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Leviticus
Chapter One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 1 This chapter contains
certain laws and rules concerning sacrifices
particularly burnt offerings
which were delivered by the Lord to Moses
Leviticus 1:1 what
those offerings should be of
Leviticus 1:3 what
rules should be observed
what actions should be done
first by the persons
that brought them
Leviticus 1:3 and
then by the priest that offered them
with respect to the burnt offering of the
herd
Leviticus 1:5 and
to the burnt offering of the sheep and goats
Leviticus 1:11 and
to the burnt offering of fowls
Leviticus 1:15 all
which
when offered aright
were of a sweet savour to the Lord
Leviticus 1:9.
Leviticus 1:1. Now
the Lord
called to Moses
and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting
saying
YLT 1And Jehovah calleth unto Moses
and speaketh
unto him out of the tent of meeting
saying
And the Lord called unto Moses
.... Or "met
him"
as the phrase is rendered in Numbers 23:4. The
word ויקרא
translated "called"
the last
letter of it is written in a very small character
to show
as the JewsF2Vid.
Buxtorf. Tiberias
c. 15. p. 39. say
that he met him accidentally
and
unawares to Moses: other mysteries they observe in it
as that it respects the
modesty of Moses
who lessened himself
and got out of the way
that he might
not have the government laid upon him
and therefore the Lord called him; or to
denote the wonderful condescension of the Lord
whose throne is in heaven
and
yet vouchsafed to dwell in the tabernacle
out of which he called to Moses
and
from Mount Sinai
and out of the cloudF3R. Abraham Seba
Tzeror
Hammor
fol. 92. 1. 2. . The word "Lord" is not in this clause
but
the following
from whence it is supplied by our translators
as it is in the
Syriac version
and as the word "God" is in the Arabic version; the
two Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it
"the Word of the Lord
called to Moses
'by an articulate voice
though it may be it was a still small
one; and which some think is the reason of the smallness of the letter before
mentioned; and Aben Ezra says that Moses heard it
but all Israel did not hear:
and spoke unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation; from off the
mercy seat
between the cherubim over the ark
where the glory of the Lord
or
the divine Shechinah and Majesty took up its residence
and from whence the
Lord promised to commune with Moses
Exodus 25:22
saying; what follows concerning sacrifices; which shows
that these were
not human inventions
but of divine institution
and by the appointment of God.
Leviticus 1:2.
2 “Speak to the children of
Israel
and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord
you shall
bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.
YLT 2`Speak unto the sons of Israel
and thou hast
said unto them
Any man of you when he doth bring near an offering to Jehovah
out of the cattle -- out of the herd
or out of the flock -- ye do bring near
your offering.
Speak unto the children of Israel
and say unto them
.... For unto
no other was the law of sacrifices given; not to the Gentiles
but to the
children of Israel:
if any man; or woman
for the word "man"
as Ben Gersom observes
includes the whole species:
of you; of you Israelites; the Targum of Jonathan adds
"and not of
the apostates who worship idols.'Jarchi interprets it of yours
of your mammon
or substance
what was their own property
and not what was stolen from anotherF4Vid.
T. Bab. Succah
fol. 30. 1. & not. Abendana in Miclol Yophi in loc.
see Isaiah 61:8
bring an offering unto the Lord; called
"Korban" of "Karab"
to draw nigh
because it was not only
brought nigh to God
to the door of the tabernacle where he dwelt
but because
by it they drew nigh to God
and presented themselves to him
and that for
them; typical of believers under the Gospel dispensation drawing nigh to God
through Christ
by whom their spiritual sacrifices are presented and accepted
in virtue of his:
ye shall bring your offering of the cattle
even of the
herd
and of the flock; that is
of oxen
and of sheep or goats. The Targum of Jonathan
is
"of a clean beast
of oxen
and of sheep
but not of wild beasts shall
ye bring your offerings.'These were appointed
Ben Gersom says
for these two
reasons
partly because the most excellent
and partly because most easy to be
found and come at
as wild creatures are not: but the true reason is
because
they were very fit to represent the great sacrifice Christ
which all
sacrifices were typical of; the ox or bullock was a proper emblem of him for
his strength and laboriousness
and the sheep for his harmlessness
innocence
and patience
and the goat
as he was not in himself
but as he was thought to
be
a sinner
being sent in the likeness of sinful flesh
and being traduced as
such
and having the sins of his people imputed to him.
