, which was to cleanse them from sin, and fit them for an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan. Bp. Wilson. The institution of animal sacrifice had continued until the giving of the law, no other offering but that of an animal being recorded in Scripture, down to this period, except in the case of Cain, when the offering was rejected. But when we come to the promulgation of the law, we find the connexion between animal sacrifice and atonement or reconciliation with God, clearly and distinctly announced. It is here declared, that sacrifices for sin should, on conforming to certain prescribed modes of offering, be accepted as the means of deliverance from the penal consequences of transgression. Dr. Magee.

It is on the whole most probable that sacrifices were first instituted by God Himself, and enjoined to our first parents, presently after the fall: from whom, and afterwards from Noah, all nations received them by tradition. However, in process of time, these, as well as many other branches of religious faith and worship, were miserably corrupted: instead of brute animals, which God had appointed, human sacrifices grew into

without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.

Before CHRIST 1490.

4 a And he shall put his hand upon a Exod. 29. the head of the burnt offering; and 10.

use; and it became no uncommon thing, in several countries, for parents to sacrifice their children. Besides this change in the subjects of the sacrifices, the objects of them were likewise altered; the Gentiles sacrificing to "devils, and not to God," 1 Cor. x. 20. When therefore God chose Israel to be his peculiar people and church, among whom He would revive the true religion; He gave them anew his law concerning sacrifices, with the addition of such particular rites, as would make them more significant types of good things to come under the Gospel dispensation. Dr. Jennings. of the herd, and of the flock.] God limits the kinds, whether animate or inanimate, which his people were to sacrifice or offer unto Him; whereas the Gentiles took their own liberty, and offered a strange variety of species; and almost something of every kind which was valuable or serviceable to themselves; because, in the same proportion, they supposed it would be acceptable to their deities. Dean Spencer.

3.

a burnt sacrifice] Burnt sacrifices were so called, because wholly burnt on the altar. These are the first and most ancient sort of sacrifices. They are mentioned by the Heathens, as well as the Jews; particularly by Xenophon, who speaks of offering burnt sacrifices of oxen to Jupiter, and of horses to the Sun. The Jews accounted these the most excellent of all their sacrifices. Some Christian writers make the burnt offering to be offered to God, as an acknowledgment of his being the Creator, Lord, and Preserver of all, worthy of all honour and worship. Others suppose that they were either to expiate the evil thoughts of the heart, as sin offerings and trespass offerings were to do for evil actions; or to atone for the breach of affirmative precepts, as those did for negative. But doubtless there was a further use and intention in these sacrifices, even to typify, and to direct the faith of the Old Testament believers to that only true atoning sacrifice, which the Son of God was to offer in due time. Hence Christ is said to have "offered up his body once for all," Heb. x. 10; that is, his whole Self, his entire human nature. Dr. Jennings, Lewis.

at the door of the tabernacle] Here the priest was carefully to inspect and examine the animal brought to be offered, to ascertain whether it was every way such as God required. In saying "the door of the tabernacle," which was in some sense his proper house, and the abode of his Divine Majesty, He admonished them to sacrifice to Himself alone, and not to any strange gods; which was the reason of his commanding all sacrifices to be brought to this place. Dr. Outram.

4.- put his hand upon the head] Thereby, as it were, transferring the punishment, which was due to himself, upon the sacrifice that was to be slain and offered up. Abp. Tillotson. This ceremony of putting the hand on the head denoted the entire devotion of things or persons to the special service of God. Dr. Outram. He who brought the victim was commanded to lay his hand upon the head of the animal; which action was esteemed an acknowledgment of his own guilt, and a prayer that it

The burnt offerings of the flocks,

Before CHRIST 1490.

5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

6 And he shall flay the burnt of fering, and cut it into his pieces.

7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:

8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

10 ¶ And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.

II And he shall kill it on the side. of the altar northward before the LORD and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.

12 And he shall cut it into his

16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it or, the beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:

17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

CHAP. II.

