Leviticus 1:16

_AND IF THE BURNT SACRIFICE FOR HIS OFFERING TO THE LORD BE OF FOWLS, THEN HE SHALL BRING HIS OFFERING OF TURTLEDOVES, OR OF YOUNG PIGEONS._ If the burnt sacrifice ... be of fowls. The gentle nature and cleanly habits of the dove led to its selection, while all other fowls were rejected, either for the fierceness of their disposition or the grossness of their taste; and in this case there being, from the smallness of the animal, no blood for waste, the priest was directed to prepare it at the altar, and sprinkle the blood. This was the offering appointed for the poor. The fowls were always offered in pairs; and the reason why Moses ordered two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, was not merely to suit the convenience of the offerer, but according as the latter was in season; because pigeons are sometimes quite hard and unfit for eating, at which time turtle-doves are very good in Egypt...

10-17 Those who could not offer a bullock, were to bring a sheep or a goat; and those who were not able to do that, were accepted of God, if they brought a turtle-dove, or a pigeon. Those creatures were chosen for sacrifice which were mild, and gentle, and harmless; to show the innocence and meekness that were in Christ, and that should be in Christians. The offering of the poor was as typical of Christ's atonement as the more costly sacrifices, and expressed as fully repentance, faith, and devotedness to God. We have no excuse, if we refuse the pleasant and reasonable service now required. But we can no more offer the sacrifice of a broken heart, or of praise and thanksgiving, than an Israelite could offer a bullock or a goat, except as God hath first given to us. The more we do in the Lord's service, the greater are our obligations to him, for the will, for the ability, and opportunit...

Verse Leviticus 1:16. _PLUCK AWAY HIS CROP WITH HIS FEATHERS_] In this sacrifice of fowls the head was violently wrung off, then the blood was poured out, then the feathers were plucked off, the breast was cut open, and the crop, stomach, and intestines taken out, and then the body was burnt. Though the bird was split up, yet it was not divided asunder. This circumstance is particularly remarked in Abram's sacrifice, Genesis 15:10. Genesis 15:10. See Ainsworth. WE have already seen, on Leviticus 1:2, that four kinds of animals might be made burnt-offerings to the Lord. 1. _Neat cattle_, such as

HIS CROP WITH HIS FEATHERS - The weight of authority is in favor of the marginal rendering. It is most probable that the feathers were burned with the body, and that the wings, mentioned in Leviticus 1:17, were not mutilated. THE PLACE OF THE ASHES - The ashes were daily removed from the altar (except on certain holy days) and thrown into a heap on its eastern side. When the heap became inconveniently large, it was removed in vessels appropriated to the purpose (see Exodus 27:3) to a spot without the camp. Leviticus 4:12; Leviticus 6:11....

PART I THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS RESPECTING SACRIFICES EXPOSITION THE SACRIFICES (chapters 1-7). There are five classes of sacrifices instituted or regulated in the first seven chapters of Leviticus, each of which has its special signification—the burnt offering, the meat offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, and the peace offering. The burnt offering, in which the whole of the victim was consumed in the fire on God's altar, signifies entire self-surrender on the part of the offerer; the meat offering, a loyal acknowledgment of God's sovereignty; the sin offering, propitiation of wrath in him to whom the offering is made, and expiation of sin in the offerer; the trespass offering, satisfaction for sin; the peace offering, union and communion between the offerer and him to whom the offering is

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....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE OFFERINGS THE FOUNDATION OF HOLINESS 1. The Burnt Offering CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The bullock (Leviticus 1:1)_ 2. The sheep or the goat (Leviticus 1:10) 3. The doves or pigeons (Leviticus 1:14) Jehovah spoke out of the tabernacle which had been set up and upon which the cloud descended, filling the Holy of Holies with the glory of the Lord. Thus Leviticus is closely linked with the ending of the book of Exodus. Out of that glory, from between the cherubim, the same Person spoke to Moses, who had spoken to him out of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai. The first three Chapter s with which Leviticus opens form one utterance of Jehovah. The s

BIRDS. This class is not mentioned in Leviticus 1:2, and may be a later addition to the list of possible offerings (it is not referred to in the narrative books of OT) for the sake of the poor (Luke 2:24). Turtle DOVES AND pigeons are always mentioned together in LEV., and no other birds are allowed. Doves have a sacred character in both Babylonian and Greek rituals. The head of the bird is to be nipped off (_cf._ RVm), not wholly severed; separate parts of a bird (so 17) are too small to lay on the altar. The blood is drained off, as there will not be enough for sprinkling from a bowl. II. The Meal Offering. In Leviticus 7:1 the meal offering is regarded as the regular accompaniment of the peace offering, as

FEATHERS, or filth....

(_c) Fowls_(14 17) This kind of offering is not included in the general introduction in Leviticus 1:2. The ritual is slightly altered; the laying the hand on the victim is omitted, the bringing in the hand being equivalent; and the priest performs all the ceremonial....