Leviticus 1:3. 3 ‘If
his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd
let him offer a male
without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the
tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.
YLT 3`If his offering [is] a burnt-offering out of
the herd -- a male
a perfect one
he doth bring near
unto the opening of the
tent of meeting he doth bring it near
at his pleasure
before Jehovah;
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd
.... So
called
because consumed by fire
see Leviticus 6:9 even
all of it except the skin
and therefore its name with the Greeks is "a
whole burnt offering"
as in Mark 12:33 its name
in Hebrew is עולה
which comes from a word which
signifies to "ascend" or "go up"
because not only it was
carried up to the altar by the priest
which was common to other sacrifices
but being burnt upon it
it ascended upwards in smoke and vapour; it was
typical of Christ's dolorous sufferings and death
who therein sustained the
fire of divine wrath
and his strength was dried up like a potsherd with it.
Jarchi on Leviticus 1:1 says
there were in the burnt offerings mysteries of future things:
let him offer a male; and not a female
pointing at the Messiah's sex
and his strength and excellency
the child that
was to be born
and the Son to be given
whose name should be Immanuel:
without blemish; or perfect
having no part wanting
nor any part superfluous
nor any spot upon it
see Leviticus 22:19
denoting the perfection of Christ as man
being in all things made like unto
his brethren
and his having not the least stain or blemish of sin upon him
either original or actual
and so could
as he did
offer up himself without
spot to God
Hebrews 2:17
and he shall offer it of his own voluntary will; not forced or
compelled to it
or with any reluctancy
but as a pure freewill offering; so
our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life of himself
and freely gave himself an
offering and a sacrifice
and became cheerfully and readily obedient unto
death:
at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
before the Lord; it was to be
done openly and publicly
and in the presence of the Lord
to whom it was
offered up; showing
that Christ's sacrifice would be offered up to God
against whom we have sinned
by which his law would be fulfilled
his justice
satisfied
and wrath appeased
and that his death would be public and
notorious; see Luke 24:18.
Leviticus 1:4. 4 Then
he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering
and it will be
accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
YLT 4and he hath laid his hand on the head of the
burnt-offering
and it hath been accepted for him to make atonement for him;
And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering
.... According
to the Targum of Jonathan
it was his right hand; but it is generally thought
by the Jewish writers that both hands were laid on; so Ben Gersom and Aben
Ezra
with whom MaimonidesF5Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot
c. 3. sect.
13. agrees
who says
he that lays on hands ought to lay on with all his
strength
with both his hands upon the head of the beast
as it is said
"upon the head of the burnt offering": not upon the neck
nor upon
the sides; and there should be nothing between his hands and the beast: and as
the same writer saysF6Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot
c. 3. sect. 8. Vid.
T. Bab. Menachot
fol. 93. 2.
it must be his own hand
and not the hand of
his wife
nor the hand of his servant
nor his messenger; and who also observesF7Ib.
sect. 14.
that at the same time he made confession over the burnt offering
both of his sins committed against affirmative and negative precepts: and
indeed by this action he owned that he had sinned
and deserved to die as that
creature he brought was about to do
and that he expected pardon of his sin
through the death of the great sacrifice that was a type of. Moreover
this
action signified the transferring of his sins from himself to this sacrifice
which was to be offered up to make atonement for them; so Gersom observes; see Leviticus 16:21.
This denotes the translation of our sins from us
and the imputation of them to
Christ
who was offered up in our room and stead
to make atonement for them
as follows:
and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him: that is
the
burnt offering should be accepted in his room and stead
and hereby an
atonement of his sins should be made for him
typical of that true
real
and
full atonement made by the sacrifice of Christ
which this led his faith unto.