1 The meat offering of flour with oil and incense, 4 either baken in the oven, 5 or on a plate, 7 or in a fryingpan, 12 or of the firstfruits in the ear. 13 The salt of the meat offering.

might be punished in the victim upon which his hand was laid. And accordingly we find in the rabbinical writers a set form of prayer, which according to them was always used on this occasion. In this form the delinquent acknowledges his offence, and professes his repentance; and concludes with a petition, that the victim upon which he laid his hand might be his expiation. By which last expression he was, as the Jews inform us, understood to mean, that the victim might be substituted in his room, and that the punishment which himself had merited, might fall on the head of his offering. Veysie. Thus the victim was accepted to make atonement for the offerer, that is, it recommended him to the future favour of God on his sincere prayers accompanying it. Bp. Patrick.

7.-shall put fire upon the altar,] Shall prepare the fire, and kindle the coals; for the original fire, as we read afterwards, came down from heaven. Biblioth. Bibl. 9.—a sweet savour] Acceptable to God as the testimony of the sincere devotion of the offerer. Bp. Kidder. It is a form of speech taken from men, who are delighted with the good scent and taste of meat and drink :| none can reasonably imagine that the mere sacrifice was pleasing to God, but the devotion, faith, obedience, and sincerity of their minds who made the oblation. Bp. Patrick. See the note on Gen. viii. 21. 14.-turtledoves, or of young pigeons.] They were

filth thereof.

not to be birds of prey, or of the coarser kind, but of the more harmless and wholesome nature. Pyle. There was vast plenty of doves and pigeons in the land of Canaan, so that the poorest people could make this oblation without being put to any great charge. Pigeons were most esteemed when young, and on this account young pigeons are to be offered. Bp. Patrick. By means of this provision, the poor as well as the rich had it in their power to perform their religious duty, and make their offerings to God, who receives the services of the poor no less graciously than those of the rich, if they proceed from a sincere and willing mind. Ostervald.

Chap. II. ver. 1. And when any will offer a meat offering] Here again is a merciful provision for those who were too poor to offer the sacrifice mentioned in the last chapter. The term "meat offering" should rather be translated bread offering, as use has now restrained the word meat to signify flesh. Dr. Wells. It was to be made of fine wheat flour, mixed with oil to give it a grateful flavour to the priests, ver. 3, and with frankincense, for the purpose, perhaps, of preventing an unpleasant smell in the court of the tabernacle. Bp. Patrick. The Hebrew word here for a meat offering is mincha, which denotes generally an oblation of the nature of a sacrifice, being consumed upon the altar;

The meat offering of flour,

Before CHRIST

1490.

a Ecclus. 7. 31.

2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:

3 And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5 And if thy oblation be a meat Or, on a flat offering baken || in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

plate, or,

slice.

6 Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.

7 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

although the Mosaick institution in a great degree narrows its application, confining it to what is called the meat offering, or, more properly, the bread or flour offering. Dr. Magee.

oil] Oil was anciently in very high esteem among the Eastern nations on various accounts, and, as they were wont to express almost every matter of importance by actions as well as words, one way of setting any thing apart and appropriating it to an honourable use, was by anointing it with oil. Therefore we find Jotham, in his parable, makes the olive tree speak of its fatness, as that "wherewith they honour God and man," Judg. ix. 9. Accordingly, the tabernacle and temple, and their furniture, were consecrated by anointing them. And almost every sacrifice had oil, mixed with flour, added to it, when it was offered up. Nor was it used only to these things, but to persons also who were distinguished in honour above others: to kings, who were hence frequently styled in Scripture, "the Lord's anointed;" to priests, concerning whom God commands in the case of Aaron and his sons, "thou shalt anoint them-that they may minister unto me in the priest's office," Exod. xl. 15; and lastly to prophets, as where Elijah is directed to "anoint Elisha in his room," 1 Kings xix. 16. Abp. Secker.

the memorial of it] Meaning that part of the offering, by which, being burnt on the altar, they made grateful acknowledgment of the power and goodness of God, and prayed that He would still remember and be gracious to them. Bp. Patrick.

wafers] It is mentioned by travellers, that the Arabs have in their tents flat stones, or copper plates, made on purpose for baking. Dr. Pococke speaks of

and of the firstfruits in the ear.

8 And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.

b

Before CHRIST 1490.

