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 b... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Jews b say, that he met him accidentally, and unawares to Moses: other mysteries they observe... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Maimonides e agrees, who says, he that lays on hands oug... [ Continue Reading ]
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 elders h, killing of the sacrifice was right when done by strangers, by women, and by servants, and by unclean persons, even in th... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ye... [ Continue Reading ]
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 use... [ Continue Reading ]
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 things a; and after that they washed them upon the marble tables between t... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Leviticus 1:2 HE SHALL BRING IT A MALE WITHOUT BLEMISH; Leviticus 1:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Maimonides g 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Leviticus 1:6: AND THE PRIEST SHALL LAY THEM IN ORDER ON THE WOOD THAT [IS] ON THE FIRE, WHICH IS ON THE ALTAR; Leviticus 1:... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Jews i interpret it; all the parts and pieces of it, even the very wool on the sheep's head, and the hair on the goa... [ Continue Reading ]
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 sho... [ Continue Reading ]
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 cast n: 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 s... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 par... [ Continue Reading ]