Leviticus 1:5. 5 He
shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests
Aaron’s
sons
shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that
is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
YLT 5and he hath slaughtered the son of the herd
before Jehovah; and sons of Aaron
the priests
have brought the blood near
and sprinkled the blood on the altar round about
which [is] at the opening of
the tent of meeting.
And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord
.... That is
the man that brings the burnt offering
for no other is yet spoken of; and
according to the traditions of the eldersF8Misn. Zebachim
c. 3.
sect. 1. & Maimon. in ib. T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 27. 1. & Zebachim
fol.
32. 1. & Menachot
fol. 19. 1.
killing of the sacrifice was right when
done by strangers
by women
and by servants
and by unclean persons
even in
the most holy things so be it that the unclean did not touch the flesh; and it
is observedF9Bartenora in Misn. Zebachim
ib.
that the service of
the priest begins in the next clause
killing being lawful by him that was not
a priest
according to the Targum of Jonathan
the butcher; but Aben Ezra
interprets it of the priests
and certain it is
that the burnt offerings of
the fowls were killed by the priests
Leviticus 1:15 and
the Septuagint version renders it
"and they shall kill": but be this
as it will
the burnt offering was to be killed in the court before the Lord;
and this was typical of the death of Christ
who
according to these types
as
well as to other prophecies
was to die for the sins of men
and accordingly
did; and if this was the proprietor and not the priest that killed the
sacrifice
it may denote that the sins of God's people
for whom Christ's
sacrifice was offered up
were the cause of his death:
and the priests
Aaron's sons
shall bring the blood: in vessels or
basins
as the Targum of Jonathan adds
into which they received it when slain:
and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation; which was the altar of
burnt offering
and not the altar of incense
as appears by the situation of
it
see Exodus 40:5 and the
blood was sprinkled all around the altar with two sprinklings: the rule in the
Misnah isF11Misn. Zebachim
c. 5. sect. 4. ; the slaying of the
burnt offering is in the north
and the reception of its blood into the
ministering vessels is in the north
and its blood ought to have two
sprinklings
which answer to four; which MaimonidesF12Perush in ib.
explains thus; because it is said "round about"
it must needs be
that the sprinklings should comprehend the four sides of the altar; and this is
done when the two sprinklings are upon the two horns
which are diametrically
opposite; and this is what is meant
"which are four"; the sense is
that those two should include the four sides
and the two opposite horns were
the northeast and the southwest
as he and other Jewish writers observeF13Jarchi
Bartenora
& Yom Tob
in ib.
and which he expresses more clearly
elsewhereF14Hilchot Korbanot
c. 5. sect. 6. : when the priest took
the blood in the basin
he sprinkled out of it in the basin
two sprinklings
upon the two corners of the altar opposite from it; and he ordered it so to
sprinkle the blood upon the horn
that the blood might surround the corners in
the form of the Greek letter "gamma"F15Vid. T. Bab.
Zebachim
fol. 53. 2. ; so that the blood of the two sprinklings might be found
upon the four sides of the altar; because it is said of the burnt offerings
and of the peace offerings "round about"; and this is the law for the
trespass offering
and the rest of the blood was poured out at the bottom
southward: now this was always done by a priest
for though the bullock might
be killed by a stranger
as Gersom on the place observes
yet its blood must be
sprinkled by a priest; and it is the note of Aben Ezra
that this might be done
by many
and therefore it is said
the "priests
Aaron's sons"
when
the slaying of it was only by one. The "altar" on which the blood was
sprinkled typified the divinity of Christ
which gave virtue to his blood
whereby it made atonement for sin; and in allusion to this rite Christ's blood
is called "the blood of sprinkling"
1 Peter 1:2 Hebrews 12:24 which
being sprinkled on the heart by the Spirit of God clears it from an evil
conscience
and purges the conscience from dead works
and speaks peace and
pardon there
Hebrews 10:22.
Leviticus 1:6. 6 And
he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.