9 And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial there- b Verse 2. of, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a e Exod. 29. sweet savour unto the LORD.

10 And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

11 No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

12 As for the oblation of the

18.

firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be + Heb. burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.

d

ascend.

13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; a Mark 9. 49. neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

14 And if thou offer a meat offer

no leaven,] The prohibition of leaven was laid either to perpetuate the memory of their deliverance from Egypt, or to oppose some idolatrous rites of their heathen neighbours, or else to warn the priests to put away the "leaven of malice and wickedness," 1 Cor. v. 8. Bps. Patrick and Kidder.

The principal priest of Jupiter, among the Romans, was absolutely forbidden to touch leaven. Plutarch makes the reason of this to be, that as leaven itself is a corrupt substance, so it does more or less corrupt that mass with which it is mingled. But the true reason of this prohibition may be much better accounted for, by the Levitical law before us. Biblioth. Bibl.

nor any honey,] This was anciently offered to many of the Gentile deities. Besides, many have remarked that honey has something in it of the same nature with leaven, that, when it is burnt, it has an unpleasant smell. Under the name of honey, the Jews comprehended all sweet fruits, as figs, dates, &c. none of which were burnt, but only offered before the Lord. Biblioth. Bibl.

13.-salt of the covenant] "The salt of the covenant of God," that is, a symbol of the perpetuity thereof. Dr. Magee. Salt, among the ancients, was deemed a symbol of friendship and fidelity, and was therefore frequently used in sacrifices and covenants. Dr. Wells. The salt of the covenant means the salt, which by this law or covenant they were obliged to offer up in every oblation. Salt may also be deemed a sign of the perpetuity and inviolableness of the covenant on God's

a Exod. 29. 22.

Or, suet.

15 And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.

16 And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

CHAP. III.

1 The peace offering of the herd, 6 of the flock, 7 either a lamb, 12 or a goat.

AND if his oblation be a sacrifice

of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.

2 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

part. See Numb. xviii. 19; 2 Chron. xiii. 5. Bp. Kidder. It is matter of doubtful discussion whether the use of salt in sacrifices was prior to the Mosaick Law, as derived to the Gentile world from the Patriarchs, or whether it was later, and copied from this ordinance of Moses. That salt was generally used in the latter Gentile oblations is well known. Biblioth. Bibl. See note on Numb. xviii. 19.

Chap. III. ver. 1. · . — a sacrifice of peace offering,] The Hebrew word translated peace signifies prosperity and happiness thus these oblations were called peace offerings, because they were principally thankful acknowledgments for mercies received from the Divine bounty. The more particular division of these sacrifices is into thank offerings, freewill offerings, and offerings for vows. The first sort were offered for prosperity, or good, already obtained; the second, in the way of devotion, to continue or to procure peace with God; the third, for the attainment of future prosperity or good. The peace offerings of the Israelites were either of the whole congregation, or of particular persons. Lewis.

whether it be a male or female,] In burnt offerings, the female was never sacrificed, because the burnt offering was a more perfect sacrifice : for burnt offerings principally had respect to the honour of God, who justly demands the very best; but peace offerings more peculiarly related to the advantage of the offerers, and therefore they were left herein to their own free choice. Biblioth. Bibl.

and of the flock.

4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the || caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take

away.

5 And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

6 And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.

7 If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.

8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.

9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

10 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by

Before CHRIST 1490.

[Or, midriff over the liver, and over the kidneys.

2. shall lay his hand upon the head] See note at chap. i. 4. It is observable, that in all sacrifices of beasts, chap. iii. 8. 13; iv. 4. 15, &c. the owner laid his hands upon their heads to signify (no doubt) his property in what he offered, the transferring his right in it to God, and the devoting it to death for the purposes specified by the Law. All which, under that figurative state, were a type of Christ's voluntary death: as lively an image, as a priest and sacrifice different could exhibit of One who was priest and sacrifice both; and this lets us into the importance of those phrases, which say, Christ offered his own body” for a sacrifice, &c. Dean Stanhope.

5. upon the burnt sacrifice,] Here seems to be meant the daily sacrifice which was burnt every morning: after which this was to be offered, to intimate that the stated sacrifice was to take place of all others. Bp. Patrick.