YLT 6`And he hath stripped the burnt-offering
and
hath cut it into its pieces;
And he shall flay the burnt offering
.... Take off
its skin; this was the only part of it that was not burnt
and was the property
of the priest
Leviticus 7:8 but
who this was done by is not so manifest
since it is in the singular number
"he"
and seems to be the bringer of the offering; for Aaron's sons
the priests that sprinkled the blood
are spoken of plurally; and agreeably
Gersom observes
that the flaying of the burnt offering and cutting it in
pieces were lawful to be done by a stranger; but Aben Ezra interprets
"he" of the priest; and the Septuagint and Samaritan versions read in
the plural number
"they shall flay"
&c. and this was the work
of the priests
and who were sometimes helped in it by their brethren
the
Levites
2 Chronicles 29:34
and as this follows upon the sprinkling of the blood
it was never done till
that was; the rule is
they do not flay them (the sacrifices) until the blood
is sprinkled
except the sin offerings
which are burnt
for they do not flay
them at allF16Hilchot Korbanot
c. 5. sect. 18. . The flaying of the
burnt offering may denote the very great sufferings of Christ
when he was
stripped of his clothes
and his back was given to the smiters
and his cheeks
to them that plucked off the hair; and the skin of the sacrifice
which
belonged to the priest
may be an emblem of the righteousness of Christ
and
which also was signified by the coats of skins the Lord God made for Adam and
Eve
Genesis 3:21 that
robe of righteousness
and garments of salvation
which all that are made kings
and priests to God are clothed with:
and cut it into his pieces; which was done while he
was flaying it
and after this manner
as Maimonides relatesF17Ib.
c. 6. sect. 5
6
7
8
9. Vid. Misnah Tamid
c. 4. sect. 2
3.
he flays
until he comes to the breast
and then he cuts off the head
then its legs
and
finishes the flaying; then he rends the heart
and brings out its blood; then
he cuts off the hands
and goes to the right foot
and cuts off that
and after
that he cuts down the beast until its bowels are discovered; he takes the knife
and separates the lights from the liver
and the caul of the liver from the
liver
and does not remove the liver out of its place; and he goes up to the
right side
and cuts and descends to the backbone
and he does not go to the
backbone until he comes to the two tender ribs; he comes to the neck
and
leaves in it two ribs here and two ribs there; he cuts it and comes to the left
side
and leaves in it two tender ribs above and two tender ribs below; then he
comes to the point of the backbone
he cuts it
and gives it and the tail
and
the caul of the liver
and the two kidneys with it; he takes the left foot and
gives it to another; and according to this order they flay and cut in pieces
the burnt offering of the cattle; and these are the pieces spoken of in the
law
Leviticus 1:6 some
apply this to the ministers of the Gospel
rightly dividing the word of God
and to the effect the word has in dividing asunder soul and spirit; but it is
best to apply it to Christ
either to the evidence given of him in the Gospel
in which he is clearly set forth in his person
natures
and offices
and in
all the parts and branches thereof; where every thing is naked and open to
view
as the creature was when thus cut up; or rather to his sufferings
which
he endured in every part of his body
from head to foot.
Leviticus 1:7. 7 The
sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar
and lay the wood in order
on the fire.
YLT 7and the sons of Aaron the priest have put
fire on the altar
and arranged wood on the fire;
And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar
.... The fire
of the altar originally came down from heaven
and consumed the sacrifice
and
which was a token of God's acceptance of it
see Leviticus 9:24 and
this fire was kept burning continually upon the altar
Leviticus 6:12 and
yet the Jewish writers say
it was the command of God
according to this
passage
that fire should be brought from another place and put here; Jarchi's
note on the text is
"though fire came down from heaven
it was commanded
to bring it from a common or private place:'and MaimonidesF18Hilchot.
Tamidin
c. 2. sect. 1. says the same thing
and so it is often said in the
TalmudF19T. Bab. Erubin
fol. 63. 1. Yoma
fol. 21. 2. & 53. 1.
; and this
as Gersom observes
was not done by any but a priest in the time of
his priesthood
or when clothed with his priestly garments; and so in the
Talmud it is said
that the putting fire upon the altar belonged to the
priesthood
but not flaying or cutting in piecesF20T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 26. 2. Vid. T. Bab. Zebachim
fol. 18. 1. : this fire denoted the wrath of
God
revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men
and which is the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels
and
all the workers of iniquity; and which Christ endured for his people in human
nature
when he bore their sins
and became a whole burnt offering for them:
and lay the wood in order upon the fire; the wood for
the sacrifice was an offering of the people
brought to the temple at the times
appointed
Nehemiah 10:34
where was a place called לשכת העצים
"the wood room"
or "wood chamber"
and which was in the
northeast part of the court of the women; and here such priests as had
blemishes wormed the wood
or searched the wood for worms; for whatsoever wood
had a worm found in it
it was not fit to be laid upon the altar; and it was
from hence the priests fetched the wood and laid it on the altarF21Misn.
Middot
c. 2. sect. 5. ; for a private person might not bring it from his own
house for his offeringF23Issure Mizbeach
c. 5. sect. 13. T. Bab.
Cholin
fol. 27. 1.
though it was provided by the congregationF24T.
Bab. Menachot
fol. 22. 1.
and brought thither by private persons; and it
might be any sort of wood but that of the vine and oliveF25Misn.
Tamid
c. 2. sect. 3. & T. Bab. Tamid
fol. 29. 2.
which were not used
because they did not burn well
and were soon reduced to ashes; and because
such a consumption would be made of such useful trees hereby
that there would
be no wine or oil in the land of Israel
so necessary for private and religious
uses. The Vulgate Latin version renders it
"the pile of wood being laid
before": that is
before the fire was put upon the altar; but this is
contrary to the text
for the wood was laid upon the fire
and therefore the
fire must be first; the case seems to be this
the fire was first kindled
and
then the wood laid in order upon it.
Leviticus 1:8. 8 Then
the priests
Aaron’s sons
shall lay the parts
the head
and the fat in order
on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar;
YLT 8and sons of Aaron
the priests
have arranged
the pieces
with the head and the fat
on the wood
which [is] on the fire
which [is] on the altar;
And the priests
Aaron's sons
shall lay the parts
.... That were
cut in pieces
Leviticus 1:6 some
of which are particularly mentioned:
the head and the fat; the head which was cut
off
and the body
the trunk of it; so
Aben Ezra says
the wise men interpret
the word פדר "fat"
which is only used here
and in Leviticus 1:12 and
which he thinks is right; though others take it to be the fat caul
or midriff
which parts the entrails; and the Targum of Jonathan renders it
the covering
of fat: these are particularly mentioned
but include in general the rest of
the pieces
which were laid:
in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar; this
disposition of the several parts of the burnt offering upon the altar signifies
the laying of Christ upon the cross
and the disposition of his head
his
hands
and feet there; according to the usual order of crucifixion: the skin
as before observed
was not burnt
but was the property of the priest
and the
sinew that shrunk was taken away
and cast upon the ashes in the middle of the
altarF26Ib. Maaseh Hakorbanot
c. 6. sect. 4. .
Leviticus 1:9. 9 but
he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn
all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice
an offering made by fire
a sweet aroma
to the Lord.
YLT 9and its inwards and its legs he doth wash
with water; and the priest hath made perfume with the whole on the altar
a
burnt-offering
a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah.
But the inwards and his legs shall he wash in water
.... This was
first done in a room in the court of the temple
called לשכת
המדחין
"the room of the washers"
or the
washing room
where they washed the inwards of the holy thingsF1Misn.
Middot
c. 5. sect. 2. Maimon Beth Habechirah
c. 5. sect. 17. ; and after that
they washed them upon the marble tables between the pillars
where they washed
them three times at leastF2Ib. c. 3. sect. 5. & Tamid
c. 4.
sect. 2. Piske
Tosaphot Middot
Art. 23. ; and whereas this is said to be done
"in water"; MaimonidesF3Hilchot Hakorbanot
c. 6. sect. 6.