Of these daily sacrifices there were two, the one about nine o'clock in the morning, the other about three in the afternoon: these were so stated and constant, that they were never intermitted, not even upon festivals when others were added. They were a constant acknowledgment of God's sovereign dominion, and were in the nature of a daily prayer, that He would graciously continue his mercy to Israel. Lewis.

of a sweet savour unto the Lord.] As the design of these peace offerings was to render solemn thanks and praise to God for his past favours, and to engage Him to continue his blessings; we should

The offering of a goat.

Before CHRIST 1490.

the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

11 And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.

12 And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.

13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.

14 And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

15 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take

hence learn our indispensable obligation to testify our gratitude to God, when He vouchsafes us any particular favour and since his kindness and love is the source of all our happiness, it should be our chief care to procure it. Ostervald.

17. — neither fat nor blood.] It is not meant of the fat which is mingled with the flesh of the animal, but of that of the entrails, which, as was before mentioned, was to be burnt at the altar. Bp. Patrick.

The fat was to be the Lord's, by way of suggestion, that our offerings to God ought to be the richest and the choicest in their kind. Among other reasons assigned for the prohibition to eat fat, it is supposed that an opposition was intended to the practices of idolaters, who were wont to feast on the fat of their sacrifices.

nor blood.] As the blood of the sacrifices was a figure of the blood of the Messiah, so its being forbidden to be eaten implied how sacred and precious a thing

it was.

Biblioth. Bibl. See note on chap. vii. 26.

Chap. IV. ver. 1. And the Lord spake] The repetition of these words seem to imply that the following precepts were delivered at a different time from the preceding. We now proceed to sin "offerings," or offerings to be made by those who had offended God, in expiation of their sins. Bp. Patrick.

2.- If a soul shall sin] Here are three conditions of the description of sin: 1st, It was to be done ignorantly, unadvisedly, through surprise. 2ndly, It was to be against negative precepts, or those which forbade something to be done. 3rdly, It was not a sin of words or thoughts, but of actions-" shall do against any." Bps. Kidder and Patrick.

The Hebrew word for sin offering includes the sense of cleansing, expiating, and making satisfaction: hence it denotes an offering for sin, whereby pardon is pro

The sin offering of ignorance.

17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

1

C

CHAP. IV.

The sin offering of ignorance, 3 for the priest, 13 for the congregation, 22 for the ruler, 27 for any of the people.

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:

3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.

4 And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD.

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1490.

c Gen. 9. 4. chap. 7. 26. & 17. 14.

cured, atonement made, and sin expiated. According to the scriptural account, these sacrifices were offered for all sins of ignorance and inadvertence against what are commonly called the negative precepts, or with respect to things forbidden: also on occasions of legal pollution, as at the cleansing of a leper, &c. chap. xiv. In the common sin offering, whether private or publick, the fat only was burnt upon the altar, and part poured out at the foot of it, (see this chapter, ver. 25,) the flesh being due to the priest: there were other sin offerings of a more solemn nature, offered on extraordinary occasions, of which the priest had no part, but which were entirely consumed with fire. Dr. Jennings.

Since God appointed sacrifices to atone even for sins of ignorance, these sins, though much less heinous than wilful and obstinate sins, ought carefully to be avoided; and therefore we ought to be well instructed in our duty, and have a strict guard over our conduct: and when we have ignorantly fallen into sin, and have perceived our errour, we should be sincerely grieved even for these sins, and remedy them to the utmost of our power. Ostervald.

3. If the priest-do sin according to the sin of the people;] If the high priest sin like one of the common people. The high priest being a publick person, might by his sin and evil example involve the whole people in guilt and misery, chap. x. 6; 1 Sam. ii. 17. 24. Bp. Kidder.

The sacredness of his office was an aggravation of his sin, beyond that of others, and his dignity rendered his example in doing evil more hurtful than their's for which reason a more solemn sacrifice was appointed to be offered for his sins, even of ignorance, than for those of the common people. Dr. Jennings.

4.- and kill the bullock] Among the Gentiles, the slaying of beasts for sacrifice was not thought to be be