Vid. T. Bab. Zebachim
fol. 22. 1. observes
"not in wine
nor in a mixture
of wine and water
nor in other liquids:'the washing of the inwards and legs
denoted the internal purity of Christ's heart
and the external holiness of his
life and conversation
and the saints' purification by him both in heart and
life: with Philo the JewF4De Victimis
p. 839. these things had a
mystical meaning; by the washing of the inwards was signified that lusts were
to be washed away
and such spots removed as were contracted by surfeiting and
drunkenness
very harmful to the lives of men; and by the washing of the feet
was signified that we should no more walk upon the earth
but mount up to the
air
and pass through that
even to heaven:
and the priest shall burn all on the altar; all the other
pieces
as well as the inwards and legs
excepting the skin
which denoted the
painful sufferings of Christ
and the extent of them to all parts of his body;
and indeed his soul felt the fire of divine wrath
and became an offering for
sin:
to be a burnt
sacrifice
an offering made by fire; that is
all the parts
of the bullock were burnt on the altar
that it might appear to be a whole
burnt offering consumed by fire:
of a sweet savour unto the Lord: he accepting of it
and
smelling a sweet savour of rest in it
as an atonement for sin
typical of the
sacrifice of Christ
which is to God for a sweet smelling savour
Ephesians 5:2 the
Jewish doctorsF5Misn. Menachot
c. 13. sect. 11. T. Bab. Shebuot
fol. 15. 1. gather from hence
that whether a man offers much or little
it
matters not
if his heart is but directed to God; which Maimonides explains
thusF6In Misn. ib.
he that studies in the law
it is all one as if
he offered a burnt offering
or a meat offering
or a sin offering
concerning
which this phrase is used.
Leviticus 1:10. 10 ‘If
his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt
sacrifice
he shall bring a male without blemish.
YLT 10`And if his offering [is] out of the flock --
out of the sheep or out of the goats -- for a burnt-offering
a male
a perfect
one
he doth bring near
And if his offering be of the flocks
.... As it
might be:
namely
of the sheep
or of the goats for a burnt sacrifice; which were both typical
of Christ; see Gill on Leviticus 1:2.
he shall bring it a male without blemish; See Gill on Leviticus 1:3.
Leviticus 1:11. 11 He shall kill it on the
north side of the altar before the Lord; and the priests
Aaron’s
sons
shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.
YLT 11and he hath slaughtered it by the side of the
altar northward
before Jehovah; and sons of Aaron
the priests
have sprinkled
its blood on the altar round about;
And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the
Lord
.... This is a circumstance not mentioned in the killing of the
bullock: MaimonidesF7In Misn. Zebachim
c. 5. sect. 1. says
there
was a square place from the wall of the altar northward
to the wall of the
court
and it was sixty cubits
and all that was over against the breadth of
this
from the wall of the porch to the eastern wall
and it is seventy six
cubits; and this foursquare place is called the "north"
for the
slaying of the most holy things; so that it seems this being a large place
was
fittest for this purpose. Aben Ezra intimates
as if some respect was had to
the situation of Mount Zion; his note is
"on the side of the altar
northward"
i.e. without
and so "the sides of the north"
Psalm 48:2 for so
many mistake who say that the tower of Zion was in the midst of Jerusalem; and
with this agrees Mr. Ainsworth's note on Leviticus 6:25
hereby was figured
that Christ our sin offering should be killed by the
priests in Jerusalem
and Mount Sion
which was on "the sides of the
north"
Psalm 48:2
crucified on Mount Calvary
which was on the northwest side of Jerusalem; as by
the Jews' tradition
the morning sacrifice was killed at the northwest horn of
the altarF8Misn. Tamid
c. 4. sect. 1. :
and the priests
Aaron's sons
shall sprinkle the blood round
about upon the altar; See Gill on Leviticus 1:5.
Leviticus 1:12. 12 And
he shall cut it into its pieces
with its head and its fat; and the priest
shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar;
YLT 12and he hath cut it into its pieces
and its
head and its fat
and the priest hath arranged them on the wood
which [is] on
the fire
which [is] on the altar;
And he shall cut it into his pieces
with his head and his fat
.... Or
"his body"
as the Targum of Jonathan; this was to be cut in pieces
in the same manner as the bullock; see Gill on Leviticus 1:6
and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is
on the fire
which is on the altar; See Gill on Leviticus 1:8.
Leviticus 1:13. 13 but
he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall bring
it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice
an offering made by fire
a sweet aroma to the Lord.
YLT 13and the inwards and the legs he doth wash
with water
and the priest hath brought the whole near
and hath made perfume
on the altar; it [is] a burnt-offering
a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to
Jehovah.
But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water
.... As he did
the bullock
Leviticus 1:9
and the priest shall bring it all: all the parts
to the ascent of the altar
as the JewsF9T. Bab. Pesachim
fol. 65.
2. & Yoma
fol. 27. 1. Chagigah
fol. 11. 1. interpret it; all the parts
and pieces of it
even the very wool on the sheep's head
and the hair on the
goat's beard
their bones
sinews
and horns
and hoofsF11Misn.
Zebachim
c. 9. sect. 5. Maimon. Hilchot Hakorbanot
c. 6. sect. 2.
all were
burnt
as it follows:
and burn it on the altar
it is a burnt offering
an
offering made by fire
of a sweet savour unto the Lord; See Gill on Leviticus 1:9.
Leviticus 1:14. 14 ‘And
if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the Lord is of
birds
then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.
YLT 14`And if his offering [is] a burnt-offering
out of the fowl to Jehovah
than he hath brought near his offering out of the turtle-doves
or out of the young pigeons
And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of
fowls
.... As it might be for the poorer sort
who could not offer a
bullock
nor a sheep
or a lamb
Leviticus 5:7
then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves
or of young
pigeons; the Jewish writers all agree
that the turtles should be old
and not young
as the pigeons young
and not old; so the Targum of Jonathan
Jarchi
Aben Ezra and GersomF12Vid. T. Bab. Cholin
fol. 22. 1
2. ;
the latter gives two reasons for it
because then they are the choicest and
easiest to be found and taken: no mention is made of their being male or
female
either would do
or of their being perfect and unblemished
as in the
other burnt offerings; but if any part was wanting
it was not fit for
sacrifice
as MaimonidesF13Issure Mizbeach
c. 3. sect. 1
2. Vid.
Misn. Zebachim
c. 7. sect. 5. & Maimon. & Bartenora
in ib. observes.
These creatures were proper emblems of Christ
and therefore used in sacrifice
whose voice is compared to the turtle's
and his eyes to the eyes of doves
Song of Solomon 2:12
and who is fitly represented by them for his meekness and humility
for his
chaste and strong affection to his church
as the turtledove to its mate
and
for those dove like graces of the Spirit which are in him.
Leviticus 1:15. 15 The
priest shall bring it to the altar
wring off its head
and burn it on
the altar; its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar.
YLT 15and the priest hath brought it near unto the
altar
and hath wrung off its head
and hath made perfume on the altar
and its
blood hath been wrung out by the side of the altar;
And the priest shall bring it unto the altar
.... The
southeast horn of it; near which was the place of the ashes
into which the
crop and its feathers were castF14Misn. Zebachim
c. 6. sect. 5.
& Bartenora in ib. :
and wring off his head; by twisting it back as
it should seem; the word used is only to be found here
and in Leviticus 5:8 the
Jews say
it signifies to cut with the nail
and that the priest did this
not
with a knife or any other instrument
but with his nail; so Jarchi and Gersom
on the place observe: some think he only let out the blood this way
but did
not separate the head from the body
which seems to be favoured by Leviticus 5:8
though Maimonides and BartenoraF15In Misn. ib. conclude the reverse
from the same place; and that the meaning is
that he should cut off the head
and divide it asunder at the time he cuts with the nail: the manner of cutting
with the nail was thisF16Maimon. in Misn. ib. sect. 4. &
Bartenora. in ib.
the priest held both the feet of the bird with his two
fingers of his left hand
and the wings between two other fingers
and the bird
upon the back of his hand
that it might not be within the palm of it; then he
stretches out its neck upon the thumb about two fingers' breadth
and cuts it
over against the neck with his nail
and this is one of the hardest services in
the sanctuary:
and burn it on the altar; that is
the head
after
squeezing out the blood
and rubbing it with salt:
and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: or "the
wall" of it: this
though mentioned last
must be done before
and
immediately upon the wringing of the head
and between that and the burning it
on the altar: this wringing off the head
and wringing out the blood
denote
violence
and show that Christ's death
which this was a type of
was a violent
one; the Jews laid violent hands upon him
and pursued his life in a violent
manner
were very pressing to have it taken away
and his life was taken away
in such a manner by men
though not without his Father's secret will
and his
own consent.
Leviticus 1:16. 16 And
he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the
east side
into the place for ashes.
YLT 16and he hath turned aside its crop with its
feathers
and hath cast it near the altar
eastward
unto the place of ashes;
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers
.... Or
"with its meat"
or "dung"
as Onkelos renders it
meaning
that which was in its crop; and so the Jerusalem Targum interprets it
"with its dung"; and Jonathan's paraphrase is
"with its collection"
or what was gathered together in the crop; it includes the entrails
as Gersom
observes:
and cast it beside the altar on the east part
by the place of the
ashes; where the ashes of the burnt offering were put every day
and
every time such an offering was made; and all this answered to the washing of
the inwards
and legs of the other burnt offerings
and signified the same
thing
the cleanness and purity of Christ
and of his people by him.
Leviticus 1:17. 17 Then
he shall split it at its wings
but shall not divide it
completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar
on the wood that is
on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice
an offering made by fire
a sweet
aroma to the Lord.
YLT 17and he hath cleaved it with its wings (he
doth not separate [it])
and the priest hath made it a perfume on the altar
on
the wood
which [is] on the fire; it [is] a burnt-offering
a fire-offering of
sweet fragrance to Jehovah.
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof
.... One wing
being on one side
and the other on the other side:
but shall not divide it asunder; the body of the bird
though it was cleaved down in the middle
yet not parted asunder
nor any of
its wings separated from it; the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it
"but
shall not separate its wings from it"; this denoted
that though
by the
death of Christ
his soul and body were separated from each other
yet the
human nature was not separated from his divine Person
the personal union
between the two natures still continuing; nor was he divided from his divine
Father
though he was forsaken by him
yet still in union with him as the Son
of God; nor from the divine Spirit
by which he offered up himself to God
and
by which he was quickened; nor from his church and people
for whom he
suffered
they being united to him as members to their head:
and the priest shall burn it upon the altar
upon the wood that is
upon the fire; in like manner as the ox
sheep
or goat were burnt: according
to the Misnah
the priest went up the ascent (of the altar) and turned round
about the circuit; when he came to the southeast horn
he cut its head (or
nipped it) with his nail
over against its neck
and divided it
and squeezed
out its blood by the wall of the altar
and turned the part nipped to the
altar
and struck it at it
and rubbed it with salt
and cast it upon the
fires; then he went to the body and removed the crop and its feathers (or dung)
and the entrails that came out along with it
and threw them into the place of
ashes; he cleaved but did not divide asunder
but if he divided it was right
then he rubbed it with salt
and cast it upon the firesF17Misn.
Zebachim
c. 6. sect. 5. :
it is a burnt sacrifice
an offering made by fire
of a sweet
savour unto the Lord; See Gill on Leviticus 1:9 so
with the Heathens
to the gods of the air they sacrificed fowls for burnt
offeringsF18Porphyr. apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 4. c. 9. p.
146. Vid. Maoreb. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 8. .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》